How to blacklist a number on a Xiaomi phone: 5 working ways

Why spam calls have become a problem №1 for Xiaomi owners

One in two Xiaomi smartphone owners are facing intrusive calls from scammers, collectors or advertising bots. According to Kaspersky Lab, spam calls increased 47 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, and MIUI remains one of the most vulnerable shells for such attacks, a problem compounded by the fact that standard call blockers often do not recognize new deception schemes – callers disguise numbers as bank services (+7,495 123-45-67) or even as your contacts numbers.

In this article, you will find 5 proven ways to blacklist any Xiaomi phone, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. We will break down both standard MIUI tools and hidden features that are not written about in the official instructions, and you will learn why some numbers keep calling even after locking and how to fix it once and for all.

Method 1: Blocking through the call log (fastest)

If you've already had an unwanted number, you can block it right from the call log. MIUI 10 to 14, and it takes no more than 10 seconds. SMS or leave voice messages.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Phone app (the tube icon on the home screen)
• 🕒 Go to the Journal tab (watch icon in the lower menu)
• 🔍 Find the number in the list and click on it.
• ❌ In the upper right corner, tap three points. → Lock the room.
• ✅ Confirm the action in the pop-up window

Once locked, the number will automatically be added to the blacklist, which can be viewed in the phone settings. Please note that if the caller hid his or her number (displayed as Unknown or Private), this method will not work - you need to use alternative methods from the following sections.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Update the Phone app via Google Play

Restart your phone before locking.

Try an alternative method from Section 3-->

Method 2: Manually add to the blacklist through settings

When you need to block a number that hasn’t called yet (e.g., you’ve received spam)-SMS), Use the built-in blacklist in the settings MIUI. This method is universal and works even on older models like Redmi. 5 Plus (2017 The main advantage is that you can add numbers in packs, saving time.

Step-by-step:

1. Open Settings (cog on the main screen)
2. Go to the Applications section → Application management
3. In the search bar, enter the phone and select the system application
4. Tap Number Block (or Blacklist in older versions)
5. Click Add (+ in the upper right corner) and enter the number manually
6. Save the changes.

In the same menu you can configure additional parameters:

💡

If you have added a number to the blacklist but still making calls, check to see if your phone has a third-party call app (like Truecaller or WhatsCall) that has its own blacklist that doesn’t sync with the system.

Method 3: Locking through the Security app (for MIUI 12 and later)

Starting with MIUI 12, Xiaomi has moved some of the locking functions to the Security app (shield icon), which provides an enhanced feature: you can block not only individual numbers, but also entire prefixes (for example, all numbers with the code +375 for blocking calls from Belarus).

How it works:

• 🛡️ Launch the Security app
• 🔒 Go to the section Blocking numbers (may be called Spam Protection)
• 📱 Select the tab Blacklist.
• ➕ Click Add and select a method:

The advantage of this method is the ability to set up automatic locking for keywords in SMS. For example, you can block all messages containing the words “credit”, “win” or “gift card”.

1. In the same section Block numbers select Settings
2. Activate the option SMS Filter
3. Add keywords through comma

Method 4: Using Truecaller for Extended Locking

Standard MIUI tools don’t always work with modern spam schemes, such as blocking calls with swapped numbers (when a scammer disguises himself as a bank or delivery number), and Truecaller, which has a database of more than 300 million spam numbers and is updated in real time, will help in such cases.

How to set up Truecaller on Xiaomi:

1. Download the app from Google Play (the free version is quite functional)
2. When you first start, allow access to contacts and call logs
3. In the main menu, select Lock (shield icon at the bottom)
4. Activate options: 🛡️ Block spam for automatic filtering 📵 Block hidden numbers - for Unknown / Private 🌍 Block international numbers – if you do not expect calls from abroad

Truecaller can recognize even numbers that bypass standard MIUI locking. For example, if a scammer calls from a virtual number via VoIP (as in Zadarma or VirtualPBX services), the application will identify it as spam for behavioral signs. Minus one – Truecaller consumes an additional battery (about 3-5% per day when actively used).

Standard blacklist. MIUI|Application Truecaller|Manual lock through settings|I'm not blocking calls.|Another way.-->

Method 5: Blocking through a communications operator (for stubborn spammers)

If the number continues to bother you even after blocking on the phone, then the caller uses bypass schemes - for example, calls through messengers (WhatsApp, Viber) or IP-In these cases, it's the operator-level lock that helps. Every mobile operator has its own procedure:

An important nuance is that the operator locks only on the operator’s network, if you use two numbers (e.g. MTS and Tele2), you will have to lock the number separately from each operator, and some operators limit the number of numbers on the blacklist (usually 10-20).

💡

Blocking through the operator is the only way to stop calls via messengers (WhatsApp, Viber), if the number is already blocked on the phone, but continues to annoy you.

Why the number keeps ringing after lockdown (and how to fix it)

If you blacklisted a number but the calls didn’t stop, the problem lies in one of these reasons:

1. Spoofing: Scammers use services like SpoofCard or Burner to mask a real number. The call log displays a random number (for example, a random number, +7 999 123-45-67), But it's actually another caller. ⚠️ Note: If the log has calls from different numbers, but the voice on the other end of the phone is the same - this is a sure sign of spoofing. In this case, blocking individual numbers is meaningless: you need to use Truecaller or block entire ranges (prefixes).
2. VoIP calls: Services like WhatsApp, Viber or Skype use the internet to make calls, so the standard lock is at the level of the Internet. SIM-The solution is to block the contact right in the messenger: 📱 On WhatsApp: Open a chat room → three-point → More. → Lock down 💬 In Viber: swipe left via chat → Lock down

Resetting phone settings

hard reset

💡

To avoid losing the blacklist after reset, export it to a file. Use the Contacts Backup app from Google Play to save the locked numbers in.vcf format.

Another common problem is duplicate blacklists, where if multiple locking apps are installed on a phone (e.g., standard MIUI + Truecaller + Call Blocker), they can conflict.

1. Leave only one application to lock.
2. Remove duplicate numbers from other blacklists
3. Reboot the phone.

If the limit is exhausted, delete old numbers or use the lock by prefixes (for example, block the entire region code +7 351 for Chelyabinsk).