Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face a situation when the device begins to loudly pronounce the subscriber’s name or phone number. This feature, designed to help drivers or people with visual impairment, in domestic conditions can cause discomfort, embarrassment on public transport or simply annoyance. MIUI or the new HyperOS settings of this option can be scattered on different menus or hidden in system applications.
There are several main reasons why your phone suddenly "talks." Most often it's the result of accidentally turning on the "Pronounce Caller Name" feature in the settings of the Phone app itself. However, sometimes it's the responsibility of third-party assistants like Google Assistant or accessibility services. In this article, we'll take a look at all possible scenarios and show you exactly where to look for switches to return silence to your calls.
Before we make any changes, it’s important to understand that the interface may vary slightly depending on the Android version and regional firmware. We’ll look at the universal paths that are relevant to most current models. If one method doesn’t work, be sure to try the next one, as the depth of nested settings can vary.
Settings of the built-in application "Phone"
The most likely source of the problem lies in the native call app that is pre-installed on your device. Depending on the region, Xiaomi smartphones can use Google's dialer or its own developer MIUI. This is where the primary switch responsible for speech synthesis on incoming calls is located.
To find this setting, open the Phone app (green handset) and click three dots in the top right corner of the screen. In the drop-down menu, select Settings. Next, scroll down to Incoming Calls. Here you should find an option called "Pronounce Caller Name" or "Voice Alert." Make sure the slider next to it is inactive.
In some firmware versions, this feature may be tied to In-Car mode. If the "Pronounce Name" option is only active in a certain mode, check your profile settings. Also pay attention to the Phone version of the Play Market or GetApps app - sometimes bugs in updated versions can reset default settings.
☑️ Checking the call settings
If you use Google Dialer, the path may be slightly different. You need to go to Settings → Voice Commands (or something else). There may also be a voice-activating switch. Remember that changes take effect instantly, no additional reboot is usually required.
Managing Google's Voice Assistant
Often users forget that the activated Google Assistant has its own priorities and can intercept the management of audio notifications. In the Android system, there is a feature called "Personal Results", which allows the assistant to voice information from the screen, including contact names, even if it is disabled in the call itself.
To disable this feature, open the Google app on your smartphone. Click on the profile avatar in the upper right corner and select "Settings." Then go to "Google Assistant" and find the "Phone" subsection. You need to deactivate the "Personal Results" option or specifically prevent the assistant from voice incoming calls.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling voice assistant may affect other features such as smart home management or voice dialing.Be careful when deactivating Google services completely.
Also worth checking is the Google Assistant's "Driver Mode" settings, if this mode is enabled automatically when you connect to your car's Bluetooth or Wi-Fi network, it can force the voiceover of contacts for safety. Check the script settings in the Google Home app or in the assistant itself.
Why Google Assistant ignores phone settings
Special features and TalkBack
One of the hidden reasons for intrusive voice acting may be accessibility features enabled. Android is designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities, and tools like TalkBack or Choice for Voice can be activated randomly, such as by triple tapping a screen or volume buttons.
Check the Accessibility section. Find TalkBack or Screen Narrator. If the switch status is On, the phone will voice all actions, including incoming calls.
Also, the same section may contain the "Audibility Improvement" or "Sound Amplifier" feature, which sometimes have their own voice processing algorithms. Make sure that no third-party accessibility plugins have permission to read the screen or control the phone.
| Function | Location on the menu | Impact on calls | How to turn off |
|---|---|---|---|
| TalkBack | Special opportunities | It's the whole interface. | Double press + swipe or volume buttons |
| Choice for voiceover | Special opportunities | Voices highlighted text | Disable the Quick Settings menu |
| Google Assistant | Google settings | Can read the caller's name. | Settings of the Assistant → Phone |
| Notifications to Xiaomi | Silent mode | Voice notifications in your pocket | Settings → Sound and vibration |
Third-party applications and voice recorders
Don't discount third-party software. Many users install alternative calls, number identifiers, or voice recorders that have their own voice settings. Popular apps like Truecaller, Call Recorder, or various Smart Determiners often request permission to access contacts and calls.
Go to the settings of each installed application related to telephony.Look for the "Voice", "Speech", "Alerts" or "TTS" sections. Especially carefully check the applications from Xiaomi, such as "Dictophon" or "Security", which may have the functions of recording conversations with voice confirmation of the start of recording.
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If you've recently installed a new app for calling or recording conversations, try removing it and checking if the voiceover is missing, which will help quickly identify the culprit.
Also, some Themes downloaded from the MIUI theme store may contain modified sounds and scripts that cause non-standard system behavior. Try temporarily switching to the standard theme "Classic" or "Default" to rule out this factor.
System settings TTS and speech synthesis
Voice support in Android is handled by the speech synthesis engine (TTS) and Xiaomi smartphones use Google Speech Synthesis by default, but it can be replaced by Xiaomi TTS or third-party engines like RHVoice, which can cause voice failures.
Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Language and input. Find “Text-to-speech output.” Click on the gear next to the selected engine. You can reset the engine settings to standard or clear the cache. You can also try switching the engine from Google to Xiaomi (or vice versa) if there are several of them in the list.
The same menu also offers a speed and pitch setting, and sometimes users accidentally set the top speed, making the voiceover sound like a strange squeak that's hard to identify as a system message, and resetting TTS to factory settings often solves the problem of "snatching" voice.
⚠️ Note: When you change the speech synthesis engine, some applications may stop sounding the text correctly or start using a robotic voice.
Specificity of work in Bluetooth mode and headsets
Special attention should be paid to the situation when voice contact appears only when connected Bluetooth headset or in the car. Bluetooth Protocol HFP (Hands-Free Profile) has its own settings for the transmission of audio instructions. The phone can think that you are driving, and automatically turn on the "In the car" mode.
Check your Bluetooth device settings. Click on the gear next to your headset name in the list of paired devices. If there's an option called "Incoming Calls" or "Audio," try turning it off and turning it back on. There may be a separate "In-car Mode" option in the call settings that's worth checking.
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Voiceover only with a connected headset is most often a setup of the Bluetooth device itself or an In-car profile, rather than a global smartphone setup.
In some cases, it helps to forget the device (remove from the list of paired) and create a pair again, which resets the profile of settings and removes possible protocol conflicts that may have arisen after updating the phone's firmware.