How to put a ringtone on Xiaomi: all the ways to MIUI 14 and 15

Why Xiaomi is Hard to Change the Rington and What to Do About It

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face an unexpected problem: standard ways to change the ringtone, running on “pure” Android, are either hidden in the depths of the menu, or not at all. The reason for this is the proprietary shell MIUI, which for the sake of simplifying the interface has removed some functions in non-obvious sections. For example, in the latest versions of MIUI 14/15, the ringtone selection option can “hide” behind three levels of nested menus, and in some models (for example, POCO F5) it is not at all in its usual form.

Xiaomi’s regional firmware policy adds further confusion: on global MIUI versions (e.g. Europe), access to audio settings may differ from Chinese or Indian builds. And if you use custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS), the ringtone change algorithm changes dramatically. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to set a call melody to Xiaomi in 2026, including bypassing MIUI restrictions and working with third-party files.

Method 1: Using standard MIUI settings (the simplest)

If your smartphone runs on the official MIUI 14/15 firmware without root permissions, start with this method. It does not require additional applications, but it does not work on all models (for example, on Xiaomi 13 Ultra the path may be different).

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Settings app (cog icon on the desktop).
• 🔊 Go to the Sound and Vibration section (on some devices it is called Sound).
• 🎵 Select the Melody of the Call (or the Call to the Sound) MIUI 15).
• 📁 In the list that opens, select one of the preset tunes. If you don't, tap Local Melodies (if you have one).

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) Local melodies may not be available, which means that MIUI It blocks the installation of user files without further manipulation.

If you don’t see the right tune in the list but are sure it’s uploaded to your phone’s memory, try updating your media library: Go to Settings → Apps → App Management → Music and click Clear Cache. After you reboot your device, system tunes may appear.

Method 2: Use of the MIUI file manager (for custom tunes)

If the standard method doesn’t allow you to select your audio file, but you don’t want to install third-party apps, use the built-in file manager.This method works on most devices with MIUI 12-15, but requires that the melody be in the correct format and folder.

Step-by-step:

1. Download or transfer your audio file to your phone, which should be in.mp3,.m4a or.ogg format (not longer than 30 seconds, up to 5MB).
2. Open the Files app (the folder icon on the desktop).
3. Go to Internal Storage → Ringtones. If you don't have one, create it manually.
4. Move your audio file to this folder.
5. Return to Settings → Sounds and Vibrations → Call Melody and select your file from the Local Melodies section.

File format - MP3, M4A or OGG| Length - no more than 30 seconds | Size - up to 5 MB | File renamed Latin (without Cyrillic) | Ringtones folder created at the root of internal memory

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If the Ringtones folder doesn't appear on the tone list, try an alternative path: Internal storage → MIUI → ringtone. On some firmware (for example, for Xiaomi 12T), the system tunes are stored there. Copy your file into this folder and restart the phone.

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If the melody doesn’t appear in the settings, try renaming the file to a short name without spaces (e.g., a short name, my_ringtone.mp3). MIUI Sometimes ignores files with long names or special characters.

Method 3: Ringtone change applications (if MIUI blocks)

On some Xiaomi devices (especially those with Chinese firmware), the system settings do not allow you to set custom tunes, in which case a third-party app will help.

Instructions for Ringtone Maker:

1. Install the application and open it.
2. Select My Music and find your audio file.
3. Cut the track to the desired length (15-30 seconds are recommended).
4. Press Save as Ringtone and confirm installation.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as Zedge) may request permissions to access contacts or SMS. Refuse these requests, they are not needed to change the ringtone. If the app insists, delete it and choose another.

Method 4: Through ADB (for advanced users)

If your Xiaomi device is working on MIUI without root rights, but blocks the installation of custom ringtones, you can use ADB-This method requires a computer and basic knowledge of how to use the console, but it is guaranteed to work on any device with debugging enabled. USB.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect the phone to the computer and install it. ADB-driver.
4. Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) and type:

adb shell settings put system ringtone /storage/emulated/0/Ringtones/your_ringtone.mp3

Replace. your_ringtone.mp3 When you do the command, restart the phone, and the melody will appear in the settings.

Method 5: Manually copy to system folders (requires root)

If you have root rights (for example, through Magisk), you can manually replace the system ringtones, a method suitable for advanced users, as improper actions can lead to system failure.

Step-by-step:

1. Download Root Explorer or any other file manager with root support.
2. Go to /system/media/audio/ringtones.
3. Copy your audio file into this folder (make sure the file has 644 rights – read for everyone, write for the owner only).
4. Reboot the phone.

After the reboot, your tune will appear in the standard ringtone list. If the file does not appear, check its format (should be.ogg for system ringtones) and access rights.

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Use this method only if you are confident in your actions. Incorrectly changing system files can lead to a device "brick" (loss of health).

Problem Solving: Why the Rington is Not Set

If none of these methods worked, check the following points:

• 🔇 Make sure the file is not corrupted: try playing it in a standard player.
• 📂 Check the path to the file: it should be in the Internal storage/Ringtones internal storage/MIUI/ringtone.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone: Sometimes MIUI Does not update the list of tunes without restarting.
• 🛠️ Update the firmware: in older versions MIUI (below 12) there may be ringtones bugs.

If you use a dual-sim phone (e.g. Xiaomi) 13 Pro, make sure the melody is assigned to the correct SIM-In the settings of the call can be a separate section Melody for SIM 1/SIM 2.

On certain devices (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) after the ringtone changes, the sound can be dropped on the standard. MIUI, solver:

1. Set the right tune.
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone.
3. Click Clear the cache and Reset the settings.
4. Reboot the phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about ringtones on Xiaomi