Why Xiaomi does not receive SMS messages and how to fix it

When SMS messages stop coming to Xiaomi’s smartphone, it can disembark anyone, especially when waiting for bank confirmation codes or important notifications from services, and Redmi and Poco device owners often find that incoming messages simply disappear into the digital space without leaving traces in the standard app.

The reasons for this behavior of the operating system MIUI or HyperOS can be rooted in both banal network failures and aggressive energy saving algorithms that are characteristic of the shells of the Chinese manufacturer. The system can mistakenly classify important notifications as spam or completely block the background operation of the Message application in order to save battery life.

In this article, we will go into detail all the possible scenarios why shaomi does not receive SMS, and offer step-by-step solutions. You will learn how to configure exceptions in the system, check the status. SIM-maps and use hidden engineering menus to diagnose a radio module.

Main causes of failures in delivery of messages

The first thing to do when a problem is detected is to analyze the current state of communication, and often the absence of SMS is due to a temporary failure in the operation of the operator's base stations or congestion of communication channels during peak hours, in which cases messages can come with a delay of several minutes or even hours.

However, if the problem is systematic, it is worth paying attention to the settings of the device itself. Aggressive battery optimization in MIUI often “sleeps” the system processes responsible for receiving data, which leads to the fact that the phone is physically on the network, but does not respond to incoming SMS data packets until the user activates the screen.

⚠️ Note: If SMS does not only come from certain numbers (e.g., from a bank), the problem may be on the sender’s side or in the spam blocker, not in the phone.

It can also be caused by a crowded device memory or a message app cache, where the system partition or app memory is filled with junk files, new content simply cannot be written, and in rare cases, a conflict of third-party launchers or antivirus programs that take control of communication functions is the culprit.

Verification SIM-maps and network settings

Diagnosis should begin with the simplest – checking physical integrity. SIM-Even microscopic contact oxidation or card shifting in the tray can lead to an unstable signal, where voice calls pass and SMS are lost.

Remove the tray. SIM-Check the chip carefully for scratches or dirt, and carefully wipe the contacts with soft lilaless cloth. SIM-Try to change them in slots, as one of the reception modules may not work correctly.

After a physical check, you need to make sure that your network settings are correct. Operators periodically update access parameters, and old configurations may conflict with new network requirements.

• 📱 Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
• 📡 Choose a problem SIM-map and click Network Type.
• 🔄 Switch mode to C. 5G/4G Only 3G or 2G, Then put it back in.
• 📶 Make sure that the slider "Include" 4G» activated.

This procedure causes the radio module to re-register in the operator's network, which often solves the problem of "hang" messages, and if after switching modes SMS began to come, then the problem was unstable LTE signal.

Setup of the application “Messages” and energy saving

The most common reason why text messages don't come to shaomi is because of the energy-saving system, which MIUI is known for its tight control of background processes, and in order for messages to arrive on time, you need to add the Messages app to the exceptions and prevent the system from closing it.

To start, open the battery settings. Search the Messages list (or Google Messages if you use it) and set the No Limits mode to allow the app to maintain an active connection to the operator's server at all times.

Next, check the notification settings. Sometimes users accidentally turn off incoming display and the phone silently saves messages without making sounds. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Management. Find the message app and make sure that all switches, especially Incoming Messages and Important ones, are active.

Special attention should be paid to the function “Notifications on the lock screen.” If it is disabled, you may not see the arrival of SMS until you unlock the smartphone. Also check whether the mode “Do not disturb”, which can block all sounds and vibrations, creating the illusion of no communication.

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Use the standard Google Messages app instead of the system app MIUI Messaging – it works more consistently with RCS-chat and less often falls under aggressive battery optimization.

Cleaning the cache and resetting the application settings

If the software settings are fine but the messages are still not reaching, there may be errors in the application itself, accumulated cache or damaged databases may prevent the correct processing of incoming packets, in which case forced data cleaning will help.

It’s important to understand that resetting your app settings won’t delete your saved text messages, as they’re stored in a separate database, but will return all your app settings to factory settings.

Follow the following steps to clean up:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
2. Find in the list of “Messages” (an envelope icon).
3. Press the Clean button at the bottom of the screen.
4. Select Clear the cache and then Clear everything (or Reset Settings).

Then restart your smartphone. When you first start up, the app can run a little slower until it indexes the messages again. If you use a third-party client, like Textra or QKSMS, you need to repeat the procedure for it.

Spam Blockers and Blacklisting

The built-in spam protection mechanisms in Xiaomi smartphones sometimes work too hard.An antivirus built into the system can mistakenly flag short codes from delivery services or banks as potentially dangerous and block their delivery to the main drawer.

Check your antivirus settings. Go to Security → Antivirus → Settings. Make sure that you don’t have the option to block all messages from unknown numbers if you expect SMS from services that use short numbers or alphabetic sender ID.

⚠️ Note: Some banking SMS may come from non-standard short numbers. Check the Blacklist in the Messages app, adding exceptions for important senders.

Also worth looking at the Spam folder inside the message app. Often blocked messages go there and the user thinks they didn't come. Open the app menu (three dots or bars) and select Blocked or Spam. If the message you want is there, click on it and select "This is not spam."

Reset network settings and engineering menu

When simple methods fail, you have to go deeper, resetting your network settings, bringing all your mobile, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth settings back to factory values, eliminating the configuration file conflicts that might have occurred after you upgraded your firmware.

To perform the reset, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks and Bluetooth. Confirm the action. Once the reboot is done, the phone will behave like a new connection: you will have to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords and re-enter Bluetooth devices.

For advanced users, you can log in to the radio module's engineering menu, which allows you to check the status of your registration on the network and force you to reconnect to the tower, and be careful, only change the parameters that you know the value of.

##4636##

Enter this code in the Phone app. The Test menu will open. Select Phone Information. You can see the connection status and network type here. Try switching Preferred Network Type to LTE only, wait 10 seconds, and return the LTE/TD-SCDMA/CDMA/EVDO/GSM/WCDMA (or similar for your region) value.

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Complex network reset solves 80% of software problems with SMS delivery associated with updating the operator configurations.

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