How to change the melody of a call on Xiaomi Poco X3: all ways and life hacks

Xiaomi Poco X3, with its MIUI-branded shell, offers users flexible audio settings, but it’s not always clear where the options are hidden. The ringtone is the first thing people hear when they call you, so choosing the right ringtone can be a small but important part of personalizing the device. In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways to change the tune, from standard settings to installing custom sounds through the file system.

The Poco X3’s feature is that its firmware may vary depending on the region and the MIUI version (e.g. global, Chinese or European), which affects the location of certain menu items, and we’ll take these nuances into account and provide universal instructions that will work for most versions, and you’ll learn how to assign unique tunes to individual contacts and what to do if new ringtones aren’t displayed on the list.

Method 1: Change the melody through standard settings

The easiest way is to use the built-in MIUI tools, which don't require you to install additional applications or dig into the file system, but just follow a few steps in the settings menu.

Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen) and go to the Sound and Vibration section. Here you'll see a few tabs, but we're interested in the Call Melody item. Click on it to open the list of available ringtones. Note that in some versions of MIUI, this item may be called Call Sound or Rington.

• 🎵 Standard tunes: a list of built-in ringtones from Xiaomi. You can listen to them by clicking on any of them.
• 📁 Local Files: If you’ve previously added your tunes to the Ringtones folder, they’ll appear in this section.
• 🔄 Default reset: A button to return to a factory tune (usually this one) MI Ring or Reflection).

After selecting a tune, press OK or Ready to apply the changes. The sound will change immediately - check it by asking a friend to call you or using self-check mode (Settings → About Phone → Diagnostic → Call Test).

Method 2: Install custom melody from files

If you're tired of the built-in ringtones, you can upload your own sounds, and any.mp3,.m4a or.wav audio file that lasts up to 30 seconds will do, and it's important that MIUI doesn't support files with a bit rate above 320 kbps, which may not appear on the list.

First, transfer the audio file to a special folder on your phone.

1. Connect Poco X3 to your computer via USB and copy the file to the Internal Storage → Ringtones folder. If it's not, create it manually.
2. Use the file manager on your phone (like Files by Google or the built-in MI File Manager) to move the file to the same folder.

After copying, restart your phone (it is necessary that the system scans new files). Then repeat the steps from Method 1 - your tune should appear in the Local Files section. If it does not, check:

• ✅ File format (supported only.mp3,.m4a,.wav).
• ✅ Track length (optimum — 10-30 seconds).
• ✅ The folder is called Ringtones (without typos, with a capital letter).

Check the file format (.mp3,.m4a or.wav)|

Cut the track to 30 seconds |

Create a Ringtones folder in the root directory |

Restart your phone after copying it.-->

Method 3: Assigning unique contact melodies

If you want important contacts to have ringtones, MIUI allows you to do that, and it's useful to know who's calling without looking at the screen, for example, you can assign a special tune to call from family or colleagues.

Open the Contacts app and select the contact you want. Click on the three dots in the top right corner (or the Edit button) and scroll down to the Call Melody. Here you will see the same options as the main settings, but the selected tune will only apply to that contact.

⚠️ Note: If you use Google Contacts instead of the standard Xiaomi app, there may be no custom ringtones option, in which case sync your contacts via Mi Account or transfer them to a local ledger.

You can also assign unique tunes to contact groups.

1. Open Contacts. → Groups.
2. Choose a group (such as Family or Work).
3. Press three points. → The ringing melody.

This function only works for incoming calls. SMS-notifications setting individual sounds is not available in standard Poco firmware X3.

Problem Solving: Why doesn’t the melody change?

Sometimes users find that new ringtones are not used or reset after a reboot. Let's look at the typical reasons and ways to eliminate them.

If the problem persists, try resetting the audio settings to factory settings. Go to Settings → System → Reset → Reset the audio settings. This won't delete your files, but will return all audio settings to default.

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If you downloaded a tune from the Internet, but it is not played, try renaming the file to the Latin alphabet (without Cyrillic and symbols).

Additional settings: vibration and volume

In addition to the melody, the Poco X3 can be tuned to accompanying sound parameters, such as changing the vibration pattern or adjusting the volume for different scenarios (calls, notifications, alarms).

To set the vibration:

1. Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Vibration.
2. Choose Vibration when calling and test the available patterns.
3. For custom vibration, tap Create vibration and record your rhythm by touching the screen.

The volume of the call is regulated by the volume buttons on the side panel of the phone, but you can set separate levels for:

• 🔔 Calls.
• 📱 Notifications
• ⏰ Alarm clock
• 🎵 Music and media

To do this, tap the arrow down next to the volume slider or go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Volume. Here you can turn off the Change Together function so that the settings don’t sync.

Use of third-party applications for ringtones

If the built-in MIUI options aren't enough, you can use third-party apps from Google Play, which offer advanced features: editing tunes, creating playlists for different contacts, automatic rules for changing ringtones by time of day.

Popular applications:

• 🎼 Zedge: a huge library of free ringtones and wallpaper, and allows you to pre-listen to tracks.
• 🔊 Ringtone Maker: a tool for cropping songs and creating your own tunes from the music library.
• 📱 MP3 Cutter and Ringtone Maker: Supports format.mp3 and.aac, there's a built-in equalizer.

After installing any of these applications:

1. Choose your favorite ringtone in the app.
2. Click Set as and select the Melody of the Call.
3. Confirm permissions (if you request access to files).

⚠️ Note: Some ringtone apps contain ads or request unnecessary permissions (such as access to contacts). Check reviews and rankings on Google Play before installing.

Resetting sound settings to factory

If something goes wrong after experimenting with sounds (e.g., the sound is lost or the settings are lost), you can return it to the original state. It doesn't affect personal data, but it resets all the sound parameters, including:

• Call and notification melodies
• Loudness for each type of sound
• Vibration patterns
• Settings Don't disturb

To perform the discharge:

1. Open Settings → System → Resetting settings.
2. Select Reset your sound settings (not to be confused with a full phone reset!).
3. Confirm the action with a password or pattern lock.

Once reset, the phone will reboot, and all audio parameters will return to factory settings. You will need to reset the melodies and volume.

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Resetting audio settings does not delete your files, photos or apps; it only affects parameters related to sound and vibration.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Poco X3 tunes