How to change the sound of SMS on Xiaomi: full guide

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones are famous for their functionality, but standard audio settings often don’t satisfy sophisticated users. Many owners of Redmi and Poco devices face the desire to personalize the gadget immediately after buying, making it sound unique and recognizable. Replacing a standard squeak with a pleasant melody or voice message is the first step to creating a comfortable digital environment.

The process of changing the notification tone is not as obvious as it might seem at first glance, especially in the shell of MIUI or HyperOS. The system has a complex hierarchy of settings, where the sound parameters of applications can overlap with system preferences. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available methods of settings, from basic options to advanced methods of editing system files.

Understanding how Android works with Xiaomi add-ons will help you avoid the common mistakes of not just changing the melody, but also managing the behavior of sound in different use cases, especially for those who are used to separating work and personal notifications using different audio profiles.

Basic configuration through the system menu

The easiest and most reliable way to change the sound of incoming messages is to use the built-in operating system tools, which do not require additional software installation and ensures that notifications work consistently after the device is restarted, but it is important to note that the path to settings may vary slightly depending on the firmware version.

To start, you need to go to the main settings menu of your smartphone. Find the section responsible for the sound, which is usually called "Sound and vibration." Here are the volume sliders and a selection of melodies for calls, alarms and notifications, select "Default Notifications" to open the list of available system tones.

In the list that opens, you'll see standard Xiaomi sounds like "Message," "Note" or "Breeze." Clicking on any of them will give you a preview. If you don't like the standard set, you can click on the "+" or "Add" icon to select a file from your phone's memory. mp3 or.ogg.

⚠️ Note: If you have selected a file that is too high quality (e.g., Lossless) FLAC), The system can automatically compress it or refuse to reproduce it altogether, replacing it with a standard squeak.

Some users prefer to use quiet mode for certain contacts, but leave the sound for important SMS. To do this, there is a separate setting in the audio menu "Do Not Disturb Sound" and by activating this option, you will hear messages even when the phone is silenced, which is critical for waiting for urgent confirmation codes.

Individual setting for the Messages application

It is often the case that global audio settings do not apply to a particular application, as it has its own priorities. Android, since version 8.0, has introduced a notification channel system that allows you to flexibly manage the sound for each type of event within the same application, which means that the sound of SMS can be configured separately from the sound of missed calls in the messenger.

To access these settings, look for the Message icon on your desktop or app menu. Click on it and hold your finger for one second before the pop-up context menu appears. In the list that appears, select About or the i icon in the circle, which will open the app card where we are interested in Notifications.

Inside the notification menu, you'll see a list of categories: Incoming Messages, Sent Messages, Advertising Messages, and others. We're interested in the category "Incoming Messages," and if you click on the category name (not the switch on the right, but text), you'll be taken to a deep menu of settings for this type of event, and you can select a unique audio file that will only play when you receive an SMS.