Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where during an incoming or outgoing call, the device begins to say a subscriber’s name or phone number.This feature, known as “voicing the name of a calling subscriber”, can be useful when hands are busy, but in silence or when talking in the presence of other people, it becomes extremely uncomfortable.
The developers of the MIUI and HyperOS shell have envisioned several scenarios in which the phone emits sounds or voice notifications. Understanding the differences between system voice calls, TalkBack for the visually impaired, and automatic hands-free will allow you to quickly solve the problem. In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible causes and ways to eliminate them.
Before we get to the tricky side of things, it's worth checking the basic settings of the Phone app, and that's where the switch that activates voice incoming connections is most often hidden, and we'll look at the step-by-step algorithms for different firmware versions so you can find the menu item you want regardless of your gadget's model.
Disabling voiceover of the name of the caller in the application Phone
The most common reason a smartphone says a name or number is because of the settings of a standard call app, which is built directly into the Dialer and doesn't depend on the system's audio settings, and to turn it off, you need to open the Phone app and find a menu button that usually looks like three dots or a gear in the corner of the screen.
After you enter the menu, select Settings, where the interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the logic remains the same. You need to find the section related to incoming calls or directly to voiceover. In some versions of the firmware, this option is displayed in a separate menu "Extended settings".
Find a switch called Caller Name Voice Alert or Call Voice Alert. If the switch is active (blue or green), just press it to deactivate the function. Now, when a call comes in, the phone will only vibrate or ring without saying any extra information.
- 📱 Open the phone application on the main screen.
- ⚙️ Click on the menu icon (three dots) and go to Settings.
- 🔊 Find the item Voice the name of the caller and turn it off.
Importantly, some global firmware versions may have slightly different paths, so if you didn't find this item right away, try searching inside your phone's settings by typing in the word "voicing" or "name," which will help you localize the switch in the back of the menu more quickly.
☑️ Checking call settings
Managing TalkBack and Special Opportunities
So it's really different if your smartphone doesn't just name the caller, it starts reading everything that's going on on the screen, it starts commenting on the buttons and requires a double tap to activate the elements, and it's a sign of TalkBack, a visually impaired screen reader, and the random inclusion of this feature is a common cause of panic among users who don't understand how to operate the blocked interface.
If you encounter this behavior, the first thing you need to do is try to turn off the function with a combination of buttons. Most Xiaomi devices use the method of pressing both volume buttons ("Up" and "Down") simultaneously for 3-5 seconds. If the function was activated accidentally, this action should deactivate it.
⚠️ Attention: If TalkBack is already on, the usual touchscreen control changes. Single tap now highlights the element, and activation requires you to press twice.
If the button combination doesn't work, you'll have to go through the settings menu, and you'll need to go to Advanced Settings or Special Opportunities, and be prepared to be hampered by the changed interface logic, and find TalkBack and turn the switch to Off.
Sometimes users confuse voice calls with the work of Google Assistant or Xiaomi. Make sure you do not activate the Voice Results feature in the Google Assistant settings if the phone starts talking immediately after removing the handset or when voice search is activated.
How to quickly exit TalkBack mode without a menu?
Setting up the speakerphone and proximity sensor
Another common problem that users describe as "voice-taking" is automatically turning on the hands-free speaker during a conversation, often when the phone doesn't feel like you've brought it to your ear, and that's caused by a proximity sensor located at the top of the screen, usually next to the speaker.
If you have a low-quality protective film on the screen that covers the sensor, or if there is dust in the speaker area, the smartphone can "think" that it is lying on the table and turn on the speaker for speakerphone, and as a result, your interlocutor hears himself in an echo chamber, and you can't speak normally with the phone to your ear.
To solve this problem, try gently wipe the top of your smartphone with a soft cloth. If you use a tight protective glass, make sure it has notches for sensors or is made of materials that do not distort the operation of the infrared sensor. In some cases, calibrating the sensor through an engineering menu helps.
To check the sensor, you can use an engineering test. In the Phone app, dial ##6484##. In the menu that opens, select Proximity Sensor. Close and open the top of the screen with your hand: the values should change from 5.0 to 0.0. If there is no change, the sensor is locked or defective.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Phone calls a name | Option in the annex included | Disable in call settings |
| The voice reads the whole screen. | TalkBack activated | Press the volume buttons |
| Speaking up. | Contaminated sensor | Wipe the top of the screen. |
| The interviewer can't hear. | Mischoice of microphone | Switch the sound source |
Disabling sound effects and voice acting
In addition to voice, Xiaomi has a variety of sound effects that can annoy users, including dialing sounds, keyboard clicks, and voice acting in the system. Although it’s not exactly a “talk,” these sounds are often perceived as unnecessary background noise during communication.
To remove dialing sounds, go to the phone app settings and find "Dialing sounds." If you turn it off, you'll stop hearing dialing beeps when you press numbers, which is especially true if you dial often in silence.
Also worth checking is the "Sounds and Vibrations" section in the general system settings, which contains the "Screen Lock Sound," "Unlock Sound" and "Control Sounds," which will remove the audio response of the interface, making smartphone use quieter and more professional.
Special attention should be paid to the function “Password voice” if your phone is saying numbers when you enter the unlock code or PIN-SIM card code, this could be an accessibility function. Check the settings in the "Special Opportunities" section» -> «Improve hearing and make sure the voice-over password option is turned off.
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Use Do Not Disturb during important meetings, which not only blocks calls, but also prevents any audible notifications, including voiceovers, if they are accidentally activated.
Third-party applications and software conflicts
If standard settings didn't work, it could be a third-party app that's the source of the problem, and certain call programs, number detectors, or even memory cleaners can intercept audio stream control, especially with applications like Truecaller or various call recorders.
Analyze when the problem occurred. If the phone starts to behave strangely after installing the new software, try removing the newly installed apps. Pay special attention to programs that have access to the microphone and contacts.
In some cases, the conflict arises from system updates: after a major MIUI update, the sound settings may reset or, conversely, new functions will be activated by default, in which case you should manually recheck all the items described in the previous sections.
⚠️ Warning: Be wary of apps that promise to "enhance sound" or "enhance speaker." Often they implement their audio drivers, which may conflict with the voiceover system settings.
To diagnose, you can run your smartphone in Safe Mode, which only downloads system applications, and if you're missing your voiceover in Safe Mode, it's one of the apps you installed that's to blame, and you're just restarting your device to get out of Safe Mode.
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If the problem disappears in safe mode, the third-party app is to blame.
Resetting and radical measures
When software failures become critical and none of the above methods work, the option is to reset settings. It's not necessarily a complete factory reset with data loss. First of all, try resetting only the application settings.
Go to Settings -> Apps -> All Apps. Find the Phone app (or Calls) in the list. Click on it and select the Clean option. It's important to choose Clear (or Reset) rather than just Clear Cache, which will return the call settings to factory settings, removing your preferences, but save your contacts and call history.
If that didn't work, you can try resetting all your phone settings. Before you do that, make sure to back up your data in the cloud or on your computer. Go to Settings -> About -> Reset -> Erase all data. This is guaranteed to eliminate any software glitches, including incorrect voiceover.
In rare cases, the problem may be hardware in nature: If the speaker makes a crack, wheezing or distorts the voice beyond recognition even after the reset, the dynamic emitter or plume itself may be damaged, in which case the software methods are powerless, and a visit to the service center will be required.