How to Set a Melody on a Call on Xiaomi: All Ways for MIUI 14 and 15

Why can’t Xiaomi just copy MP3s to Ringtones?

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a paradoxical situation: the files of tunes are in the memory of the phone, but do not appear in the list of ringtones. MIUI, It blocks access to system folders without explicit permission, even if you download it. MP3-file and put it in /Ringtones through the file manager, the system will ignore it - it is not a bug, but a feature of the shell.

The second nuance is file formats. MIUI does not support all audio codecs: for example,.flac or.wav may not play as ringtones, although they are played in the player. The optimal option is.mp3 or.m4a with a bitrate of up to 192 kbit / s. The length of the track also matters: if the melody is longer than 30 seconds, the system can crop it automatically.

Finally, on Xiaomi with global firmware (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Global) and Chinese (Xiaomi 13 Pro CN), the ringtone installation algorithms differ. The Chinese versions of MIUI often lack a built-in tune editor, and global firmware can restrict access to system folders through adb. We will look at universal methods that work on 90% of Xiaomi, POCO and Black Shark devices.

Method 1: Installation via standard MIUI menu

The easiest method is to use built-in shell tools, which is suitable for most models on MIUI 14/15, but has a limitation: you can only select files that are already in the media gallery.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Settings app → Sounds and vibrations.
• 🔔 Select the Call Melody (or the Notification Sound if you need to change the signal) SMS).
• 🎵 Click Local Melodies (bottom of the list of standard ringtones).
• 📁 Select an audio file from the suggested ones (if not, see Method 2).

If the track is not on the list, check:

• 🔍 The file must be in the Music, Ringtones, or Notifications folders (create them manually if not).
• 🔄 After adding the file, restart the phone — MIUI It scans multimedia only when it is launched.
• 🚫 Make sure the file is not hidden (the name does not start with a dot, for example.my_ringtone.mp3).

Format MP3 or M4A|Length to 30 seconds|File in a folder Music/Ringtones|There are no hidden symbols in the name.|Bitrate no higher 192 quid-->

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Pro) in MIUI 15 no Local Melodies option. In this case, use Method 3 or 4.

Method 2: Use a file manager with root rights (no root!)

If the standard method didn’t work, try to trick the system through the File Manager (or Mi File Explorer) that you don’t need root access, just place the file correctly.

Algorithm:

1. Download or transfer to the phone MP3-file (for example, via Telegram or Google Drive).
2. Open the Files app → go to Internal Memory.
3. Create a Ringtones folder (if not) at the root of the memory.
4. Move your file there and rename it to the Latin alphabet (e.g. ringtone.mp3).
5. Reboot the phone.

After the reboot, the file should appear in the local tune list. If not, check:

• 📌 Ringtones folder should be at the root of memory, not inside Download or MIUI.
• 🔧 Folder Rights: Open the folder properties in the file manager and make sure it has read permission.
• 🔄 Try moving the file to the Music folder - sometimes MIUI scans her more actively.

💡

If the file doesn't appear, try playing it in a standard Mi Music player, and then MIUI will add it to the media base and the ringtone will be available.

Method 3: Applications for installing ringtones (without root)

If manual methods don't work, use third-party utilities that bypass MIUI limitations, creating a bridge between your files and system settings.

• 🎵 Ringtone Maker — allows you to crop tracks and set them as a call/notification. POCO F5 s MIUI 15.
• 🔊 Zedge – a catalog of free ringtones with the ability to export to system folders.
• 📱 Files by Google is an alternative file manager that sometimes “sees” files better than the standard file manager.

Instructions for Ringtone Maker:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Select an audio file from your phone’s memory.
3. Cut the track (optional) and click Save as → Call Melody.
4. The application will automatically place the file in the correct folder and update the media base.

The advantage of this method is that you don't have to reboot your phone, and the Ringtone Maker shows all the audio files on your device, even those that the standard manager doesn't see.

⚠️ Note: Some apps (e.g. Zedge) request access to contacts and storage. Denie access to contacts - it is not needed to install ringtones.

Standard menu MIUI|File manager|Third-party annexes|ADB-team|I don't set up custom.-->

Method 4: ADB-Teams for Advanced Users

If nothing works, it's ADB debugging, which works on 100 percent of Xiaomi devices, but requires a computer and minimal technical skills.

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Google Platform Tools (download from official website).

Steps:

1. Turn on the developer mode on your phone: go to Settings → About phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect the phone to your computer and confirm the trusted device.
4. Open the command line in the folder with Platform Tools and type:

adb devices

(The name of your device should appear.)

adb shell mkdir /sdcard/Ringtones


adb push C:\path\to\your\ringtone.mp3 /sdcard/Ringtones/




adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MEDIA_SCANNER_SCAN_FILE -d file:///sdcard/Ringtones/ringtone.mp3

After you execute the commands, restart the phone. The file will appear in the list of ringtones.

Method 5: Bypassing restrictions via TWRP (for embroidered phones)

If your Xiaomi has an unlocked bootloader and custom recovery (TWRP) installed, you can manually prescribe the path to the ringtone in system files, a risky method, but one that gives you complete control.

Instructions:

1. Download the ringtone file and rename it to miui_ringtone.mp3.
2. Move him to the SD-card.
3. Download to TWRP (hold Power + Vol Up when enabled).
4. Go to Advanced → File Manager.
5. Find /system/media/audio/ringtones and copy your file.
6. Set the license 644 (rw-r-----).
7. Reboot to the system.

Now your tune will be on the system ringtones list and will not disappear after the updates.

⚠️ Note: Modifying system files through TWRP It can lead to a bootloop or a reset. Always backup through TWRP → Backup before editing /system.

💡

Use it. TWRP It's a method that breaks the integrity of the system and can cause problems with the system. OTA-update.

Problem Solving: The ringtone is not installed or played

If after all the manipulations the melody is not played or displayed in the settings, check these points:

If the problem persists, try resetting the sound settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the settings (app with the gear icon).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
4. Reboot the phone.

On some models (such as Xiaomi 12S Ultra), after resetting the audio settings, all custom ringtones disappear. To avoid this, copy the Ringtones folder to your computer before reset.

FAQ: Frequent questions about ringtones on Xiaomi