How to increase volume on Xiaomi through the engineering menu: safe ways

If the standard loudspeaker volume on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO is poor, don’t rush to buy external speakers or headphones. In most cases, the problem can be solved software-based through an engineering menu (Engineer Mode), hidden from ordinary users. This method allows you to increase the volume by 20-30% without physical modifications of the device, but requires caution: improper settings can lead to distortion of the sound or even damage to the speakers.

In this article, we will learn how to safely log into the engineering menu on different Xiaomi models, what parameters are responsible for volume, and how to adjust them without risk. Also, you will learn which models support this feature and which are better to use alternative methods. Importantly, the manual is suitable for devices based on MIUI (including global and Chinese versions), but may not work on custom firmware such as LineageOS or Pixel Experience.

Before you start, check if your case blocks the warranty. In most countries, self-change through the engineering menu is not considered a violation of warranty obligations, but some service centers may use this as an excuse to refuse repairs. If in doubt, first check with the official representative of Xiaomi in your region.

What is an engineering menu and why is it hidden?

The Engineering Menu (or Engineer Mode) is an Android service section designed to test the hardware components of a smartphone, which includes tools to diagnose the display, battery, camera, speakers and other modules, and manufacturers including Xiaomi are hiding it from users for several reasons:

• 🔧 Risk of damage to the device: Incorrect settings can disable speakers, microphone or even motherboard.
• 📉 Violation of certification standards: Volume increase above factory limits may lead to exceeding acceptable sound pressure levels (e.g., standard) EN 50332 for the European Union).
• 🔄 Change of parameters without understanding of consequences can cause failures in the audio system.

However, the engineering menu remains the only way to legally increase volume without root rights or third-party apps that often contain malicious code, and it is important to understand that changes made through this menu are retained even after a device is restarted, but are reset to factory when completely reset (Wipe Data).

On Xiaomi smartphones, the engineering menu is implemented on the basis of the MTK Engineer Mode (for MediaTek chips) or Qualcomm Engineer Mode (for Snapdragon). The menu functionality may vary slightly depending on the processor, but the overall logic of the volume setting remains the same. For example, on the Redmi Note 10 Pro (Snapdragon 732G) and POCO M3 (Snapdragon 662), the path to audio settings will be identical.

How to log into the engineering menu on Xiaomi: 3 working ways

There are several ways to open the engineering menu on Xiaomi smartphones, and we’ll look at the three most reliable ones that work on most models released after 2018. If none of the methods worked, your firmware probably blocked access (often found on Chinese versions of MIUI for the domestic market).

Method 1: Through the dialing code (the simplest)

This is a universal method that works on 90% of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices:

1. Open the phone (calling) application.
2. Enter the combination: ##36446337## (or #4636## for older models).
3. The Engineering Mode menu will appear on the screen.

If the code doesn’t work, try alternatives:

• #4636## is a universal code for Android.
• #36446337## for MediaTek chips
• #808### for some POCO models

Method 2: Using the Testing app (for MIUI 12 and later)

Starting with MIUI 12, Xiaomi has added a hidden diagnostic app that duplicates some of the features of the engineering menu:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click on the MIUI version 5 times in a row until the message “You are a developer” appears.
3. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional → for developers.
4. Activate the Equipment Testing option.
5. The app menu will feature the Testing (or Hardware Test) icon.

Method 3: Through ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods don't work, you can try opening the engineering menu through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the smartphone to your computer:

adb shell am start -n com.android.settings/.EngineeringMode

If the command didn’t work, try an alternative for MediaTek chips:

adb shell am start -n com.mediatek.engineermode/.EngineerMode

Make a backup copy of the data

Battery charge > 50%

Close all background applications

Prepare headphones for sound testing-->

Step-by-step: how to increase the volume in the engineering menu

After successfully entering the engineering menu, you need to find the audio settings section. Depending on the Xiaomi model, the path may vary slightly, but the general logic remains. We will look at the process with the example of a smartphone with a MediaTek chip (for example, Redmi 9A or POCO C31), as they are the most common.

Step 1: Go to the Audio Settings section

In the main menu of Engineer Mode, do the following:

1. Select the Hardware Testing tab (or MTK Settings for MediaTek).
2. Scroll down and find the Audio section.
3. Open the Normal Mode submenu (or Speaker for speakers).

Step 2: Set up the volume levels

Here you will see several parameters responsible for different scenarios of sound reproduction:

• Media – volume of multimedia (music, video, games).
• Ring is the volume of the call.
• Sip – the volume of VoIP calls (for example, in WhatsApp or Telegram).
• Mic is the sensitivity of the microphone.

To increase the volume of the speakers, we are interested in Media and Ring parameters. Click on the desired item - a window with a slider or a numerical value (usually from 0 to 160) will open.

Step 3: Value adjustment

Factory settings usually limit the maximum value to 128-140. You can increase it to 150-155, but it is not recommended to put 160 - this can cause sound distortion or damage to the speakers.

After changing the values, click Set or Apply to save the settings. Then check the sound by playing an audio file with different frequency characteristics (for example, test tracks on YouTube at 50 Hz, 1 kHz and 10 kHz).

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If you start wheezing at high frequencies after you turn up, reduce your volume by 5-10 units, which is a sign that the speaker is working at the limit of its capabilities.

Xiaomi models that use this method

Not all Xiaomi smartphones support volume change through the engineering menu. Below is a list of proven models that work consistently. If your model is not on the list, it doesn't mean that it won't work, but the risk of incompatibility is higher.

Supported models (MediaTek chips)

• 📱 Redmi 9A, 9C, 9T (Helio G25/G35)
• 📱 Redmi 10A, 10C (Helio G25)
• 📱 POCO C31, C40 (Helio G35)
• 📱 Redmi Note 8, Note 9 (Helio G85/G90T)
• 📱 POCO M3, M4 Pro (Helio G80/G96)

Supported models (Snapdragon chips)

• 📱 Redmi Note 10 Pro, Note 11 Pro (Snapdragon 732G/695)
• 📱 POCO X3 Pro, X4 Pro (Snapdragon 860/695)
• 📱 Mi 10T, Mi 11 Lite (Snapdragon 865/732G)
• 📱 Redmi K40, K50 (Snapdragon 870/8 Gen 1)

On models with Snapdragon 888/8 Gen 1/2 chips (e.g. Xiaomi 12/13, POCO F4 GT), the engineering menu can be blocked at the firmware level, in which case the alternative would be the use of Magisk modules (requires root rights) or applications like ViPER4Android.

Risks and possible problems after volume change

Turning up the volume through the engineering menu is not a harmless procedure, and it can lead to a number of problems, especially if you exceed the recommended values.

• 🔊 Distortion of sound at high frequencies (wheezing, crackling).
• 🔋 Increased battery consumption due to increased load on the audio chip.
• 🔥 Overheating of speakers during prolonged reproduction.
• 🚫 Automatic volume limiting system after update MIUI.

The biggest problem is speaker damage, and if you set a value above 155 for the Media parameter, the speaker membrane can be warped by the excessive amplitude of the oscillations, especially in low-end models (Redmi 9A, POCO C31), which use cheap speakers without overload protection.

⚠️ Warning: If the speaker starts to "hritter" even at medium volume after changing the settings, immediately return the factory values and do not use the device to play the sound for 24 hours.

Another potential problem is resetting after the upgrade: With major MIUI updates (e.g., 13 to 14), the engineering menu can reset all user settings to factory settings, so to avoid this, take a snapshot of the current values or write in a notebook.

Alternative ways to increase volume on Xiaomi

If the engineering menu isn't available or you don't want to take risks, there are several alternative methods to turn up the volume on Xiaomi.

Method 1: Use of an equalizer (Equalizer)

The equalizer built into MIUI allows you to amplify certain frequencies, which subjectively increases the volume:

1. Open Settings → Sound and vibration → Equalizer
2. Select the preset Custom (User).
3. Raise the sliders at 100Hz, 1kHz and 10kHz frequencies by 3-5dB.
4. Activate the Adaptive Sound option if available.

Method 2: Applications for sound amplification

There are several apps on Google Play that can increase volume without root rights:

• 🎵 Volume Booster GOODEV — simple booster with presettings.
• 🎵 Precise Volume – allows you to fine-tune volume levels.
• 🎵 Wavelet - advanced equalizer with support ViPER4Android.

⚠️ Note: Some audio amplification applications (such as Super Volume Booster) request permissions to access notifications or SMS. This could be a sign of malware. Install only programs with a rating above 4.5 and downloads of 1 million or more.

Method 3: Magnets and external amplifiers (for speakers)

If the problem is weak speakers, you can improve the sound physically:

• 🧲 Attach a neodymium magnet to the back cover (will strengthen the bass on the 10-15%).
• 🔊 Use a Bluetooth amplifier (e.g. Xiaomi Mi Compact Bluetooth Speaker 2).
• 🎧 Connect an external DAC (digital-to-analog converter) through USB-C.

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An engineering menu is the most effective way to increase volume, but if you’re not sure what you’re doing, it’s best to use alternative methods (equalizer or apps).

Frequently asked questions