How to change the sound of notifications on Xiaomi: 5 ways and life hacks for MIUI

The standard notification sounds on Xiaomi can get boring quickly — especially if you’ve been hearing the same tunes for years. Fortunately, MIUI offers flexible customizations to personalize the soundtrack. In this article, you’ll find not only basic instructions for changing ringtones, but also hidden system features, as well as workarounds for cases where standard methods don’t work.

We will learn how to change the sound for all notifications at once, customize tunes for individual applications (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram), and how to install custom sounds through the file system, and pay special attention to the typical problems - why new sounds are not saved, how to return standard settings and what to do if your favorite tunes are lost after the MIUI update.

The instructions are valid for all modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO based on MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS. If your model runs on Android One (for example, Mi A2 or Mi A3), some menu items may differ - we will mention this too.

1. Standard method: change the sound through the MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in tools of the system, which is suitable for most users and does not require the installation of additional applications.

Open the Settings app and go to the Sound and Vibration section, and here you'll see a few tabs, but we're interested in Notification Sound. Slap it to open the list of available tunes.

• 🎵 Standard sounds: Pre-installed in the system (e.g. Bamboo, Reflection, MIUI You can listen to them by clicking on the name.
• 🔊 Quiet Mode: No Sound or Vibration – Good for Night Time.
• 📁 Additional sounds: If you have previously downloaded melodies through MIUI Themes, they will appear in this section.

After selecting the sound, press OK or Save (depending on the MIUI version). Changes apply immediately - check by running a test notification (for example, via the Watch or Calendar).

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X3 Pro after updating to MIUI 14 standard sounds can be reset. This is due to system optimization. To avoid a problem, back up your favorite tunes through Settings. → Memory. → Backup.

2. Individual sounds for applications: Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber

If you want Telegram notifications to sound different than WhatsApp messages, you have to configure each app separately, and most messengers have built-in options for doing so.

Consider the example of WhatsApp:

1. Open the app and tap on three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
2. Go to Notifications. → Tone of notifications.
3. Select the sound from the list or click Add Rington to download your file (.mp3,.m4a,.ogg formats).

For Telegram, the path is a little different: Settings → Notifications and sounds → Notifications sound. Here you can customize individual tunes for private messages, groups and channels.

Important: If you install custom audio for the messenger, but it does not appear in the list, check if the file is in the correct folder: /storage/emulated/0/Notifications/. Create it manually if it is not.

MP3 or M4A| File No More than 30 Seconds | Bitrate No More Than 192 Kbit/s | File Renamed Latin (without spaces) | Notifications folder created at the root of memory-->

3. Installation of custom sounds through the file system

If you don't have enough standard tunes, you can add your own.

• 📱 Sound file in format.mp3,.m4a or.ogg (optimal - duration) 3-5 seconds).
• 📂 File Manager (e.g., built-in file manager) MI File Manager or Solid Explorer).
• 🔧 Access to device memory (permission to write files).

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC or download the audio file directly to your phone.
2. Open the file manager and go to the root memory folder (/storage/emulated/0/).
3. Create a Notifications folder (if not).
4. Put your sound file in there. The name should be in Latin, without spaces (for example, the name should be in Latin, my_notification.mp3).
5. Reset the device.

After the reboot, new sounds will appear in the list of notifications in the MIUI settings. If they are not, check:

• 🔍 The correct folder name (registration is important: Notifications, not notifications).
• 📌 File format (some versions) MIUI They don't support.wav).
• 🔄 Try moving the file to the Ringtones folder – sometimes the system reads sounds and from there.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi with HyperOS (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K70) You may need additional permission to access folders. → Annexes → Permit management → Files and multimedia and grant rights to the file manager.

4.Use of MIUI themes to change sounds

Few people know, but MIUI themes can automatically change not only wallpaper and icons, but also notification sounds.

How it works:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Select the Sounds section or find a topic marked Includes Sounds.
3. Use your favorite theme – the notification sounds will change automatically.

Advantages of the method:

• 🎨 Uniform style: Sounds, wallpaper and animations are selected in one design.
• 🔄 Easy to return standard: Just change the theme back to default.
• 🆓 Free options: Many themes with sounds are available without buying.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ Not all topics change sounds – pay attention to the description.
• 🔇 Sometimes the sounds from the themes sound quieter than standard (the problem is solved by increasing the volume in Settings). → Sound).

5 Problems and Solutions: Why Notification Sound Has Not Changed

Sometimes users find that new sounds are not applied or reset, and consider the typical causes and ways to eliminate them:

If none of the methods worked, try resetting the sound settings:

1. Go to Settings → System → Reset settings.
2. Select Resetting Sound Settings (not to be confused with a full reset!).
3. After rebooting, adjust the sounds again.

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If the notification sound is gone, check if the mode is activated Do not disturb in the curtain notifications or on schedule (Settings → Do not disturb).

6. Alternative methods: applications for sound management

If the built-in MIUI tools aren't enough, you can use third-party apps that offer advanced features, such as:

• 🎛 Different sounds for different contacts (even in standard calls).
• 📊 Volume schedule (automatic change of sound by time of day).
• 🔄 Random playback of several melodies.

Top.-3 apps:

1. Zedge is a database of ringtones and notification sounds with the ability to listen to pre-downloaded files automatically placed in the desired folders.
2. Ringtone Maker – allows you to crop songs and create unique sounds from tracks.
3. Notification History – Not only changes sounds, but also keeps a notification log (helpful if you missed an important message).

⚠️ Note: Apps like Zedge request access to memory and notifications. MIUI This can cause a conflict with battery optimization. To keep the sounds running smoothly, add the app to Settings. → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications → Select the application → No restrictions.

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The side of the application may conflict with the power saving MIUI. Always configure exceptions for them in the Battery section, otherwise the sounds will be reset.

7. Features for different Xiaomi models

Some Xiaomi smartphones have unique nuances when setting sounds. Consider the most popular models:

For Android One devices (such as the Mi A3), the path to audio settings is different:

Settings → Sound → The sound of default notifications

There is no integration with MIUI Themes, but all standard Android features are supported, including notification channels (setting the sound for each type of notification separately).

FAQ: Frequent questions about notification sounds on Xiaomi