How to remove noise cancellation on Xiaomi Redmi 5: 5 proven ways

Xiaomi Redmi 5 is one of the most popular budget smartphones of the brand, but its owners often face the problem of artificially suppressing background noise during calls. Sound processing algorithms embedded in the MIUI firmware can distort voice, trim frequencies or create a “robotization” effect. In this article, we will discuss how to completely or partially disable noise cancellation on Redmi 5, including hidden settings and alternative methods.

It’s important to understand that noise cancellation works on two levels on Xiaomi: hardware (a chip embedded in the microphone) and software (MIUI algorithms), it can only be completely removed by replacing the microphone physically, but in most cases it is enough to deactivate the software filters, we tested all methods on MIUI 9-12 firmware and identified the most effective ones.

If you notice that someone is not hearing well in noisy places (streets, traffic) or your voice sounds unnatural, the problem is aggressive noise cancellation. On Redmi 5 (rosy/vince models), this is especially true because of the weak Snapdragon 450 processor, which does not always cope with real-time audio processing.

1. Disable noise reduction through standard settings

The easiest way is to use the built-in MIUI options. Unfortunately, in the latest firmware versions, some of the parameters are hidden, but the basic settings are available:

1. Open the Phone app and click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
2. Select Settings → Call settings.
3. Scroll down to the Sound Improvement section (or Sound Quality in older versions).
4. Turn off the options: 🔇 Noise reduction (or Noise reduction) 🎤 Voice enhancement (also called Voice Enhancement)

If these items are not available, your firmware hides them, so move on to the following methods, and note that some versions of MIUI reset these settings after the system update.

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After turning off the noise cancellation, check the sound quality in a quiet room. If the voice becomes too loud or wheezing, try to turn on only voice amplification, leaving the noise cancellation turned off.

2.Use of the Engineering Menu (MTK Engineer Mode)

On Xiaomi Redmi 5 with Snapdragon 450 processor, there is a hidden engineering menu where you can fine-tune the microphone settings. Attention: improper changes can worsen the sound quality or lead to crashes!

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##36446337## (or #4636## → Phone info → Network Selection → Engineer Mode).
2. Go to the Hardware Testing → Audio section.
3. Select Mic (microphone) and find the settings: 🔧 Noise Suppression – Install Disable 🔧 Mic Gain – reduce to 0-3 dB (if the sound is too quiet) 🔧 Echo Cancellation – Turn off if you hear echo effects

Save the settings and restart the phone.

If the microphone stopped working after the changes, reset the engineering menu settings via Restore Default or reset the network (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings).

The microphone is working in the "Dictorphone" app"|The sound is not distorted by loud speech.|No echo or metallic sound|The interviewee hears you clearly in a noisy place-->

3. Disconnection through ADB-Teams (for experienced users)

If standard methods don't work, you can turn off noise cancellation at the system level using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a connection to a computer and the activation of the developer mode.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version.

Settings → Additional → For Developers

USB debugging

ADB

adb shell


settings put global voice_processing_enabled 0




settings put global noise_suppression_enabled 0

Reset the device.

These commands disable Android-level audio processing, but may not work on custom firmware or MIUI versions newer than 12.5.

settings get global voice_processing_enabled

If the answer is 0, the noise reduction is turned off.

Through standard settings|Engineering menu|ADB-team|Third-party annexes|I haven't tried.-->

4. Third-party applications for sound management

If system methods fail, you can use apps from Google Play that intercept microphone control.

ViPER4Android is the most powerful solution, but installing it on Redmi 5 requires unlocking the bootloader and superuser rights. If you're not ready for this kind of manipulation, try SoundAbout:

1. Install the app and give access to the microphone.
2. Select Media Audio → Phone Call.
3. Turn off the Use Noise Suppression option.
4. Install Mic Gain on Normal.

5. Hardware causes of bad sound and their elimination

If software methods fail, the problem may lie in the physical state of the microphone or contacts.Typical hardware faults of Redmi 5:

• 🛠️ Pollution of the microphone hole – dust and dirt block sound waves, which is why the system strongly suppresses noise.
• 🔌 Oxidation of contacts - after moisture hits, the microphone can work intermittently.
• 🔊 Wear of the microphone membrane – over time, sensitivity drops, and algorithms MIUI They try to compensate for this with enhanced processing.

What to do:

1. Microphone cleaning: Use a toothpick with cotton wool dipped in alcohol. Blow the hole with compressed air (a canister for cleaning equipment).
2. Contact check: Disassemble the phone (experience required!) and check the microphone plume. When oxidizing, wipe the contacts with a stripe or alcohol.
3. Replacement of microphone: The cost of the original microphone for Redmi 5 is ~300-500 rubles. When replacing, choose a microphone labeled Xiaomi 16251 (bottom) or Xiaomi 16252 (top).

⚠️ If you cleaned the microphone, it's probably damaged the membrane, and you'll need a replacement!

6. Alternative solutions: headset and external microphones

If you can’t turn off noise reduction, consider the workarounds:

• 🎧 Headset use – wired or Bluetooth headphones with microphone bypass built-in sound processing.
• 🎤 External microphone - connect through USB-C adapter (e.g, BOYA BY-M1).
• 📱 Call apps – WhatsApp, Telegram, or Zoom use proprietary audio compression algorithms that can be softer than a standard phone app.

The following external microphones are suitable for Redmi 5:

Important: When using an external microphone, turn off the built-in call settings (Settings → Calls → Audio-March → select a headset).

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If you're critically interested in sound quality (for streams or conferences, for example), an external microphone is the best solution. The built-in Redmi 5 microphone is physically unable to deliver studio quality due to its budget design.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When trying to turn off noise cancellation, users often make the following mistakes:

• 🔄 Resetting settings after update — MIUI It can automatically enable noise cancellation after an update. Always check the settings after installing new firmware versions.
• 🔊 Excessive microphone amplification – increasing the volume in the engineering menu or applications can lead to distortion. +6 dB.
• 🛠️ Ignoring hardware problems -- if the microphone is physically damaged, no software method will help. First, check its performance in the Dictaphone app.

Another common problem is application conflict, and if you're using software like Truecaller or Call Recorder, they can intercept audio streams and use their own filters.

1. Disable all applications for recording calls.
2. Delete the cache of the Phone application (Settings → Applications → Phone → Storage → Clear the cache).
3. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Attention, some firmware. MIUI (for example, MIUI 12.5 Enhanced) disabling noise reduction can cause the headset to lose sound completely, in which case only resetting the network settings or rolling back the firmware will help.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions