How to change a tune to Xiaomi: from ringtones to notification sounds

Changing the standard tune to Xiaomi is one of the first things a new smartphone owner wants to do, because factory sounds get boring quickly, and personalized ringtones help to distinguish your phone from others, but not everyone knows that on devices with a MIUI shell you can change not only the melody of the call, but also the sounds of the alarm clock, notifications, even system signals – and the methods differ depending on the version of the firmware and model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11, etc.).

In this article, you will find 5 proven methods of changing tunes, from standard settings to hidden MIUI functions. We will discuss how to install your music in.mp3,.m4a or.ogg formats, where to download free ringtones without viruses, and why new sounds are sometimes not used (and how to fix it), and also - a format compatibility table and a unique life hack for POCO F5 owners with a dynamic theme of sounds.

1. Standard method: through MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use built-in shell tools. It works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI 12 and later (including MIUI 14 on Android 13/14). The main advantage is that you do not need to install third-party applications or dig into the file manager.

To change the ringtone:

• 📱 Open the Settings app (cog icon).
• 🔊 Go to the section Sound and vibration.
• 🎵 Select the Melody of the Call (or Rington in some localizations).
• 📁 Scroll down to the Local Melodies block – all files you upload will be displayed here.

If the desired sound is not in the list, click Add and select a file from the phone's memory. Note: MIUI only shows files from the Ringtones folder (or Notifications for notifications). To make your track appear in the list, it must first move there - more about this in the next section.

⚠️ Note: Some models (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi) K60) After selecting a new melody, the sound may not change immediately. Restart the phone or force the Phone app to restart through the application settings.

2. Where to store files so they are displayed in settings

MIUI looks for ringtones in specific folders, and if you just download a song to Downloads or to a memory card, it won't appear on the available tune list, and here's the correct folder structure for different types of sounds:

How to transfer the file to the desired folder:

1. Connect your phone to your PC or open the File Manager on your smartphone.
2. Create a folder (if not) with the exact name (registration is important!).
3. Move the audio file to a folder. The file name should not exceed 30 characters (otherwise MIUI may not see it).
4. Restart your phone, which will speed up scanning for new files.

File format: MP3, M4A or OGG

Title length ≤ 30 characters

The file is moved to the Ringtones/Notifications folder

The phone is restarted after adding

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If folders are not displayed in the file manager, enable the display of hidden files in the application settings (usually in the menu). ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files. POCO X5 Pro and Redmi Note 12 Pro+ You may also need permission to access the storage for the Settings application.

3. How to download free ringtones without viruses

You don't want to use your music? There are a lot of services with ready-made ringtones optimized for Xiaomi, the main thing is to choose proven sources to avoid picking up malware. We tested 5 sites and selected the best ones:

• 🎧 Zedge (an app on Google Play) — more than 10 million ringtones and notification sounds. MIUI. Disadvantages: a lot of advertising in the free version.
• 🔊 Mobile9 (mobile9.com) — The oldest resource with ringtones. Plus: you can download it in format.m4r (Optimized for Android. minus: website design is outdated.
• 🎶 TonePick (tonepick.com) - ringtones based on popular songs (Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, etc.) MP3 bitrate 192 kbps.
• 📱 Ringtone Maker (app) – allows you to crop any song from your library under the ringtone.Useful for Xiaomi 13 Lite and other models with limited sound length.

Before downloading, check:

• 🔒 The file weighs no more than 5 MB (otherwise there may be lags when playing).
• 🕒 Rington length – optimally 15-30 seconds.
• 📌 Format — MP3 or M4A (better-notification OGG due to lower weight).

⚠️ Warning: Some sites (like myxer.com) have ringtones downloaded from the.zip archive. Don't unpack it directly on your phone -- first check it on your PC with an antivirus (like Kaspersky or Dr.Web). In 2023, there were cases where Trojans were embedded in such archives to steal data. MI-account.

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If the downloaded ringtone sounds quieter than the standard, increase its volume through an audio editor (for example, MP3Louder in Google Play). MIUI automatically normalizes the volume of files, but sometimes this works incorrectly.

4. Change of notification sounds and alarm clock

In addition to ringtones, you can customize individual sounds on Xiaomi for:

• 📩 Notifications (SMS, messengers, system alerts).
• ⏰ Alarm clock (including repeated alarm).
• 🔋 Charging (sound when connected to the network).
• 🔓 Screen unlocking.

For notifications:

1. Open Settings → Sound and vibration → Melody of notifications.
2. Select Add and specify the file from the Notifications folder.
3. For individual apps (like WhatsApp or Telegram), adjust the sound in their own settings.

For the alarm clock:

1. Launch the Clock app (icon with dial).
2. Go to the Alarm tab and create a new one or edit an existing one.
3. Click Melody and select a file from Alarms.

On the POCO F5 and Xiaomi 13T, there is an option Dynamic Melody - the alarm clock sounds gradually increase for 10 seconds.

Settings → Watch → Alarm clock → Additional → Dynamic melody

5 Problems and Solutions: Why the Melody Doesn't Change

Sometimes users find that the new melody doesn't apply or doesn't sound right. TOP-5 causes and ways of eliminating them:

If the problem persists, try an alternative method through the Files app:

1. Open the files and find your audio file.
2. Press it and hold your finger, then select More → Set as.
3. Select the type: Rington, Notification or Alarm.

On Xiaomi 12S Ultra and other dual speaker flagships, there may be an imbalance in sound when using custom tunes, due to optimizing MIUI for stereo sound. Solution: convert the file to mono mode (1 channel) via an audio editor.

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If the melody doesn’t change after all the manipulations, check if a third-party sound management app (such as Ringo or Zedge) is installed.

6 Hidden functions: dynamic sounds and MIUI themes

Few people know, but MIUI has hidden options for avanzed audio customization, such as the POCO F5 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Series available:

• 🎛 Adaptive sounds – the melody automatically adjusts to the noise level in the room (included in Settings) → Sound. → Adaptive sound).
• 🌙 Dark theme for sounds – notifications and ringtones become quieter at night (configurable via Settings) → Screen. → Dark subject. → Schedule).
• 🔄 Cyclic melodies – the alarm clock plays a random track from the selected folder (activated via the Clock). → Alarm clock → Additionally. → Random melody).

On devices with MIUI 14 appeared the function Sound scripts:

Settings → Sound and vibration → Sound scenarios

Here you can assign different tunes for:

• 🏠 Home Wi-Fi network (calling will be quieter when you are connected to a home router).
• 🚗 Driving mode (volume of notifications automatically increases).
• 🛌 Sleep mode (all sounds are muted except alarm clock).

These features only work on smartphones with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or later (Xiaomi 14, Redmi K60 Ultra, etc.), as they require hardware support for sound processing.

7. Alternative applications for sound management

If standard MIUI capabilities are not enough, you can use third-party utilities. We tested the top 3:

Before installing, check compatibility with your model:

• 📲 Nana POCO M5 Some applications may not work due to limitations MIUI Lite.
• 🔒 On Xiaomi with a blocked bootloader (Redmi Note 12 for China), third-party utilities will not get access to system sounds.

To avoid conflicts, after installing an alternative application:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Permissions.
2. Find the installed application and give it permission to Warehouse, Microphone (if necessary) and Change system settings.
3. Reboot the phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing tunes to Xiaomi