Personalizing your smartphone is the first step to making it feel like you’re really yours. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the desire to replace the standard, familiar “Mi” sound with something more unique and pleasant to hear. However, the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS has its own file system features that can confuse an inexperienced user when trying to simply copy a file into a folder.
The process of installing a tune varies depending on whether you want to change the sound for all incoming ones or assign a customized track to a specific person from the phone book. Modern versions of Android require certain permissions and the correct location of files so that the system recognizes them as ringtones. In this article, we will discuss all the ways in detail, including working through standard settings, using third-party applications and manual file management.
Don’t ignore this aspect of customization, as the right sound helps you instantly identify the importance of a call without taking the phone out of your pocket.We’ll look at the nuances that are relevant for current models from 2026-2026, and we’ll look at the typical mistakes that make music not play or reset after a reboot.
Audio file preparation and format requirements
Before you start setting up the system, you need to make sure that the audiophile itself meets the technical requirements of the Android operating system. Most often, users try to install tracks in formats that the phone simply cannot play as a system sound, which leads to silence or error. The ideal and most compatible format is MP3 with a bit rate of at least 128 kbit / s.
However, modern Xiaomi smartphones also support more advanced codecs such as AAC or OGG. If you download music from the Internet, pay attention to the file extension. If your track is in FLAC or WAV (Lossless) format, the system can ignore it when trying to install it through the standard menu, although it will play in the player without problems.
⚠️ Attention: Files from DRM-security (for example, downloaded from streaming services for offline listening) can not be used as ringtones. Android security system blocks other applications from accessing such files.
Also important is the length of the track, which can be cut off by the system or not displayed correctly in the selection list, and the optimal duration for a ringtone is 15 to 30 seconds, although it is technically possible to install a full song.
💡
Use online services or cutter apps to cut only the brightest snippet (chorus) out of a full song before setting it up on a call.
Installation of ringtones through standard settings
The easiest and most reliable way to change the tune is to use the built-in functionality of the MIUI shell or HyperOS. This method does not require a connection to a computer and works stably on all models, from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 14.
Copy the finished track into any convenient folder, such as the root of the store or the Music directory, and then proceed to directly adjust the sound through the phone menu.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- 📱 Open the Settings app and find the Sound and Vibration section.
- 🔊 Click on the phone call (or Ringtone).
- 📂 In the list that opens, select the All Melodies tab or click on the icon. + screen-corner.
- 🎵 The system will suggest selecting an audio file from the device memory - find your track and confirm the choice.
After confirmation, the new sound will be set by default for all incoming calls, unless exceptions are configured for individual contacts., in new versions of the firmware, the interface may differ slightly, but the logic remains the same: look for the sound section and select the source.
Set up an individual melody for contact
Often, you need to know who's calling before you even look at the screen, and setting up a unique ringtone for a particular caller will solve this problem, and it's especially useful for calls from work, close family or courier services.
The process of tuning an individual sound is a little different from the global change of tune. You don't have to go into the general settings of the sound, all the actions are done directly in the phone book.
Follow the following steps:
- 📒 Open the Contacts or Phone app and go to the subscriber list.
- 👤 Select the right person and click on their name to open the contact card.
- ⚙️ Find the Change button (usually a pencil or three dots in the corner) or the Set up the beeps.
- 🎶 In the editing menu, find the Melody (or Rington) field and select the desired track from the list.
⚠️ Note: If you have two numbers of the same contact (e.g. mobile and work), you need to customize the melody for each number separately if this option is supported by the Android version.
Now, when that caller calls, you'll hear exactly the song you've chosen, and it works even if the general setting is "No Sound" -- you can make an exception for select contacts by turning on "Important Contacts" in "Do Not Disturb."
Using the Themes app to create ringtones
Many users are unaware that Xiaomi’s standard Themes app has a powerful built-in editor for creating ringtones, which allows not only selecting from the directory, but also processing local files by cropping them and overlaying the attenuation effects.
To use this method, open the Themes app and go to the profile (human icon). From the menu, select Ringtones. Here you will see the Local tab, where all audio files in memory are displayed.
☑️ Pre-installing check
The advantage of this is that you have a visual equalizer that allows you to precisely choose the beginning and end of a piece, so you can move the sliders, listen to the result in real time, and immediately apply the changes, and after editing, the system will suggest that you install this fragment on the call.
In addition, the theme store has thousands of pre-made audio packages, which often contain unique samples from games, movies and anime, which are not in the standard set.
Manual installation through file manager
For advanced users who prefer full control of the file system, there is a manual installation method, which is especially useful if the standard menu does not see the file or if you want to sync ringtones between multiple devices.
The method is to place the file in a special system directory, and open the Explorer app (or download File Manager+ from Google Play if the standard one doesn’t show hidden folders).
You need to move the audio file along the following path:
/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/sound/all/If MIUI or sound folders are not, you can create them manually, but the easiest way to create a Ringtones folder is to create a folder at the root of internal memory. Android automatically scans that folder and adds its contents to the list of available tunes.
| Type of sound | folder | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Common ringtone | /Ringtones/ | Appears on the call list. |
| Notification | /Notifications/ | For messages and applications |
| Alarm clock | /Alarms/ | The sound of awakening |
| Systemic (MIUI) | /MIUI/sound/all/ | Requires rights or folder creation |
After moving the file, it is recommended to restart the smartphone so that the media scanner of the system updates the database. 99% of the time, the file is immediately available for selection in the audio settings.
What to do if the MIUI folder is hidden?
Problems and Solutions: Why Music Doesn’t Work
Even following the instructions, users may find that the music is not played or reset to standard, most often due to access rights or MIUI energy saving features.
One common problem is cleaning up memory. Aggressive optimization algorithms can unload the background processes that play media if the file is in the cache of another application. Make sure that the file is in the internal storage, not on the internal storage. SD-card, as memory cards can be mounted with a delay after switching on the phone.
It's also worth checking the media volume and the volume of the call separately, sometimes the track is set, but the volume level for the media files is twisted to zero, while the system sounds work normally.
💡
If the sound is gone after the firmware update, check the access rights of the Themes and Explorer app in the Privacy Protection section.
In rare cases, cleaning the app cache and vibration through the App menu helps, which will reset possible software errors accumulated during operation.