How to Check the Microphone on Xiaomi Phone: From Standard Tests to Engineering Menu

The microphone in Xiaomi is not just a voice-calling part; it's responsible for recording video, voice assistants, recognizing commands in Google Assistant, and even activating some of the smart home features. If someone complains that they can't hear you well or apps don't respond to your voice, it's time to check the microphone. But how do you do that correctly without confusing problems with software failures or network settings?

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to diagnose a microphone on Xiaomi, from standard MIUI tools to hidden engineering menus. You will learn how to distinguish hardware breakdown from software bug, which applications will help test the sensitivity of the microphone, and what to do if it works, but the sound is distorted. And a unique life hack for models with two microphones (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12), which will help to identify which microphone is faulty.

1. Quick check through the standard Dictophone app

The easiest way to check the microphone is to use a built-in voice recorder, which is on all Xiaomi smartphones by default and does not require installing additional programs.

Open the Recorder app (a microphone icon on a red or white background). Press the record button and say a few words 10 to 15 cm from the phone. After you stop recording, listen to the recording.

• 🔊 Loud and clear – the microphone is good.
• 🔇 Quiet or noise – problems with sensitivity or contamination of the hole.
• 🚫 There is no hardware breakdown or lock at the OS level.

If the recording is not played, check Settings → Apps → Recorder → Permissions – the application must have access to the microphone. Also make sure that the recording volume is not set to a minimum (some MIUI firmwares regulate this separately).

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If the recorder is missing, install it from the MIUI App Store or use Google Records – they work in a similar way.

Test microphone through the engineering menu (#4636##)

The Engineering Menu is a hidden Android tool that allows you to check hardware components, including a microphone, and is accessed via a secret code on Xiaomi:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##4636### (some models may require ##36446337###).
3. Select Phone Information (or Hardware Testing on global firmware).
4. Scroll down to the Microphone or Audio section.

In this menu, you'll see a graph or a numerical level of the microphone. Speak to the microphone, if the graph doesn't respond or it shows zero, it's a hardware problem. If there's a reaction but it's weak, it's possible that the microphone is contaminated or damaged.

3. Checking through third-party applications (Sound Meter, Mic Test)

If standard methods don't give a clear answer, use specialized applications that not only test the microphone, but also show the decibel level, the frequency spectrum and detect distortions.

• 📱 Sound Meter — measures the volume of ambient sounds and the response of the microphone. Normal speech level is 50-70 dB.
• 🎤 Mic Test -- records voice and plays it back with quality analysis, and it's good for stereo microphones.
• 🔧 Phone Doctor Plus is a comprehensive test of all sensors, including the microphone, to see if the system can recognize voice.

Example of Sound Meter:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Start it and allow access to the microphone.
3. Say the phrase 20 cm away from the phone.
4. Compare the readings with the norm (see the table below).

Sound Meter|Mic Test|Phone Doctor Plus|Xiaomi voice recorder|Other-->

4. Diagnosis through a call or voice assistant

Sometimes the microphone can run on the recorder, but it can fail when you call.

1. Call another phone or use an echo test service (e.g. #36446337## on some carriers).
2. If the person you are talking to cannot hear you, but you can hear them, the microphone is a problem.
3. Try activating Google Assistant with your voice (say, "OK, Google"), and if it doesn't respond, the microphone won't be sending a signal to the system.

Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ has a built-in voice check feature for the assistant:

1. Go to Settings → Google → Settings Google Assistant → Voice Match.
2. Choose Retrain Voice Model.
3. If the system does not recognize your voice, the microphone does not transmit the data correctly.

✅ Check the microphone through the recorder

✅ Testing the Engineering Menu

✅ Make sure the problem isn’t in the app (try 2-3 different ones)

✅ Clean the microphone hole from dust

✅ Check the permission settings for the microphone

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Checking of the second microphone (for noise-canceling models)

Many of Xiaomi’s flagships (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi K50 Pro, POCO F4 GT) feature two microphones: the main one (bottom) and the secondary one (top, next to the speaker), the second one used to cancel noise during calls. If one of them does not work, the interlocutor will hear echoes or extraneous noises.

To check both microphones:

1. Start the Mic Test or Sound Meter app.
2. Turn your finger over the upper and lower microphones (see the chart below).
3. If the sound level drops to zero when one of them is closed, this microphone is defective.

📍 Where to look for microphones on Xiaomi:

• 🎤 Additional microphone – next to the top speaker or selfie camera.

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If only the second microphone doesn't work, it's not always critical -- the basic functions (calls, recording) will work, but the noise reduction quality will deteriorate.

6. Hardware causes of microphone malfunction and their elimination

If software tests show that the microphone is not working, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔊 Firmware failure is rare, but it happens that after updating MIUI The microphone stops working, it helps to reset or flash the flashing.

⚠️ Note: If the microphone stopped working after changing the screen or other repairs, most likely the master damaged the plume or did not connect the microphone connector.

⚠️ Note: Don't try to disassemble the phone yourself if you don't have experience! IP-certification (e.g., Xiaomi) 13T Pro) if unskilled disassembly, waterproofing gaskets may be damaged, which will lead to loss of leakage.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the microphone on Xiaomi