Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, which are powered by MIUI or HyperOS shells, offer users a huge range of customization settings, allowing them to adapt the device to suit any needs. However, many owners often encounter an annoying factor: loud system sound that is played every time a screen is turned on or a device is successfully unlocked. This sound, often reminiscent of a click or a short melody, can be extremely inappropriate in quiet rooms, meetings or in the cinema, causing awkward situations.
Fortunately, the developers have managed almost every aspect of the system’s audio, including those that are hidden from the surface. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to turn off unlock audio, where to look for hidden switches in the settings menu, and what to do if standard methods don’t work, and learn how to manage system sounds more flexibly while keeping important notifications active.
You need to understand that the structure of the menu may vary slightly depending on the version of the firmware and the model of your gadget. We will consider universal ways that are relevant for most devices of the brand, and also touch on the nuances of working with the engineering menu, which gives access to the deep settings of the audio engine of the phone.
The main settings of sound effects in MIUI and HyperOS
The first place to go for a user who wants to remove the noise is the standard audio settings menu. Xiaomi's shell interface is logical, but some options can be hidden inside the additional submenu that is not obvious when they first meet, and this is where the main switch for system clicks is located.
To start, open the Settings app and find the Sound and Vibration section. In some firmware versions, this item may be simply called Sounds. Inside, you'll see volume sliders for media, call and alarm, but we're interested in a button or switch called System Sounds or System Sounds. Disabling this option often removes not only the unlock sound, but also keyboard clicks, screen lock sound, and other system notifications.
☑️ Checking basic sound settings
Importantly, new versions of HyperOS have redesigned the logic of how sounds work, so that different settings can be used to perform different actions, so if the common system sound switch doesn't work for you because it removes other important signals, you should look for a separate lock sound or Lock sound item, which can be located at the bottom of the list or inside the Additional Sound Settings menu.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling system sounds may cause you to stop hearing not only unlocks, but also audible signals when dialing or sending messages in some system applications.
If you use a different theme than the standard, the path to settings can be changed by the theme’s author, in which case it is recommended to temporarily switch to the Classic or Default theme to find the right switch, and then return the desired design.
Managing sounds through the Sound and Vibration menu
More detailed control over the audio experience of the device is through an extended audio control menu, where the user can not only globally turn off effects, but also select specific files for events or set the No Sound mode for certain categories, this is especially true for those who want to leave the vibration but remove the audio.
In the Sound and Vibration section, there is often a subsection called "Additional settings or the gear icon in the corner of the screen." When you click on it, you'll be taken to the menu where you can customize the behavior of the sound in detail. Pay attention to the Sound when you lock it. If the switch is active, you'll have to deactivate it. In some cases, this setting is duplicated with the Lock screen Sound setting.
It is also worth checking the Do Not Disturb settings. Often users forget that there may be exceptions in this mode that skip system sounds even when the main speaker is off. Check the schedule of this mode in the Sound and Vibration settings → Do not disturb.
Why does the sound come back after the reboot?
For users who prefer tactile recoil, you can completely replace the unlock sound with vibration. To do this, in the same Sound and Vibration menu, find the Vibration-on-Tap slider or System haptics slider. Turn it on and make sure the sound is off. This will create a sense of the device's reaction without unnecessary noise.
Hidden settings and engineering sound menu
If standard methods fail, hidden settings are available through the engineering menu, a powerful diagnostic and fine-tuning tool for Xiaomi and Redmi to manage parameters that are usually hidden from the average user. Be careful: changing unknown parameters can affect the operation of the device.
To get into the engineering menu, open the Phone app and enter a special code. Most Xiaomi devices use the combination ##6484## or ##3646633#. Once you enter the last digit, the menu will open automatically. Find the Hardware Testing or Common tab, then go to Audio → Audio Debugging.
Inside the audio debugging menu, you can find system-based sound settings, where you can manually turn the volume of a particular channel that unlocks down to zero, but this method requires precision: changing the volume of the main channel can make the phone completely silent.
| Parameter | Description | Recommended value |
|---|---|---|
| Media | Multimedia Loudness (Video, Games) | If you wish, |
| Ring | Loudness of incoming call | If you wish, |
| System | System sounds (including unlocking) | 0 (for silence) |
| Speech | The volume of the interlocutor during the conversation | Change |
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Before making changes to the engineering menu, take a screenshot of the current parameters values so that in case of an error, everything can be returned back.
Remember that after updating the firmware, the engineering menu settings can be reset to factory values, in which case the procedure will have to be repeated, and access to this menu may be blocked by the operator in some regions.
Impact of Design Themes and Third-Party Launchers
MIUI is deeply integrated with Themes. Many users don't know that the installed theme can completely replace system sounds, ignoring standard settings. If you notice that the unlock sound has changed or cannot be removed by standard methods, the problem may lie in the theme.
Check your current theme. Go to the Themes app, go to the profile (human icon) and select My Themes. If you have a third-party theme installed, try temporarily switching to standard Classic or Default. After changing the theme, check if the unlock sound is missing or if a switch to control it is available.
In addition, the use of third-party launchers (such as Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher) can affect the behavior of the system when unlocked, although most often they do not control the system sound of the screen.
⚠️ Note: When installing themes from unverified sources (not from the official Xiaomi store), you risk not only changing sounds, but also advertising modules or unstable interface operation.
If you want to keep the visual style of the theme but keep the sound out, try to find the audio package in the theme description. Often the theme authors post individual sound files or instructions on how to modify them. In some cases, installing a clean version of the theme without audio accompaniment helps.
Configure the "No Sound" and "Do Not Disturb" modes
The easiest and fastest way to temporarily remove the unlock sound is to use sound profiles. But there are some important nuances here: Silent usually turns off all sounds, including system sounds, but can leave vibrations. Do Not Disturb is more flexible and allows you to create exceptions.
To set up automatic shutdown, use the schedule function. Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb → Turn on the schedule. You can set a time when the unlock sound will turn off automatically (for example, at night or while working).
Also, look for a physical button or a software switch in the notification curtain. In newer versions of HyperOS, when you switch to vibration mode, the system can ask if you should turn off system sounds. Always read the pop-up prompts carefully when you change your profile.
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Using Do Not Disturb mode with the right exceptions is the best way to remove the unlock sound while retaining the ability to hear calls from selected contacts.
Remember that in some use cases (e.g., when you connect a Bluetooth headset), system sounds can be redirected to an external device. If you have headphones in your ears and your phone is in your pocket, the unlock sound may not be heard, but it still plays.
Frequent problems and their solution
Even following the instructions, users may encounter situations where the unlock sound doesn’t turn off or behaves unpredictably, which may be due to software bugs, application conflicts, or features of a particular version of Android.
One of the common problems is that the sound is "reviving" after the system update. After a major MIUI update, the sound settings are often reset to factory ones, in which case you need to recheck all the items described above, and then the location of the switches may change after the update.
Another problem is that you're in conflict with memory cleaner applications or antiviruses, and aggressive optimization can block or force the system files that control sound to change, and try to temporarily turn them off.
- 🔍 Update check: Make sure you have the latest firmware installed, as patches often fix sound bugs.
- 🔄 Resetting sound settings: In rare cases, resetting all audio settings to factory values through a recovery menu or special applications helps.
- 📱 Safe Mode: Load into Safe Mode to check if any third-party app is causing sound.
If nothing helps, it may be a hardware problem or a deep firmware error, and it is recommended to contact an authorized Xiaomi service center or an official support forum.