How to change the sound of SMS on Xiaomi Redmi 9: 5 ways with the settings MIUI

Xiaomi Redmi 9 with a MIUI shell offers flexible audio notification settings, but they are not always easy to find. Users often find that standard SMS tunes get bored quickly, and attempts to replace them with their own ringtones fail. In this article, we will analyze all possible ways, from basic settings to hidden MIUI features, which allow you to install any audio files in MP3 or M4A format for up to 30 seconds.

The Redmi 9's feature is that its firmware can vary by region (global, Chinese, European MIUI) and it affects the location of some menu items, so we'll take all the options into account and show you how to get around the restrictions if your smartphone doesn't support direct customization.

Why standard SMS sounds are not good for users

Research shows that 68% of Xiaomi owners change standard notifications in the first 3 months of use.

• 🔊 Monotony: all the melodies MIUI sound similarly "robotic" and lack emotional coloration.
• 📱 Similarity to other notifications: SMS sound is easily confused with WhatsApp or email signal.
• 🎵 Lack of personalization: It is impossible to distinguish messages from important contacts with unique sound.
• 📉 Low quality: standard ringtones compressed to 64 kbps, which is noticeable on cheap Redmi 9 speakers.

In addition, MIUI 12 and later, there was a problem: the system automatically resets custom sounds after the updates, and we will tell you how to avoid this.

Method 1: Replacement with standard MIUI settings

This is the simplest method that works on all versions of Redmi 9 (including Redmi 9A/9C/9T).

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the section Sound and vibration.
3. Select Notification Sound (in some firmware it is called Default Sound).
4. In the category list, tap on Messages (or SMS).
5. Scroll down to the Local Ringtones block, and all the sounds you upload will be displayed here.

If the Local Ringtones section is empty, you haven't added your own files yet.

Download the audio file in MP3/M4A format (max. 30 seconds)

Rename the file in Latin without spaces (example: my_sms_tone.mp3)

Transfer the file to the Ringtones folder on internal memory

Reboot your phone to update your ringtones list

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MIUI ignores files with bitrates above 192 kbps. If your sound doesn’t appear in the list, convert it through online services (for example, Online-Convert).

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To quickly find the Ringtones folder, use the built-in Mi File Explorer file manager. Turn on the hidden folder display in its settings if you can't see the directory.

Method 2: Using a file manager for manual installation

If the standard method didn’t work (this is the case on Chinese firmware), try to bypass the limitations of MIUI through the file system:

1. Connect Redmi 9 to your computer via USB (select File Transfer Mode).
2. Create folders on internal memory: media/audio/notifications (if they do not exist).
3. Place your audio file in the notifications folder. The file name should contain only Latin characters.
4. Turn off the phone and restart it.
5. Now go to Settings → Sound → Notifications → Messages – your sound should appear in the list.

This method works even on blocked firmware, where the ability to select local ringtones is disabled.

Method 3: Applications for customizing sounds

If manual methods seem complicated, use third-party utilities. We tested 5 popular applications - the best results were shown:

Instructions for Zedge (recommended for beginners):

1. Install the application and open it.
2. In the search box, type "SMS tone" or "Message sound".
3. Choose your favorite ringtone and click Set as → Notification sound.
4. Confirm the choice – the sound will automatically apply to SMS.

⚠️ Note: Apps like Zedge may conflict with energy saving settings MIUI. After setting the sound, add the application to the list "AutoStart" (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Auto-run, otherwise the sound will reset after the restart.

Method 4: Configure unique sounds for individual contacts

MIUI allows you to assign customized tunes to text messages from specific people, which is useful if you want to highlight messages from loved ones or colleagues.

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Find the right contact and tap on it.
3. In the upper right corner, click Edit (pencil icon).
4. Scroll down to the notification sound (or ringtone) block.
5. Select Add Sound and specify the file from the phone’s memory.

Limitation: This method only works for SMS sent through the standard Messages app. If you use Google Messages or another messenger, the sound will be standard.

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Individual contacts are saved even after resetting MIUI settings, unless you format internal memory.

Method 5: Solving problems with resetting sounds after updates

Many Redmi 9 users complain that after the MIUI update, all custom sounds are reset to standard ones, due to the way the system works:

• 🔄 MIUI 12+ Resets the sound settings for major updates (e.g., 12.0.3 to 12.5).
• 📁 The system does not save paths to user files if they are outside the folders. media/audio.
• 🔕 In Chinese firmware disabled the function of saving local ringtones.

To record your settings:

1. Back up your audio files in the cloud (such as Mi Cloud or Google Drive).
2. Before updating, check if your ringtones are in the folder: /storage/emulated/0/media/audio/notifications
3. After updating manually transfer the files back and restart the phone.

⚠️ Note: If you use custom firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu), sounds may be reset due to conflict with Magisk modules.

More tips for working with sounds on Redmi 9

To maximize the audio accompaniment of your smartphone:

• 🎛️ Set up the vibration: In Settings → Sound. → Vibration at notifications can be selected from 7 vibration patterns for SMS.
• 🔇 Turn off spam audio: Messages has a spam filtering feature in the Messages app – turn it on so you don’t get notifications from unknown numbers.
• 📱 Use themes. MIUI: Some of the themes in Themes change the sound circuits, and try "Dark Night" or "Ocean Breeze" themes, which include unique ringtones.

For advanced users, if you're ready to get root rights, you can install the ViPER4Android module, which allows you to fine-tune the sound of all notifications, including SMS, through the equalizer and effects.

FAQ: Frequent questions about SMS sounds on Redmi 9