Sound problems during a conversation are one of the most annoying malfunctions faced by smartphone owners. If the person you are talking to cannot hear you or you stop hearing them, it can signal a software failure or hardware failure of the upper speaker. Before carrying the device to the service center, you need to conduct a thorough self-diagnosis to exclude software errors.
Modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco have powerful tools for self-diagnosis that are hidden from the average user. In this article, we will examine all available methods for checking the conversational speaker, from simple test calls to using a hidden engineering menu. Proper diagnosis will help you understand whether you need a replacement component or a simple reset is enough.
Ignoring a quiet sound or wheezing can cause a complete loss of hearing aid in the phone. It is important to act consistently, checking every aspect of the audio system. We will look at both the software and hardware aspects of the malfunction so that you can pinpoint the cause of the problem.
Primary diagnostics and visual examination
The first step before you start a complex test is a trivial but critical visual inspection. Often, the cause of bad sound is a banal dust, a pile or a protective film, a grid-covering speaker. Carefully examine the top of the screen where the sound hole is located. If you carry your phone in your pocket without a cover, the probability of getting there is extremely high.
Cleaning should be done carefully using a soft dry brush or a special sticky tape for electronics. It is strictly forbidden to use sharp objects such as needles or toothpicks, as they easily damage the speaker membrane, which will lead to irreversible consequences. Also check whether a protective film is pasted over the speaker - this is a common mistake when self-painting new devices.
⚠️ Warning: Never try to blow the speaker with your mouth. The entry of microscopic droplets of saliva into the body will cause oxidation of the contacts and corrosion of the membrane, which will permanently disable the component.
Once cleaned, try to play any sound or make a test call. If things haven't changed, we'll go to deeper verification methods. Sometimes the problem isn't with the speaker itself, it's with the connected accessories. Turn off the Bluetooth headsets and make sure the sound isn't streaming to external devices.
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Use a soft toothbrush to gently clean the speaker mesh with circular movements, but don't press too hard.
Checking through standard phone functions
The easiest way to check the performance of a speaker is to make a check call. Call your carrier's support number or another phone. During the conversation, pay attention to the volume and purity of the sound. If there is a sound but it is very quiet, try to increase the volume with side buttons during the call itself, since in Xiaomi the volume levels of media and the call are adjusted separately.
It's also worth checking if the sound switches when you activate the hands-free. Press the speaker button on the call screen. If the speaker mode (lower multimedia speaker) is great, but the normal mode (top conversational) is not, or it's distorted, the problem is localized in the top module, which is an important diagnostic sign that will help the wizard in the service.
- 📞 Call 112 or 000 (test numbers) to check the quality of the connection.
- 🔊 Use volume control buttons directly during a conversation.
- 🔄 Switch to speakerphone to compare the performance of the lower and upper speakers.
- 📵 Make sure that no “Silent” or “Do Not Disturb” mode is activated in the sound settings.
Another important aspect is the proximity sensor, which is that if you're talking, if the screen doesn't go out when you're holding the phone to your ear, it might be locked or malfunctioning, in which case your cheek might accidentally touch the screen and turn down the volume or turn on the speaker speaker.
Using the CIT Engineering Menu for Testing
The most accurate tool for testing hardware in Xiaomi smartphones is the CIT (Customer Integration Test) engineering menu, which is for factory tests and allows you to check each component of the device separately from the operating system. To get there, open the Phone app and type in the combination ##6484##. If the code does not work, try ##4636## or go through the settings.
In the list that opens, select the item associated with the audio, usually called "Receiver" or "Speaker." In some versions of the MIUI or HyperOS firmware, the path may differ: Settings → About phone → Version of the kernel (multiple taps). In the test menu, you will see the "Start" or "Play" button. When you press, the phone must play the melody or voice file through the top speaker.
| Test | Description | Normal result | Sign of malfunction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiver | Upper speaker check | Pure sound of melody | Silence or heavy wheezing |
| Speaker | Checking the down speaker | Loud sound | Lack of sound |
| Headset | Checking the connector/Bluetooth | Headphones sound. | Sound in the phone speaker |
| Mic | Microphone check. | Recording and reproduction | Silence in reproduction |
If you hear distortion, interruption or silence in the Receiver test, it's a direct signal of a problem. The engineering menu allows you to exclude the influence of third-party applications. CIT-The menu has sound, but in the normal mode of the call it is not - the problem is software (conflict applications or settings). CIT-Menu silence, likely hardware breakdown.
☑️ Diagnosis in CIT-menu
Microphone Diagnostics and Voice Recording
People often confuse speaker problems with microphone problems. If you can't hear you, but you hear the speaker perfectly, the speaker is good, and the problem is in the microphone or its settings. To check the microphone, there is a Main Mic or Top Mic test on the same engineering menu. You can also use a standard voice recorder.
Record a short message by pressing the top of the phone (where the secondary noise reduction microphone is located) and the bottom (main microphone) in turn. Play the recording. If there is a strong noise on the recording, there is no hissing or recording, you need to check the settings of the application permissions.
⚠️ Note: When testing the microphone, make sure that the device does not run other applications that use audio (such as a navigator or messenger), as this may block access to the recording device.
The MIUI/HyperOS privacy settings have permissions manager. Check if the microphone ban is worth it for system applications. Resetting the microphone settings sometimes helps if the software driver is stuck. Rebooting the device also often solves the audio driver's temporary failure problem.
Why can the microphone work badly?
Third-party applications for sound testing
If the built-in diagnostics are in doubt or unavailable, Google Play Store apps come to the rescue, and there are many utilities, such as Test & Fix, Phone Doctor Plus, or Ampere (to check the current indirectly associated with the operation of the modules), these applications conduct a comprehensive test of all smartphone systems.
Apps put a load on the audio track and report the status of the audio system. They can show frequency and output level. This is useful for detecting quiet wheezing that is not always noticeable in normal conversation. However, it is worth remembering that third-party applications require extensive permissions, so download them only from trusted developers.
- 📱 Phone Doctor Plus – conducts more than 30 tests, including checking speakers and microphones.
- 🔊 Speaker Test – generates frequency signals to check playback range.
- 🛠️ Test & Fix – a specialized application for diagnosing communication and sound problems.
- 📊 CPU-Z — Shows sensor information, which can help in the diagnosis of the proximity sensor.
Using a frequency generator allows you to know at what frequencies the speaker starts wheezing. Speaking spans a certain range, and if the speaker is in that particular range, the conversation will be uncomfortable, and these tests help you make the final decision about whether to replace the part.
Software settings and reset configuration
Before you talk about hardware repair, you should rule out software glitches. In Xiaomi smartphones, there are many settings for sound, including Dolby Atmos and the equalizer. Try turning off all sound effects in the Settings menu → Sound and vibration → Sound effects. Sometimes the activated smart mode tries to suppress noise and at the same time “strangles” the voice of the interlocutor.
Also check if In-Pack mode or similar features are enabled, which can block the speaker under certain conditions. If nothing helps, you can try resetting all applications or perform a full factory reset (pre-backup), which will remove any software conflicts that may have accumulated over the period of use.
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If after a complete reset and flashing sound in the upper speaker did not appear, the problem is exclusively hardware and requires a replacement module.
In some cases, firmware updates help. Xiaomi regularly releases patches that fix audio codec errors. Go to Settings → About your phone and check for updates. If you have custom firmware installed, try returning to the official global version, as in modified builds, sound drivers may not work properly.
Hardware reasons and module replacement
If all the software methods and tests on the engineering menu have gone negative, the speaker probably went down, which can be due to moisture, a strong impact, or natural wear of the membrane. In modern smartphones, the speaker speaker is often combined with the proximity sensor and notification indicator into a single train.
Replacing this component requires care, removing the back cover (or screen, depending on the design), disabling the battery, and replacing the module. It is important to use original parts or quality analogues, as cheap Chinese speakers are often low volume and fail quickly. CIT-menu.
⚠️ Warning: Self-disassembly of the smartphone can lead to loss of warranty.If the device is warranty, contact an authorized service center Xiaomi.
The cost of replacing a speaker is usually small, but the work of a master can vary. In models with on-screen sound technology (where the entire screen vibrates like a speaker, for example, in some flagship Mi Mix or new models), repairs are much more difficult and expensive, since it requires replacing the entire display module.