Where are the ringtones on Android-smartphones Xiaomi Redmi: all ways to access

Have you ever tried to find a ringtone folder on your Xiaomi Redmi to copy a favorite tune or replace a standard alarm? If so, you're probably faced with the fact that these files are not where you would expect them to be, unlike photos or downloads, system sounds and custom ringtones are scattered across different directories — and not all of them are accessible through a standard file manager.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ringtones on Xiaomi and Redmi devices (including MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS models), explain how to access them without root rights, and show you how to add your tunes to show up in your call settings, and learn why some sounds can “disappear” after a firmware update and how to restore them.

1. Standard folders with ringtones in MIUI and HyperOS

Xiaomi Redmi smartphones store sound files in several system and user folders, their location depends on the type of ringtone:

• 📁 System ringtones (built-in in MIUI) — They're in a protected memory area, and they're not editable without root, but they can be copied through the computer. ADB.
• 🎵 Custom ringtones – those you have added yourself (via settings or file manager) are stored in open folders.
• ⏰ The alarms and notifications often lie separate from the main ringtones.

Main folder paths (relevant for Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10/13, POCO X3/X4/X5 and other models on MIUI 12+):

Important: Ringtones, Notifications, and Alarms folders at the root of internal memory are created only after you manually add at least one file to them. If they do not exist, create yourself through a file manager (for example, Files by Google or the standard MI File Manager).

2. How to Add Your Ringtone to Xiaomi Settings

To make your tune appear in the ringtone selection menu (e.g., Settings → Sound & Vibration → Call), you need to place it in the correct folder and in the correct format. Here is a step-by-step instruction:

Supported format: MP3, M4A, WAV, OGG (optimally MP3 with a bitrate of 128-320 kbit / s)

Duration: Up to 30 seconds (long files can be clipped)

File name: no special characters (e.g, my_ringtone.mp3, Not my tune!.mp3)

Destination folder: /storage/emulated/0/Ringtones/ (create if not available)

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After the file is placed:

1. Restart the device (sometimes changes are applied without rebooting, but not always).
2. Open Settings → Sound and vibration → Call.
3. Your ringtone should appear on the list, and if it's not, check the file extension and path.

Problem? Some MIUI firmware doesn't display custom ringtones because of the media cache.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Media Store (com.android.providers.media).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. Reboot the phone.

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If the ringtone doesn't appear in the settings, try renaming the file to Latin (e.g. zvonok.mp3 instead of calling.mp3). MIUI sometimes ignores Cyrillic files in the names.

3. How to copy MIUI system ringtones without root

System tunes (e.g. Mi Tune, Reflection, Marimba) are stored in the protected area /system/, but can be extracted without superuser rights using ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

Step 1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB debugging:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version to activate the Developer Mode.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Turn on USB debugging.

Step 2. Copy the system ringtones through ADB:

1. Download Google’s Platform Tools and unpack it on PC.
2. Connect Redmi to USB, select File Transfer mode.
3. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with adb.exe.
4. Execute the command to copy all system ringtones: adb pull /system/media/audio/ringtones/ C:\Ringtones\ (replace C:\Ringtones\ with the desired path on your PC).

Step 3: Convert your files (if necessary):

System ringtones are often.ogg. To play them normally on other devices, convert them to MP3 via Audacity or online services.

4 Why the ringtones disappear after the MIUI update

Many users of Xiaomi Redmi are faced with the fact that after updating the firmware, user ringtones disappear.

• 🔄 Resetting the media cache: MIUI Sometimes it resets the database of media files. The solution is to clear the Media Store app cache (see Section 2).
• 📂 Changing the ways: In new versions MIUI The path to the ringtones may change (for example, with the /Ringtones/ on /Media/Ringtones/). Check the current path through the file manager.
• 🚫 HyperOS Restrictions: HyperOS-based firmware (e.g., Redmi Note 13) may block access to user folders, so you can use third-party apps to install ringtones (e.g., Zedge).
• 🔧 File damage: Copy errors are possible when updating. check file integrity in the Ringtones folder.

Critical information: In MIUI 14 and HyperOS, the /storage/emulated/0/Ringtones/ folder can be hidden from the standard file manager. To see it, use Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer with the "Show Hidden Files" option enabled.

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Before you upgrade MIUI, back up your Ringtones, Notifications, and Alarms folders to your PC or cloud, and that will keep you from losing your tunes.

5. Alternative methods of installing ringtones

If standard methods don’t work (for example, on HyperOS or custom firmware), use one of these methods:

• 📱 Rington apps: Zedge is the largest base of melodies and wallpaper. Ringtone Maker - lets you trim MP3 and set up as a ringtone. MP3 Cutter and Ringtone Maker – to fine-tune the beginning and end of a tune.
• 🌐 Online services: Download the ringtone from sites like Melofania or RingtonesHub. Send the file to your email or Telegram, then save it to the Ringtones folder.
• 💻 Through PC: Connect Redmi to your computer in File Transfer mode. Copy MP3-file to Ringtones folder through a conductor Windows/macOS.

Warning: Some ringtone apps (such as Zedge) request access to contacts and storage. Check permissions in Settings → Apps → Permissions before installing.

6 How to Recover Remote Ringtones

If you accidentally deleted a custom ringtone or it disappeared after resetting, try these recovery methods:

• 🗑️ Basket in MI File Manager: Open the standard MI File Manager. Go to the Recycle Bin (the icon in the bottom menu) Find the deleted file and restore it to the Ringtones folder.

Cloud backups

• If you’ve synced files to Google Drive or Mi Cloud, check the Backups folder.
• Restore files from the archive in /storage/emulated/0/Ringtones/.

Recovery programmes

• Use DiskDigger or Recuva (requires root for deep scanning).
• Scan /data/media/0/ – it stores user files.

⚠️ Note: If you used memory cleanup through Settings → Warehouse → Cleaning, recovering remote ringtones will be extremely difficult. MIUI Deletes files irrevocably without moving them to the Recycle Bin.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When working with ringtones on Xiaomi Redmi, users often make these mistakes:

POCO Ownership Tip: POCO X3/X4/X5 devices with MIUI for POCO may not have a Ringtones folder, in which case create it manually or use the Ringtone Set app from Google Play.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions