How to change the melody of SMS on Xiaomi: all ways and life hacks

The standard SMS melody on Xiaomi is quickly boring — especially if you get dozens of messages a day. Fortunately, the manufacturer has provided several ways to change it: from simple replacement through settings to customization through the file system. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods for Redmi, POCO and Mi models based on MIUI 12-14 (including global and Chinese firmware).

Important: the process may vary slightly depending on the version of the shell. If you have Xiaomi on pure Android (for example, POCO F5 with HyperOS), some menu items will be called differently - we will specify alternative paths. Also note that some system sounds (for example, for Messaging) can be "hidden" deeper than standard notifications.

Before you start, check if you have a third-party SMS application (like Google Messages or Truecaller), in which case the audio settings may be inside the application itself, rather than system settings. We'll look at both options.

1. Standard method: through MIUI settings

This is the simplest method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones without root rights.Suitable for replacing sound for both the standard Message app and some third-party messengers.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Settings app** (cog icon).
• 🔊 Go to the section Sound and vibration (on some firmware - Sound).
• 📩 Find the default notification sound or SMS melody (depending on version) MIUI).
• 🎵 Choose one of the suggested melodies or click + Add to upload your sound.

If the Melody SMS item is not in the main menu, try an alternative path:

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Settings.
3. Select Notifications → The sound of notifications.

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If the list doesn’t have a suitable tune, download the sound in.mp3 or.ogg format (up to 30 seconds long) and place it in the Ringtones or Notifications folder on the internal drive.

2. Replacement of sound for a specific contact

MIUI allows you to assign a unique tune to SMS from individual contacts, which is convenient if you want to quickly identify messages from important people (for example, from a bank or loved ones).

How to set up:

1. Open the Contacts app and select the contact you want.
2. Click Edit (pencil icon).
3. Scroll down to the notification sound (or SMS melody) block.
4. Select the sound from the list or add your file.
5. Save the changes.

Note that this feature only works for messages sent through the standard Messages app, and if you use Google Messages or WhatsApp, you will have to change the settings inside these apps.

3. Use of third-party applications (Zedge, Ringtones)

If you don't have enough built-in tunes, you can use specialized services.

• 🎶 Zedge – the largest database of sounds and wallpaper with the possibility of pre-listening.
• 🔔 Ringtones for Me is a simple melody manager with categories (nature, games, movies).
• 🎵 MP3 Cutter – if you need to cut your favorite song under notification.

How to set the sound through Zedge:

1. Download and install Zedge from Google Play.
2. In Ringtones & Notification Sounds, find your favorite sound.
3. Press it. → Select Set as Notification Sound.
4. In the window that appears, specify Messages (or Messages).

Important: Some applications (e.g., Zedge) require permission to change system settings. If the sound is not applied, check Settings → Applications → Zedge → Permissions.

4 Manually Adding Sounds through File Manager

If you want to use your own.mp3-files as a text message, you need to put them in the correct folder. MIUI scans the following directories:

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC or open a file manager (like Files by Google).
2. Create a Notifications folder at the root of internal memory (if not).
3. Put yours in there.mp3-file (maximum length – 30 seconds).
4. Reboot the phone.
5. Go to the SMS sound settings – your file should appear in the list.

File format: MP3 or OGG

Length - no more than 30 seconds

Bitrate – up to 192 kbit / s (otherwise it may not be played)

File name - without Cyrillic and special characters-->

If the sound doesn't appear on the list even after the reboot, check its metadata. Some files with non-standard tags (such as variable bitrate) MIUI may ignore. Use Audacity to convert to a standard format.

5 Problem Solving: The sound is not changed or reset

Sometimes, when you change the text, it goes back to the standard or doesn't play at all.

• 📵 File system error: If you have manually added sounds but they don’t show up, try transferring them to the file system. SD-card (if any) or use another file manager (e.g. Solid Explorer).

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If the SMS sound doesn’t change despite all manipulations, try clearing the Messages app cache in Settings → Applications → Application Management → Messages → Storage → Clear the cache.

Another common problem is duplicate notifications with different sounds, which happens when the standard Message app and Google Messages are active at the same time.

1. Open the Settings → Applications.
2. Find an unneeded SMS application (like Google Messages).
3. Click Disable or Remove Updates (if it is system-based).

6. Alternative methods for advanced users

If the standard methods are not satisfied, you can go further - from editing system files to using the system. ADB-These methods require caution and are suitable for users with experience.

Method 1: Replace system sounds with ADB

This method allows you to replace the embedded MIUI sounds with your own files without root rights.

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock the developer settings).
• 🎵 Prepared sound file in.ogg format (recommended format for system sounds) MIUI).

Replacement commands (example for message.ogg sound):

adb pull /system/media/audio/notifications/message.ogg


adb push your file.ogg /sdcard/




adb shell




su




mount -o rw,remount /system




cp /sdcard/your file.ogg /system/media/audio/notifications/message.ogg




chmod 644 /system/media/audio/notifications/message.ogg




reboot

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Before executing commands, back up the original file with the adb pull command. /system/media/audio/notifications/message.ogg message_backup.ogg.

Method 2: Using Magisk modules

For devices with an unlocked bootloader and Magisk installed, you can use modules like ViPER4Android or Audio Modification Library.

• 🔊 Set up an equalizer for notifications.
• 🎛️ Change the volume of the SMS separately from other sounds.
• 🔄 Applying user sound profiles.

Installation:

1. Download the module in.zip format (for example, from the XDA Developers forum).
2. Open Magisk Manager → Modules → Install from storage.
3. Select the downloaded file and wait for the reboot.

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Changing system files can cause MIUI to crash. Before experimenting, make sure you have a backup of the data and the ability to roll back the changes.

7. Frequent questions and answers