Xiaomi’s current smartphones, which run MIUI shells or the new HyperOS, have a highly flexible multimedia management system and system notifications. Users often face a situation where you need to completely shut down the device at a cinema, at an important meeting or simply to ensure silence while sleeping without missing critical calls from loved ones. Understanding how to properly set up sound profiles is a basic skill for any Android gadget owner.
Unlike many other manufacturers, Xiaomi’s interface offers multiple levels of audio output control, which can sometimes confuse a beginner. You can not just press the lock button, but also fine-tune which apps will make sounds and which will remain silent. In this article, we will take a detailed look at all existing methods, from fast switches to deep system settings.
We'll look at how to control the volume of the media, ringtones and alarm clocks separately, and also touch on the topic of hidden system sounds of the interface. Properly adjusting these parameters will allow you not only to observe etiquette, but also save battery power, as the constant operation of the speakers and the vibrator consumes energy. Let's dive into the details of the settings of your Xiaomi Redmi or Poco.
Quickly shutting down sound through physical buttons and curtain
The most obvious and quick way to shut down the phone is to use physical volume buttons on the side of the case. If you press the volume button once, the screen will light up and you'll see the regulator slider, and if you continue to press it to the end, the phone will go into vibration mode, and the next time you press it will go into "No Sound" mode, which is indicated by the crossed-out speaker, which is a standard Android feature that works even on a locked screen.
But there's a nuance in the MIUI shell: a short tap can simply turn down the media volume without changing the call profile. To change this behavior, you often need to press the volume down button or click on the settings icon (cog or three dots) that appears on the screen when you adjust. In the menu that opens, you can choose a "No sound" or "No Disturb" profile, which is a more flexible option.
The second quick method is to use the control panel, or curtains. Swipe down from the top of the screen, and you open the quick settings menu, and there's a button with the speaker or bell icon, and clicking on it cyclically switches modes: "Sound" → "Vibration" → "No Sound." In some versions of the firmware, long pressing on this button opens an extended menu of sound profiles.
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Set up automatic activation of the “Do not disturb” mode on the schedule in the settings so that the phone itself is quiet at night and does not wake you up with system sounds.
Set up sound profiles and “Do Not Disturb” mode
For more in-depth control, you should refer to system settings. Go to Settings → Sound and vibration. Here you will see a division into several categories: call volume, multimedia, alarm and notifications. It is important to understand that switching your phone to silent mode often does not affect the volume of the alarm clock, which is a special security feature of Android, so that the user does not miss an important event.
Notable is Do Not Disturb (DND), which, unlike a simple shutdown, allows you to create a whitelist of contacts that will make calls even when the restriction is activated, a critical setting for those who are waiting for an emergency call from relatives but want to ignore spam and work chats. You can set up exceptions by going to the Do Not Disturb menu and selecting Allow Calls.
☑️ Setting up the perfect silence
In the same settings section, you can find the dialing sound and vibration switch and the locking sound, which makes using your smartphone more discreet in quiet rooms, and it also adjusts the vibration force, which is important if you need to turn off not only the sound, but also the tactile recoil that can resonate on the table.
⚠️ Note: Do Not Disturb mode can block repeat calls from one number unless an exception is configured. If you are waiting for an important call from a caller who may not be able to reach the first time, check the re-calling settings in the menu. DND.
Managing system sounds of the interface and keyboard
Often, users are annoyed not by the ringtone volume, but by the quiet clicks of the keyboard or the sounds when unlocking the screen, which are heard in silence. To turn them off, you need to go to Settings → Sound and Vibration → Additional (or just scroll down depending on the version of MIUI), which are the switches for Lock Sound, Unlock Sound and System Sounds.
The keyboard sounds are also worth mentioning, because the keyboard is a separate application (whether it’s a Gboard, SwiftKey or a standard Xiaomi keyboard), its settings are inside the application itself, and you usually have to press and hold a comma or go to the keyboard settings via the system menu to find “Push Sound,” which greatly improves the comfort of printing at night.
You can also turn off the vibration when typing in this section, which not only reduces noise, but also slightly reduces power consumption, since the vibrator motor is one of the most energy-intensive components of a smartphone, along with the screen and communication module. For complete silence, it is recommended to turn off both sound and tactile response.
Why can't the interface sounds be turned off globally?
Specificity of turning off sound in applications and browser
Many users have a problem with the phone seemingly silent, but the video in the browser or TikTok continues to play with sound. This is because the multimedia and system notifications are different volume channels. When you press volume buttons, pay attention to which slider you are moving: a musical note (multimedia) or a bell (notifications).
Popular social networks like Telegram, WhatsApp, or Viber have their own internal audio settings. Even if the phone is silent, some MIUI configurations may have delayed or behavior-specific messages. Go to the app settings, look for the Notifications section, and make sure the sound is also turned off or is on the No.
For browsers like Chrome or MI Browser, the rule is one: video sound is controlled by a Multimedia slider. If you want to watch video without sound, you don't have to put your entire phone in vibration mode. Simply put the media slider down to zero, which will allow you to hear an alarm clock or an important call, for example, while remaining silent while watching content.
Table: Comparison of sound modes on Xiaomi
To make it easier for you to navigate the modes, we've developed a comparison table that will help you understand which option to turn off the sound is right for your current situation.
| Regime. | Calls. | Notifications | Multimedia. | Alarm clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound (Normal) | There is. | There is. | There is. | There is. |
| Vibration. | Vibration. | Vibration. | There is. | There is. |
| No sound. | No. | No. | There is. | There is. |
| Don't disturb. | Block (except ibre.) | Block (except ibre.) | There is. | There is. |
As you can see from the table, No Sound mode does not affect the playback of videos or music if you force them to run. Do Not Disturb mode is the most flexible tool to filter incoming events. Using a combination of modes gives maximum control over the device.
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Do Not Disturb is the only way to block calls without missing calls from those who are marked as “Favorites.”
Automation: Schedules and Scenarios
Xiaomi owners are more fortunate than many other brands thanks to its built-in Security app and automation system. You can set your phone to automatically go to No Sound or No Disturb mode at a certain time. To do this, go to Settings → Sound and Vibration → Don’t Disturb → Schedule.
You can set start and end times, and you can also select the days of the week, for example, the phone will automatically shut down from 23:00 to 07:00 daily, which eliminates the need to manually check your settings every night before bed, and there is a section on Battery or Optimization in the Security app where you can also see sleep scenarios.
For advanced users, the Scenarios feature (in some regions called Automation) can be used to create a rule: “If I’m connected to the Office Wi-Fi network, turn on Vibration mode.” or “If the YouTube app is running, rotate the screen and....” While audio management is limited, basic scenarios in silence are easy to configure.
⚠️ Note: When setting up the automatic Do Not Disturb mode, make sure that emergency services or close relatives contacts are added to the exceptions to avoid missing an emergency call at night.
Problem Solving: Why doesn't the sound go off?
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where seemingly all settings are checked, but the phone continues to make sounds. Often the cause is third-party applications that take precedence over system settings or use their own notifications. Check the list of recently installed programs, especially those that can emit advertisements or notifications.
Another common reason is to work in developer mode or have active NFC profiles. Some NFC tags stuck to or near the case can activate certain actions, including changing the sound profile, and it is also worth checking whether Pocket Mode is enabled, which sometimes behaves incorrectly when the phone is in the bag.
If the problem is systemic and the sound doesn’t turn off even after the reboot, it makes sense to reset the audio settings to factory settings, which can be done through the application settings recovery menu or, in extreme cases, through a full reset (which requires a data backup).