How to increase sound on Xiaomi Redmi 9: from basic settings to hidden features

Xiaomi Redmi 9 is one of the most popular budget smartphones, but many users face the problem of quiet sound, especially when listening to music through speakers, talking on speakerphones or watching videos without headphones. In this article, we will explore all possible ways to increase the volume, from standard settings to hidden functions of the engineering menu and third-party utilities.

It's important to understand that the Redmi 9's volume limits are not just set by the manufacturer: too high a sound level can damage the speakers or impair the quality of playback. But if you're sure your smartphone can do more, follow our recommendations. We'll also tell you how to avoid distortion and wheezing when you turn up the volume, and warn you against dangerous methods that can bring the device down.

This article will suit all Redmi 9 versions (including Redmi 9A, Redmi 9C, Redmi 9T) because they are built on a similar hardware platform, and if after applying all the tips, the sound remains quiet, it may be a problem with hardware malfunction of the speakers or headphone jack.

1. Basic volume settings in MIUI

Before you resort to radical measures, check the standard sound parameters in the system. Often users simply do not know where the right regulators are.

Open Settings → Sound and vibration. Here you will find a few key options:

• 🔊 Media volume: regulates sound in games, music and video. Make sure the slider is pushed to the right.
• 📞 Call volume - affects call and notification melodies. On Redmi 9, this setting is often reset after updates.
• 🎧 Headphone volume is a separate regulator for wired and wireless headsets. If the sound is quiet only in headphones, check this item.
• 🔇 Don’t disturb – make sure this mode is turned off or the sound will be muted.

Note the Adaptive Sound option (if your version of MIUI has one), which automatically adjusts the volume to the ambient noise, but sometimes it doesn't work properly. Try turning it off and check if the sound is louder.

⚠️ Warning: If after changing the settings, the sound is completely lost - restart the smartphone. On Redmi 9, sometimes there is a software failure of audio drivers, which is solved by restarting the system.

2.Use of volume buttons and quick settings

The most obvious, but often ignored, way is by using physical volume buttons on the sidebar of your smartphone, which can be used in two modes on Redmi 9:

• 🔈 Sound mode – pressing buttons changes media volume (by default).
• 🔔 Call mode - buttons adjust the volume of calls. Switches in the notification curtain (bell icon).

To quickly switch between modes, swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar. Here you will see a volume slider — click on the arrow to the right of it to deploy additional settings. In some versions of MIUI, you can also turn on bass amplification or the surround effect, which indirectly increases the perceived volume.

If the volume buttons don’t respond, check if they are locked in the availability settings (Settings → Special Options → Volume buttons). Also on Redmi 9, cleaning the Settings app cache (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Settings → Clear cache sometimes helps.

3. Engineering menu: hidden sound settings

The Xiaomi Redmi 9 has a hidden engineering menu where you can manually increase the maximum volume of speakers and microphone. Be careful: incorrect settings can lead to distortion of the sound or damage to the speakers.

To open the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##4636###.
3. Select Hardware Testing (Equipment Testing).
4. Go to Audio (audio).

Here you'll see some tabs with settings. We're interested in:

• 🔊 Speaker is the volume of the main speaker. Check the Max Vol. The default is usually 150 or 160, you can increase it to 180 (but not higher!).
• 📞 Earpiece - Speaker volume (for calls) Maximum safe value - 170.
• 🎤 Mic is the sensitivity of the microphone, and increasing this will improve the audibility of your voice to the other person.

When you change your settings, press Set and restart your smartphone. If the sound gets distorted or wheezing, return the settings.

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi 9 firmware may not have an engineering menu or be blocked. If ##4636### doesn't work, try ##36446337## (for MediaTek processors.

4.Applicants for sound amplification

If standard methods don't work, you can use third-party utilities, and they work in different ways: some just increase the amplitude of the sound signal, others optimize the frequency range for better audibility.

The best apps for Redmi 9:

• 🎛️ Volume Booster is a simple volume booster with presets for music, video and calls. It doesn't require root rights.
• 🔊 Equalizer FX — It evenly distributes frequencies, which subjectively increases the volume.
• 🎧 ViPER4Android — A powerful audio processor with surround effects, requires root or Magisk to work properly.
• 📱 SoundAssistant (from Samsung, but runs on Xiaomi) – allows you to separate volume control for different types of sounds.

Check reviews before installing – some applications may conflict with MIUI. Also, pay attention to permissions: if the utility requests access to contacts or SMS, it is suspicious (such rights are not necessary for working with sound).

Example of setting up Equalizer FX for maximum volume:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and select the Bass Boost or Loudness preset.
3. Activate the audio effects option for all applications.
4. In manual mode, lift the sliders at 100 Hz and 1 kHz at 3-5 dB.

⚠️ Attention: Boost apps can significantly reduce the battery life of the Redmi 9, as the amplification of sound increases the load on the processor.

Make sure the speakers are clean (dust reduces volume)

Check if the energy saving mode is on.

Make a backup copy of the sound settings

Read reviews about the app (especially about compatibility with the app) MIUI)-->

5. Cleaning speakers and checking hardware problems

If the sound suddenly became quiet, the problem could be mechanical. On the Redmi 9, the speakers are located at the bottom of the body and are often clogged with dust or villi from the pocket.

• 🧹 Use a soft brush (for example, for drawing) or compressed air (a balloon!
• 🔊 Check the sound at maximum volume – if you hear wheezing or distortion, it is possible that the speaker is damaged.
• 🎧 Connect headphones – if the sound in them is normal, the problem is precisely in the speakers of the smartphone.

Also check:

• 🔌 Headphone jack – if it got dirt, the smartphone can mistakenly determine the connection of the headset and turn off the main speakers.
• 🛠️ Density of the back cover – if the body is loose (for example, after replacing the battery), this can affect the speaker resonator.
• 🔋 Energy saving mode - in some firmware MIUI It limits the power of the audio system.

If the sound has not improved after cleaning, try resetting the sound settings to factory:

1. Go to Settings → System and device → Resetting.
2. Select Resetting Sound Settings (not a full reset!).
3. Confirm the action and restart the smartphone.

6.Alternative methods: from Magisk to speaker replacement

If none of these things work, there are radical measures that require technical skills or intervention.

For advanced users:

• 🔧 Installation of Magisk and Audio Modification Library module – allows you to fine-tune the audio track, but requires unlocking the bootloader.
• 📱 Custom core firmware (e.g., FrancoKernel) with improved sound support. Risky for beginners!
• 🔊 Replacement of speakers – Redmi 9 is a relatively inexpensive procedure (from 500 rubles in service centers).

If you are not willing to take risks:

• 🎧 Buy an external Bluetooth speaker – even budget models sound louder than the built-in ones.
• 🔊 Use portrait mode when watching a video – the sound in this case is directed directly at the user.
• 📱 Check your smartphone at the service center – it may be the problem with the speaker or audio chip contacts.

On Redmi 9 with MIUI 12.5 firmware and later, there is an undocumented Dynamic Sound feature that automatically increases the volume in noisy conditions. To activate it, type the command setprop persist.audio.fluence.speaker true into the engineering menu.

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Before visiting the service center, back up your data via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. wizards often reset the device to factory settings for diagnosis.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Many Redmi 9 users make the same mistakes when trying to turn up the volume.

• ❌ Set maximum values in the engineering menu without testing (risk of burning the speaker).
• ❌ Use booster apps with questionable permissions (may contain viruses).
• ❌ Clean speakers with a needle or toothpick (damage the membrane).
• ❌ Update firmware through unofficial sources in the hope of "better sound" (brick risk).

Also avoid:

• 🔋 Battery discharge below 15% when listening to music at maximum volume – this creates a peak load on the power controller.
• 🎧 Headphone connections with impedance below 16 ohms – the smartphone is not designed for such a load.
• 🔊 Prolonged playback at maximum volume in enclosed spaces (such as in a pocket) – this leads to overheating.

If the sound is still quiet after all the manipulations, but the speakers are clean and serviceable, it may be a problem with the hardware limitations of the Redmi 9. This model is equipped with small speakers with a power of only 0.8 watts, which objectively limits the maximum volume.

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The safest ways to increase sound on Redmi 9 is to clean the speakers, adjust the equalizer and use certified applications.

Frequently asked questions