Modern life is unthinkable without constant communication, but sometimes phone calls turn into a nightmare: intrusive advertising calls, threats from collectors or just unwanted attention from a former partner all require an immediate solution. Xiaomi smartphone owners often wonder how to effectively cut off unwanted contacts without changing their SIM card or phone number.
The Android operating system, combined with the MIUI branded shell, provides users with powerful tools to filter incoming calls. You don't have to install third-party applications that can overload device memory or collect personal data. Built-in mechanisms work at the system level, ensuring maximum efficiency and privacy.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available blocking options, from simply adding to a blacklist to using advanced anti-burst features. You will learn how to set up automatic failure for unknown numbers and what hidden features the standard Phone app has. Let’s dive into your Redmi or Poco settings to regain peace and quiet.
Use of the built-in blacklist in the Phone app
The easiest and most obvious way to do this is to use the standard call functionality, which is integrated very deeply into the MIUI shell, and allows you to flexibly manage your unwanted caller list. To start, open the standard Phone app, which usually has a green handset icon on your desktop.
When you start the app, look at the interface. In the upper right corner of the screen, there's a menu icon represented by three vertical dots or a gear depending on the firmware version, and clicking on this element gives you access to additional settings, including Lock or Antispam.
- 📞 Click on the menu icon in the call app.
- 🛡️ Select “Blocking” or “Blocking Settings».
- 🚫 Go to the tab "Black List».
- ➕ Press the add button (usually a plus or triplet).
In the window that opens, you'll see several options for adding contacts, so you can select a number from your call history if the caller has recently bothered you, or find it in your address book, and you can also have a manual mask lock, which allows you to screen out entire groups of numbers, such as those starting with a specific city or operator code.
⚠️ Note: When you add a number to the blacklist through the standard menu, the subscriber will hear the beeps, but the call reset will occur automatically.Notification of a missed call may not appear, but the record of the lock will remain in the log.
Blocking a specific contact through a call log
Often, the need to block a number occurs spontaneously, immediately after a call, in which case you don't have to go into the deep settings of the menu, just use the context menu of the call history, which greatly speeds up the process, this method is ideal for quick response to aggressive callers.
Open the Recent tab in the Phone app. Find the number you want to block. Depending on the version of MIUI, you either need to press and hold your finger on the number, or click on the arrow or information icon next to it. In the drop-down action list, select the option to Block or Add to the blacklist.
The system can request confirmation of your action, and this is done to prevent the accidental blocking of important contacts, and once confirmed, the number instantly enters the filter. SMS-Messages from this sender will also stop coming to the main inbox, they will be moved to the spam folder.
☑️ Checking lockdown
It's important to understand the difference between blocking a contact and ignoring a call. When you block a call, it's interrupted at the network or system level without making any noise. If you just don't pick up the phone, the caller will hear the beeps before being forwarded to voicemail. Only the former is suitable for dealing with intrusive calls.
Automatically weeding out unknown numbers
A special category is called from unknown or hidden numbers. Advertising robots often change numbers, so blocking them one at a time is pointless. Xiaomi has a feature called “Block Unknown Numbers”, which allows you to cut off all calls that are not saved in your phone book.
To activate this feature, go to your smartphone Settings, then select the Applications section and find System Applications there. In the list, find the Phone app and go to its settings. Here you need to find the Lock Unknown Numbers and activate the switch.
| Type of filtration | Who can get through? | What the caller hears | Where to look at the logs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blacklist | All but listed | Hooks, then dumps. | Lock log |
| Unknown numbers | Only contacts. | Short horns. | Call magazine |
| Do not disturb mode. | Selected (by setting) | Busy or silent. | Notifications of the system |
Using the Unknown Number Lock mode can be a inconvenience if you are waiting for an important call from a courier or doctor whose number is not yet saved, so it is worth turning on this feature with caution, perhaps only for a certain period of time.
Hidden codes for checking redirects
Do Not Disturb as a Temporary Measure
If you want silence right now, but you don't want to completely block contacts forever, use Do Not Disturb mode. Unlike the blacklist, this mode is a temporary filter that can be set to a schedule or manually activated for several hours.
You can activate mode through the control panel (curtain) by swiping from top to bottom. Find the crescent icon. However, for fine-tuning, you better go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb. Here you can allow repeated calls: if the same person calls twice in 3 minutes, the second call will pass.
You can also create an exception list in this mode setting, such as allowing only calls from contacts in the Family or Favorites group, which is ideal for night time or important meetings, when you need to cut off all information noise, leaving communication only with the closest ones.
Don't confuse this mode with full lockdown. In Do Not Disturb mode, the caller hears the usual horns, it's just that your phone doesn't make a sound or vibrate. The subscriber may think you're just not picking up the phone, rather than ignoring it on a system level.
Analysis of the lock log and list management
In MIUI, all blocked calls and messages are stored in a special log, which allows you to make sure that the function is working correctly, and if necessary, unlock the number if it was added there by mistake.
To get into the log, open the Security app (green shield and lightning icon). In the bottom menu or tool list, find the Lock item. This displays the blocked call counter and SMS. When you click on it, you will see a detailed history.
- 📂 Open the Security app».
- 🛡️ Select the “Blocking” tool».
- 📜 Click on “Blocked” or “Journal».
- 🗑️ To delete, press and hold the number, select "Delete».
In the same section, you can manage a whitelist, and the contacts that are added to the whitelist will pass through any filters, even if the unknowns are completely blocked, which creates a strong protection against the accidental isolation of important people.
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Check your spam folder regularly, and sometimes it gets confirmation codes from banks or services that the system mistakenly thought were ads.
Use of third-party applications and services
While Xiaomi’s built-in tools are powerful, sometimes more advanced protection is required, such as database numbering or keyword blocking in SMS. There are specialized applications such as GetContact, NumBuster or Truecaller for these purposes.
These apps work on the principle of crowdsourcing, when someone from the database labels a number as "Spam" or "Collectors", this status is transmitted to everyone else, and when you call, you immediately see who is calling you, even if the number is not in your book.
⚠️ Note: When you install number-defining applications, you often give access to your phone book, which may violate the privacy of your contacts, as their data also enters the common database.
If you choose to use third-party software, carefully examine the permissions requested. You have enough access to calls and contacts to work. Don't give the application the right to send SMS or access the file system without urgent need. In MIUI settings, you can limit the background operation of such applications so that they do not land the battery.
And there are also carrier services, and many of them (MegaFon, MTS, Beeline, Tele2) offer antispam services for a subscription fee, and they block calls at the network level before the signal reaches your Redmi, which is effective against robotic calls, but less flexible than the settings of the phone itself.
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Combining the built-in MIUI blacklist and the operator’s service gives the maximum result in the fight against phone spam.