Where in Xiaomi are ringtones: the way to system and custom tunes

Have you ever tried to find a folder with ringtones in your Xiaomi or Redmi, but you couldn't find it in the file manager? Or wanted to replace the standard alarm melody with your own, but you don't know where to download audio files? This problem is familiar to many owners of MIUI smartphones - the proprietary shell hides system folders from users, and the logic of storing media files is different from "pure" Android.

In this article, we will discuss 5 ways to find ringtones in Xiaomi, including hidden system directories, paths to custom tunes and methods of accessing through ADB. You will learn how to add your sounds to the selection list, why some files do not appear in the settings, and what to do if all ringtones disappear after the MIUI update, and also - format compatibility table and unique life hack for models with an unlocked bootloader.

1. Standard Rington Location in MIUI

In Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, the system ringtones are stored in a secure folder, which is hidden by default from the user.

/system/media/audio/ringtones/ - standard ringtones


/system/media/audio/alarms/ - alarm clock sounds




/system/media/audio/notifications/ - notifications




/system/media/audio/ui/ System sounds (unlock, press, etc.)

⚠️ Note: These folders are only available with root permissions or through ADB. In a regular file manager (for example, Xiaomi Files) they are not visible – shell MIUI Blocks access to the system partition.

To view content without root rights, you can use ADB Shell:

adb shell


su




ls /system/media/audio/ringtones/

The file list will be displayed on the console, and usually there are tunes with names like Mi_Tune.ogg, Over_the_horizon.ogg and other standard sounds.

💡

If you have a bootloader unlocked, you can copy the system ringtones to the user folder via TWRP: mount /system partition and copy files from /system/media/audio/ to /sdcard/MIUI/ringtone/.

2 Custom ringtones: where to save your tunes

If you want to add your own ringtones (such as a cut track from Spotify or voice recording), they need to be placed in special folders on internal memory. MIUI scans the following directories:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/ringtone/ — caller-box
• 🔔 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/notification/ — notification
• ⏰ /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/alarm/ — alarm clocks
• 🎵 /storage/emulated/0/Ringtones/ — Alternative folder (not working on all versions) MIUI)

Important: files should be in supported formats (see table below) and have correct tags (e.g., bitrate no higher than 320 kbps).If the melody doesn't appear in the settings, try:

1. Rename the file to Latin (without spaces and symbols).
2. Reboot the phone – MIUI scans folders at start.
3. Clear the Settings app cache (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Settings → Clear the cache).

Convert to.mp3 or.ogg format

Rename the file in English (for example, my_ringtone.mp3)

Place it in /MIUI/ringtone/

Reboot the phone

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3.Why ringtones don't appear in Xiaomi's settings

A common problem: the user added a file to /MIUI/ringtone/, but it is not in the melody selection menu.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T or Redmi Note 11) folder /MIUI/ringtone/ In this case, use an alternative path. /Ringtones/ or install tunes through third-party apps (e.g. Zedge).

If nothing helps, check the permissions of the folder:

1. Open a file manager with root permissions (such as Root Explorer).
2. Find the /MIUI/ringtone/ folder.
3. Set the rights 755 (or rwxr-xr-x).

4. How to find ringtones through ADB (no root)

If you don't have root rights but have access to ADB, you can view the system ringtones and even copy them to your PC.

1. Connect your phone to your computer and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times press to unlock the developer menu, then Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging by USB).
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

1. If the device is detected, do:

adb shell


ls /system/media/audio/ringtones/

1. To copy a file to a PC (for example, Mi_Tune.ogg):

adb pull /system/media/audio/ringtones/Mi_Tune.ogg C:\Ringtones\

This method works on all Xiaomi models, including the POCO F4, Redmi K50 and Mi 11 Ultra. The main thing is not to change system files directly, otherwise you can violate the integrity of the firmware.

5.Restoring ringtones after resetting or updating MIUI

Once reset to factory settings or firmware updates, custom ringtones often disappear. Here's how to return them:

• 🔄 If there was a backup: Restore the folder /MIUI/ringtone/ from a backup (for example, via Mi Cloud or Google Drive).
• 📥 If there is no backup: Download Xiaomi’s standard ringtones from official forums (e.g. mi.com) and place them in a folder /MIUI/ringtone/.
• 🔧 For advanced: Remove files from firmware through MIUI bootloader or Xiaomi Firmware Updater.

⚠️ Note: On models with dynamic partitions (e.g. Xiaomi) 13 or Redmi Note 12) System ringtones can be stored in /product/media/audio/. To extract them, you will need to unlock the bootloader and use fastboot.

If the user tunes are gone after the update, but the system ones are in place, the problem is resetting the access rights.

1. Delete /MIUI/ringtone/ folder.
2. Restart the phone and the system will recreate it with the right permissions.
3. Put the files back.

Through standard settings

I copy the files to /MIUI/ringtone/

I use third-party apps (Zedge, Ringtone Maker)

Download from Mi Community

Another way.-->

6. Alternative ways to control ringtones

If standard methods don’t work, try these options:

Method 1: Ringtones applications

Utilities like Zedge, Ringtone Maker or AudioMP3 Cutter allow you to:

• 🎵 Cut the tracks right on the phone.
• 🔊 Install melodies without copying to system folders.
• 📱 Create unique sounds for different contacts.

Method 2: Change via TWRP (for advanced)

If you have a custom recap:

1. Download to TWRP.
2. Go to Advanced → File Manager.
3. Find /system/media/audio/ringtones/.
4. Copy or replace files (e.g. add) custom_ringtone.mp3).
5. Change the rights to 644 (rw-r----).

⚠️ Note: Incorrectly modifying system files through TWRP This can lead to bootloop. Before editing, back up the partition. /system!

Method 3: Using Magisk Modules

For Magisk devices, there are modules like MIUI Ringtone Changer that:

• 🔓 Unlock access to system ringtones.
• 🎛 Allows you to replace standard sounds without manual copying.
• 🔄 Restore the melodies after updates.

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The most reliable way to save ringtones after a MIUI update is to use Magisk modules or store them in the cloud (Mi Cloud, Google Drive) with automatic synchronization.

7.Table of compatibility of ringtone formats in Xiaomi

Not all audio files will play correctly as ringtones, but the formats supported and their limitations are as follows:

For better compatibility, it is recommended to convert files to.mp3 with the following parameters:

• 🎯 Bitreit: 128-192 kbps
• 🎯 Discretion frequency: 44.1 kHz
• 🎯 Channels: Mono (mono) or Stereo (stereo)

FAQ: Frequent questions about ringtones in Xiaomi