Xiaomi smartphone owners often encounter the mysterious Delete Sound feature in their system settings, which appears in the most unexpected places, from the notification menu to the data recovery section, but the official documentation is silent about it. Is it a hidden feature for developers, the rest of the test firmware or a useful tool that is not talked about?
In practice, Delete Sound is about managing system sounds, but its behavior depends on the MIUI version and device model. On some phones (Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X3 Pro), it is responsible for resetting audio profiles, on others, for deleting the media cache, and in rare cases, its activation can lead to the loss of user alarm melodies and notifications, if you do not back up in advance.
Next, we’ll look at where to look for this option, how it works on different versions of MIUI (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS), and what to do if important sounds are lost after using it.
Where is Delete Sound in Xiaomi smartphones
The option is so deeply hidden that many users have not been aware of its existence for years.
- 🔍 Through Recovery Mode: Turn off the phone, pinch the power + Volume up, in the Recovery menu, find the Advanced item → Delete Sound.
- 📱 In the sound settings: go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Additional settings → Resetting sound settings (on some firmware, the item is called Delete Sound).
- 🛠️ Through ADB: Adb shell settings delete global is available for experienced users sound_effects_enabled (It doesn’t work on all devices).
On POCO F3 and Xiaomi 12T, the option may be called Reset Sound Settings, but it performs the same functions. If it is not on your menu, then the manufacturer has hidden it for your regional version of the firmware.
What Delete Sound Really Does
The specific action of a function depends on the context in which it is run:
| Context of use | Action. | Effects of consequences |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery mode | Deletes system sound cache files | User notification melodies can be reset |
| Sound settings (MIUI 12-14) | Resets all sound profiles to factory | Individual volume settings for each application are lost |
| ADB-team | Disables system sound effects (for example, when blocking the screen) | All interface sounds disappear except media. |
| HyperOS (beta) | Deletes temporary media player files | There may be a missing audio miniatures in the gallery |
A critical nuance: On devices with MIUI 13 and older, the feature sometimes removes not only the settings, but also the audio files that the user downloaded manually (such as alarm clock tunes in.mp3).
⚠️ WARNING: If you use Delete Sound in Recovery mode on the Redmi Note 9 Pro or Mi 11 Lite, there is a risk of losing all custom notification sounds, including those that were synced through the Mi Cloud!
When to use Delete Sound
Despite the risks, the feature is useful in several scenarios:
- 🔄 Resetting sound glitches: if after updating MIUI Missing sound in calls or notifications duplicated.
- 🗑️ Cleaning up media cache: When the gallery shows "empty" audio files that aren't on the device.
- 🛡️ Removing viruses: some malicious applications replace system sounds – reset helps to return the original.
- 🔧 Preparation for sale: complete reset of sound settings before transferring the phone to the new owner.
For example, after upgrading to MIUI 14.0.5, many Xiaomi 11T Pro users complained about the loss of sound on WhatsApp, 80% of the time the problem was solved through Delete Sound in Recovery mode.
Backup notification tunes via Mi Cloud
Record the current volume settings (screenshot of the Sound and Vibration screen)
Check the free space on the device (needs at least 500 MB)
Disconnect the phone from the computer (if used) ADB)-->
Step-by-step: how to use Delete Sound safely
If you decide to use the function, follow this algorithm:
- Backup: Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup. Select Local Backup → Create a new one. Make sure System Settings and Media Files are marked.
- Select Reset Method: For soft reset (user files are saved): Use the Settings path → Sound → Additional → Delete Sound. For deep cleaning (temporary files are deleted): go through Recovery Mode.
Confirm the action:
- A warning will appear on the screen in Chinese (even if the system is in Russian).
- If you use ADB, type the command adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media.
The process takes from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. After restarting, check:
- Do system sounds (unlock, charge) work?
- Are user tunes saved in Settings → Sound → Notification melody?
- Have there been "broken" files in the gallery (a sign of incomplete cache cleaning).
What if the sound is gone after Delete Sound?
Frequent problems after using Delete Sound
Even when used correctly, the function can cause unexpected consequences:
- 🔕 Lost alarm clock tunes: check the folder /storage/emulated/0/Alarms If the files are in place but not displayed in the settings, restart the phone.
- 📵 Notifications in messengers do not work: go to the settings of each application (for example, Telegram) and manually assign the notification sound again.
- 🔊 Distorted audio in speakers: This is a sign of damage to the AudioFX cache. Delete the com.android.musicfx app data via ADB.
- 🎵 Music in the player plays without sound: reset the settings of uniform sound in Settings → Sound. → Audio Effects.
On POCO X4 Pro 5G, after using Delete Sound, some users encountered an error com.android.providers.media stopped.
adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media
adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.downloads⚠️ Note: If you have reset your audio settings to Mi Fit or Zepp Life, you have to stop receiving step notifications, it's not a bug, it's a feature. → Annexes → Permits → Notifications.
Delete Sound Alternatives: When to Use a Function
If you need to fix a sound problem but the risks of Delete Sound seem too high, try these methods:
| Problem. | Alternative solution | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
| Missing sound in the bells | Reset the settings of the Phone application in Settings → Applications | Does not affect user tunes |
| Notifications without sound | Clear the cache of Google Play Services | It does not affect system files. |
| Distorted sound in speakers | Turn off Mi Sound Enhancer in the sound settings | Doesn't require a reboot. |
| Media player glitches | Remove the.thumbnails folder at the root of the storage | All audio files are saved |
For HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14), instead of Delete Sound, it is better to use the built-in System Optimization feature:
- Go to Settings → About the phone → Optimization.
- Choose Deep Cleaning. → Media files.
- Confirm the action and wait until the completion (it will take up to 5 minutes).
💡
If you just need to turn off system sounds (like clicking when you lock your screen), don’t resort to Delete Sound. Instead, go to Settings → Sound → System Sounds and manually turn off unnecessary effects.
Delete Sound on different Xiaomi models: features
The behavior of the function varies not only depending on the version of MIUI, but also on the hardware platform:
- 📱 Cnapdragon chips (e.g. Redmi) K40): Delete Sound is stable, but can reset Dolby Atmos settings.
- 🔧 Mediatek processors (e.g, POCO M4 Pro: High probability of loss of user notification sounds.
- 🎮 Gaming smartphones (Black Shark 4): The feature also resets the audio settings in games (e.g., in games). PUBG Mobile).
- 📺 Tablets (Xiaomi Pad 5): Delete Sound can remove audio profiles for multiplayer mode.
On the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra and Mi 11 Ultra, the feature is integrated with the Harman Kardon system. Once it is used, sound effects (such as 3D Audio) are turned off and require manual reconfiguration.
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On HyperOS devices (2026 and later), Delete Sound is gradually being replaced by Media Reset, which works more predictably and does not affect user files.