How to Put Your Music Ringtones on Xiaomi Phone: 5 Proven Ways

Why can’t you just pick a song as a ringtone on Xiaomi?

Xiaomi smartphone owners (including the Redmi, POCO and Mi line) often face a paradoxical situation: the gallery contains hundreds of tracks, but the system insists on choosing a ringtone only from a standard set of tunes. The reason lies in the security policy of MIUI, a proprietary shell from Xiaomi, which by default blocks access to user files in the audio settings menu.

It's not the technical limitations of Android, it's the arbitrary decision of the developers: MIUI artificially narrows the choice, offering either factory tunes or purchased through the Mi Store. However, you can circumvent this limitation - and we will show you how to do it legally, without root rights and third-party launchers. The main thing is to understand that the process is different from standard Android and requires the preparation of a file.

In this article, you will find the latest ways to use MIUI 12, 13 and 14 (including global and Chinese firmware), as well as solutions for cases where the phone does not see your track even after all the manipulations, starting with the simplest method, through the built-in tools of the system.

Method 1: Use of built-in sound editor (MIUI 14+)

Starting with MIUI 14, Xiaomi has added a semi-official way to assign custom ringtones through the Sound and Vibration app, which works on most modern models (Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12/13, POCO F5/X5), but has an important condition: the file must be in a specific folder and have a supported format.

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Prepare the file: 🎵 Format:.mp3,.m4a.ogg (maximum 5MB, up to 30 seconds). 📁 Folder: Move the track to Internal Storage → MIUI → Ringtone (Create a folder if it is not available).

Settings → Sounds and vibrations → Call

Local.

Choose it and save the changes.

Track length not exceeding 30 seconds |

MP3/M4A/OGG format|

File moved to MIUI/ringtone| folder

File name without Cyrillic and spaces

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⚠️ Attention: If the folder MIUI/ringtone No, create it manually through any file manager (e.g. Files by Google or embedded Explorer) Do not use cloud storage (Google Drive, Mi Cloud) - the system will not see files from there.

Pros of the method: does not require third-party applications, works without the Internet. Cons: limitation in length and format, not all models support this feature (check manually).

Method 2: Music app (for MIUI 12/13)

On older versions of MIUI (12 and 13), the built-in sound editor may not be available, but there is an alternative - using the standard Mi Music player, which is suitable for Redmi Note 10/11, POCO X3/X4 and other devices based on Android 11/12.

Algorithm of action:

1. Open the Music app (note icon on the desktop).
2. Find the track you want to make a ringtone and open it.
3. Slip on three points in the upper right corner → Set as a ringtone.
4. Select a Call, Alarm or Notification.

🔍 Important: If you don’t have a Rington, upgrade the Mi Music app through the Play Market or use an alternative player (e.g., an alternative player, VLC poweramp).

⚠️ Note: On some firmware, after selecting a ringtone through Mi Music, the sound may be reset after rebooting. To avoid this, move the file to the folder MIUI/ringtone before being assigned through the player.

Through the built-in sound editor |

Through the Music | app

With third-party software |

Manual file transfer

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Method 3: Third-party applications (Zedge, Ringtone Maker)

If the built-in methods don't work, specialized tools will come to the rescue.

• 🎼 Zedge is the largest database of ringtones and wallpapers with the ability to download their tracks.
• ✂️ Ringtone Maker - allows you to crop tracks and save them as ringtones.
• 🔊 MP3 Cutter and Ringtone Maker – Simple Editor with Pre-Earsay.

Instructions for Zedge:

1. Install the application and open it.
2. Go to the section My Content → Local files.
3. Select a track and click Set as → Call.
4. Confirm the selection in the system menu.

💡 Advantages: Works on all versions MIUI, Supports cloud storage, no track length limits (but it is recommended to cut to 30 seconds) Disadvantages: requires access to files and permission to change system settings.

💡

If the sound doesn't change after you set the ringtone through Zedge, restart the phone. Sometimes MIUI caches the old sound settings.

Method 4: Manual file transfer over PC (for power users)

This method is suitable if you prefer to manage files through a computer or if the phone does not see tracks through standard methods. USB-cable and access to internal device memory.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Xiaomi to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode in the notification curtain).
2. Open the phone’s internal memory and go to the Media → Audio folder.
3. Create folders inside it (if there are none): Ringtones for calls; Notifications for notifications; Alarms for alarms.

song.mp3

Ringtones

Disconnect the phone from the PC and restart it.

Settings → Sounds → Call → Local

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi Firmware Folders Media/Audio To see them, turn on the hidden files in the Windows Explorer settings (View) → Hidden elements).

Why is this more reliable?

Bypassing MIUI, you directly integrate the file into your Android system folders, which ensures visibility in your audio settings, especially for Chinese firmware versions (e.g. Xiaomi.eu or Global ROM), where ringtone restrictions are tighter.

Method 5: Use ADB (for advanced users)

If all previous methods fail, the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) remains a “heavy artillery” that requires command line skills, but is guaranteed to work on any version of MIUI, including the most closed-loop versions (such as China Stable ROM).

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap the version → return to → For developers).
• 🎵 Prepared file in format.mp3 or.ogg (for example, my_ringtone.mp3).

Commands to execute (enter in cmd or terminal):

adb push my_ringtone.mp3 /sdcard/MIUI/ringtone/


adb shell settings put system ringtone /sdcard/MIUI/ringtone/my_ringtone.mp3

Once you've completed the commands, restart the phone. The ringtone will be assigned automatically.

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB Do not change other settings through the adb shell unless you are sure of their purpose. notification_sound It is responsible for the sound of notifications – its erroneous use will lead to silence when the notification is not heard. SMS push-notification.

💡

ADB is the only way to assign a ringtone to Xiaomi with Chinese firmware (China ROM), where system folders are locked for manual editing.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after you have successfully followed the instructions, you may encounter problems, and let's look at typical scenarios and how to fix them:

🔧 Additional advice:

• 📌 If the ringtone is quiet, check the settings. → Sounds. → Call volume – possibly activated “Quiet” mode».
• 🔄 After transferring files to system folders, reboot – this will update the Android media base.
• 🚫 Avoid using files from DRM-protection (for example, downloaded from Apple Music or Spotify) – they will not be played.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions