How to put a ringtone on a subscriber in Xiaomi: 5 ways for MIUI 12-14

Are you tired of confusing ringtones and wanting each important contact to have a unique ringtone? Xiaomi MIUI-based smartphones don't have the same obvious feature as other firmware. Depending on the shell version and the phone model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T, etc.), the ways to set individual tunes may be different. In this article, we'll look at all the current methods, from standard settings to workarounds for older versions of MIUI, where the feature was hidden.

Xiaomi is a feature that regularly changes the layout of options in the menu. For example, in MIUI 14, the path to setting up ringtones is different from MIUI 12, and on some budget models (Redmi A2, POCO C50) the function is completely absent without additional manipulations. We tested all methods on current firmware (2023-2026) and collected working solutions even for “cut” versions of the system.

Why Xiaomi doesn’t have a contact ringtone button and what to do

Many users find that when editing a contact in Xiaomi, there is simply no option to choose a tune.

• 📱 Version. MIUI Below 12.5 – In older firmware, the function was removed due to the “optimization” of the interface.
• 🌍 Regional firmware – on some global and Chinese versions, the option is hidden (for example, in the Internet). MIUI for India).
• 🔧 Model limitations - on budget devices (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) The function can be disabled by default.
• 🔄 Resetting settings - after resetting to factory parameters, additional options sometimes disappear.

If your version of MIUI doesn’t have a built-in feature, don’t despair: there are workarounds through system applications (Themes, Music) or third-party utilities. Next, we’ll look at all the options, from the simplest to the most versatile.

Method 1: Standard contact setting (MIUI 12.5 and later)

Starting with MIUI 12.5, the feature is back in the interface, but hidden deeper than the competition.

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Find the right contact and tap it to open the card.
3. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) → select Edit.
4. Scroll down to the default block (on some models – Additional).
5. Slip on Rington (if not, see the section for older versions).
6. Select a tune from the standard list or click Add to upload your file (formats:.mp3,.m4a,.ogg).

Important: If your file is not listed, pre-copy it to the Ringtones folder on the internal drive (create it manually if it is not available), the system will automatically scan it in 10-15 seconds.

Download the melody in MP3 format (up to 5 MB size)

Rename the file in Latin (without spaces and symbols)

Transfer the file to the /Internal Storage/Ringtones folder

Reboot your phone (optional if the file is not displayed)

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Method 2: Through the Themes app (works on all versions of MIUI)

If the contact card does not have a ringtone option, use the built-in Themes app, which works even on MIUI 11 and Redmi with stripped down functionality:

1. Open the themes (icon with brush and palette).
2. Go to the Profile tab (the person icon at the bottom of the screen).
3. Select Rington Settings (or Sounds and Vibrations → Ringtones).
4. Slip on the Contact Ringtones (if there is no item, update the Themes app via Play Market).
5. Find the right contact in the list and assign a tune.

Note: on some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 for POCO F3), the Contact Rington option only appears after installing any theme from the store (even free), after which the feature remains available even after returning to the standard theme.

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If the Themes app does not have a Profile tab, upgrade it to the latest version or clear the cache through Settings → Applications → Application Management → Themes → Storage.

Method 3: Using a file manager (for power users)

This method is suitable if you want to assign a custom ringtone with no length or format restrictions. You will need a file manager with access to system folders (for example, Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).

Instructions:

1. Download or prepare an audio file (recommended format:.mp3, bitrate 128-192 kbit / s).
2. Connect your phone to your PC or use the file manager to move the file to /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/ringtone/ Important: if there is no MIUI/ringtone folder, create it manually.
3. Rename the file in Latin without spaces (example: mom_call.mp3).
4. Reboot the phone.
5. Open contact → Edit → Rington. Your file should appear in the list.

If the file is not displayed:

• 🔄 Check the permissions to the folder (should be rw-r)--r--).
• 📂 Make sure that the file is located in /MIUI/ringtone/, not /Ringtones/.
• 🔧 Clear the app cache Contacts and Topics.

Method 4: Third-party applications (for older versions of MIUI)

If none of the above methods worked (relevant to MIUI 10–11 or custom firmware), use third-party utilities. We tested 3 reliable applications:

Instructions for Contact Ringtones (recommended for Xiaomi):

1. Install an app from the Play Market.
2. Open it and give access to contacts and storage.
3. Select a contact from the list.
4. Slip on the ringtone and specify the file (you can choose from the standard or download your own).
5. Save the changes – the melody will be assigned automatically.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as Zedge) may conflict with system sounds MIUI. If after installing the ringtone calls become quieter or interrupted, clear the cache of the Phone application (Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Phone. → Warehouse → Clear the cache).

Method 5: ADB-Teams (for advanced users)

If you're ready to work with ADB, you can manually prescribe a ringtone to contact through system settings, which is universal for all versions of MIUI, but requires command line skills.

Step-by-step:

1. Install ADB on your PC (download Google’s Platform Tools).
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (stick 7 times to activate Developer Mode) → Go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging on USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: Adb devices (you should display your device).
4. Find it. ID Contact (can be done through the Contacts app)+ Or the team: adb shell content query --uri content://com.android.contacts/raw_contacts
5. Assign the ringtone to the team (replace) CONTACT_ID and /path/to/ringtone.mp3): adb shell content insert --uri content://settings/system --bind ringtone_contact:CONTACT_ID:s:/path/to/ringtone.mp3

Example for contacting ID 15 and /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/ringtone/mom.mp3:

adb shell content insert --uri content://settings/system --bind ringtone_contact:15:s:/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/ringtone/mom.mp3

⚠️ Attention: misuse ADB This can cause phone malfunctions. Before executing commands, back up your contacts through Settings. → Google → Backup.

Problem Solving: The ringtone is not installed or played

If after all the manipulations the individual melody does not work, check the following points:

If the problem persists, try an alternative method:

• 🔄 Remove and re-add contact to the phone book.
• 📱 Check if a third-party call app (like Truecaller or Drupe) is installed – it can block system settings.
• 🔧 Reset the Contacts app settings through Settings → Annexes → Application management → Contacts → Warehouse → Reset.

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The most reliable way is to use the /MIUI/ringtone/ folder and the standard contact editor, and third-party applications can conflict with MIUI, especially after updates.

FAQ: Frequent questions about ringtones on Xiaomi