When a Xiaomi smartphone suddenly voices every action or pronounces the name of the caller, it can be taken by surprise, often due to randomly activated accessibility features or specific call settings, and users often confuse these features with system errors, when in fact these are the standard features of the MIUI shell or HyperOS.
It can be difficult to understand the maze of menus, as item names may vary depending on the firmware version and region. In this article, we will look in detail at all possible causes of voice and how to eliminate them. Owners of RedMi, POCO and Xiaomi devices will find solutions for their models here.
First of all, you need to determine what type of voice accompaniment you're concerned about, whether it's voice acting, reading contact names, or a full visually impaired control mode, and properly diagnosing the problem can solve it in a few minutes without having to do complicated manipulations.
Definition of the type of voice accompaniment
The first step to solving the problem will be to understand exactly what happens during a call. Voice notifications can work in multiple modes, and each one is turned off in its settings section. Android provides various tools to improve accessibility, which are sometimes activated accidentally.
The most common option is the name-voicing feature, in which the phone says the name or number of the caller immediately after the beep. This is convenient when the phone is in the bag, but annoying in silence. Xiaomi's call interface allows you to flexibly adjust this setting.
Another option is TalkBack, which is designed for visually impaired people, and when it's activated, the phone starts to voice all the actions on the screen, requiring double taping to confirm, and turning off this mode requires a separate approach, because normal navigation stops working in the usual way.
- 🔊 Caller Name Voice – Calling Function.
- 👁️ TalkBack mode – system accessibility function.
- 📞 Voice dialing – control of the phone voice.
- 🔔 Event Alerts – Reading Notifications by Headset.
⚠️ Warning: If your phone only started to respond to double taps and voice each menu item, you accidentally activated TalkBack mode.
In some cases, voice tracking may be associated with a connected Bluetooth headset or car system, and devices can transmit audio signals back to the phone's speaker, creating an echo or repetition effect.
Disabling voiceover of names in the phone application
The most common reason for a talking phone is the built-in contact name reader, which is useful for drivers or visually impaired people, but can be intrusive under normal conditions, and to remove this feature, you need to go to the settings of the phone app itself.
Open the app you're calling through, and find a gear icon or a three-dot menu. Depending on the version of MIUI, the path may be slightly different, but the logic remains the same. You'll need to find the section associated with incoming calls.
Inside the settings menu, look for "Name Voice" or "Voice Announce." That's where you adjust when and how your phone should say information about the caller. Select "Never" or "Only with the headset connected" to get rid of the speaker sound.
☑️ Checking the call settings
It's worth noting that global firmware versions can translate item names differently, so look for words like "Announce caller ID" or "Speak caller name." Localization sometimes hides the usual terms under literal translation.
If the standard path didn't work, try searching inside the app's settings. Type the word "voice" or "voice" and the system will tell you the switch you want. It's a universal method for any version of Android.
Managing TalkBack Mode and Special Opportunities
If your smartphone is responding to touch in an unusual way and it sounds all the interface elements, it's probably TalkBack, which is a powerful system, but it completely changes the logic of the device's management, and it can be difficult to turn it off in the usual way, because the navigation principle changes.
The fastest way to deactivate TalkBack is to use a key combination. On many Xiaomi models, it is fast enough to press the on button five times or to press the volume buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
If the hotkeys don't work, you'll have to use standard navigation, keeping in mind the new rules: single press highlights the item (it's highlighted), and double press activates it. Use two fingers at the same time to scroll. Find Settings → Special features → TalkBack and turn off the switch.
| Action. | Regular regime | TalkBack mode |
|---|---|---|
| Selection of element | One touch. | One touch (exclusion) |
| Starting the element | One touch. | Double touch. |
| Scrolling | One finger | Two fingers. |
| Notification | Swipe down. | Swipe up, then swipe right. |
⚠️ Warning: When TalkBack is activated, it is often necessary to quickly press three times on the screen to confirm the "Disable" action.
Newer versions of HyperOS have a quick access to special features through the sidebar. Make sure there is no tick in front of the desired service. Security can block accidental activation, requiring confirmation, but it is better to double-check.
How to turn off TalkBack if the screen is unresponsive?
Setting up voice dialing and Google Assistant
Sometimes the voice doesn't come from the call itself, but from the assistant that responds to keywords or commands, and the Google Assistant and Mi Voice can take control during the conversation, and turning those off will increase privacy and remove unnecessary sounds.
Go to Google Assistant settings through Google or system settings. Find Voice or Voice Match. You can turn off the response to "Ok Google" or prevent the assistant from working during calls. Algorithms can mistake the voice of the interlocutor for the command.
It's also worth checking the settings of Bluetooth devices. If you use headphones, check if Live Caption or live subtitles are enabled. The smartphone can duplicate the audio stream, creating confusion.
- 📱 Open the Google settings.
- 🗣️ Go to the "Assistant" section".
- 🚫 Turn off Voice Control".
- 🎧 Check the settings of the connected headsets.
Remember that some third-party calling apps may have their own voice settings. If you use Viber, WhatsApp, or other call messengers, check their internal notification settings.
Specifics of work in HyperOS and MIUI mode
Xiaomi shells have their own features. In HyperOS, many settings have been regrouped for convenience, and items related to sound and notifications can now be in the Sound and Vibration or Notifications and Status bar section.
Owners of devices with MIUI 12, 13 and 14 should pay attention to the design topic. Some third-party themes can change the behavior of the call system and add their sound effects. Resetting the theme to a standard "Classic" often helps to eliminate bugs.
Xiaomi also has a feature called "Sound Improvement" or "Mi Sound Enhancer." Although it affects the quality of playback, in rare cases, driver conflicts can cause strange sound artifacts. Try turning off all audio enhancements in the Settings menu → Sound and vibration → Sound quality.
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If you get some weird noises after the firmware update, try clearing the Phone and Contacts cache, which won't delete your numbers, but will reset the program settings.
It is important to keep an eye on system updates. Xiaomi regularly releases patches that fix bugs in the voice engine, and the current version of the software ensures the stability of all modules.
Solving problems with headsets and Bluetooth devices
Often the problem isn't with the phone, but with the connected device. Bluetooth headphones or car kits can have their own voice function. Check the instructions for your headset.
Try turning off Bluetooth completely and make a test call. If the voice is missing, it's definitely an external device. In the Bluetooth settings on your phone, click on the gear icon next to the device name and turn off Multimedia or Phone Calls to check.
Sometimes it helps to forget the device and reconnect it, so it resets the connection profile and eliminates possible conflicts of data protocols, and reconnecting often solves 90 percent of the sound problems.
⚠️ Note: When you turn off Bluetooth profiles, your phone may stop transmitting the sound to your headphones.
If you use a wired headset, the problem may be incompatibility standards (CTIA vs OMTP) or oxidation of contacts in a 3.5 mm connector.
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In most cases, the problem is solved by settings inside the application "Phone" or disabling special features.