Are you tired of the standard ringtone on your Xiaomi and want to install something more original? Or maybe your Redmi Note 12 smartphone suddenly stopped playing ringtone and didn’t change anything in the settings? In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to replace the ringtone, from basic to hidden MIUI features, which are not known to all users.
The procedure seems simple, but in practice many people are faced with nuances: somewhere the “Apply” button is inactive, somewhere the system does not see the downloaded files, and in some MIUI firmware, the sound menu is hidden in an unexpected place. We tested the instructions on models from Xiaomi Mi 11 to POCO X6 Pro and collected current solutions for 2026, including bypassing the system’s limitations.
We will pay special attention to the problems that arise after the updates: why the user ringtones disappeared, how to return factory tunes if they disappeared from the list, and what to do if the phone does not save the selected melody after the reboot.
1. Standard method: through MIUI settings
This is the most obvious and quick method that works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI 12-14 firmware. Even if you are a beginner, you can cope in 1-2 minutes.
Open the Settings app (the gear icon on your desktop) and go to the Sounds and Vibrations section. Here you are interested in the Melody of a Call. The system will suggest you to choose from pre-installed options — usually 8-12 pieces depending on the model. But if you want your own tune, click on the Local Melodies button at the bottom of the screen.
MP3, M4A or OGG file (WAV not supported)
Duration not exceeding 30 seconds (otherwise it will be cut automatically)
The file is copied to the Ringtones folder on internal memory
File name without Cyrillic and special characters-->
If there is no Local Melodies button, don't panic. In some versions of MIUI (e.g. Xiaomi 13T), this item is hidden behind an additional menu. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen with the tunes and select Add Local Melody. The system automatically scans the Ringtones, Notifications and Alarms folders on internal memory.
⚠️ Note: If you downloaded a tune through a browser, it is likely in the Download folder. Move the file to Ringtones manually through any file manager (for example, Mi File Manager), otherwise the system will not see it.
2. How to install your ringtone through file manager
This is a good way to do it if the standard method didn't work, or if you want to organize your tunes into folders, for example, separately for calls, notifications and alarms, the downside is that you have to manually create folders, but then you can quickly switch between hundreds of tunes.
Use the built-in Mi File Manager (or any other, such as Solid Explorer). Go to the root directory of internal memory and create a folder called Ringtones (registration is important!). There copy all the files you want to use as ringtones. For notifications and alarms, create separate Notifications and Alarms folders, respectively.
- 📁 Ringtones – ringing melodies (max. duration 30 seconds)
- 🔔 Notifications – Notifications (max. 5 seconds)
- ⏰ Alarms – alarm clock signals (max. 1 min)
After copying the files, reboot your smartphone — that's a must, otherwise the system won't update the list of available tunes. Now go to the sound settings (Settings → Sounds and Vibration → Call Melody) and select your tune from the Local Melodies section. If there are many files, use a title search.
Once a month
Six months
Only when buying a new phone
Never changed.-->
3. Hidden method: through the application "Phone"
Few people know, but MIUI has an alternative way to set up the ringtone, through the Phone app, which is handy if you need to quickly change the tune for a specific contact or return the factory settings after a crash.
Open the Phone app, click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings. Then go to Sounds and Vibration when calling, and here you'll see the same options as the main settings menu, but with one important addition: set the vibration for each contact.
Why do some firmwares not have a local tune button?
If you need to assign a custom ringtone to contact, open this contact in the phone book, click Edit and select Call Melody. Here you can select both standard options and your files from the Ringtones folder. Please note: if the contact is synced with Google Account, changes may reset the next contact update.
4 Problems and Mistakes: Why the Ringtone Has Not Changed
Sometimes users are faced with the fact that the Xiaomi smartphone refuses to save the melody or does not show user files in the list at all.-5 causes and ways of eliminating them:
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The "Apply" button is inactive | File in an unsupported format or too long | Convert to MP3 (bitrate 128–192 kbps) and trim to 30 seconds |
| The melody is reset after rebooting | Failure in the cache of the "Phone" application | Clear the cache in Settings → Applications → Phone → Memory |
| There is no Ringtones folder in the file manager | Folder hidden or deleted | Create it manually at the root of internal memory |
| Smartphone doesn't see files in Ringtones folder | No right to read the folder. | Check the permissions in the file manager settings |
| Factory tunes are missing | Deleted system files after manual editing | Reset the sound settings to Settings → System → Reset the settings → Reset the sound settings |
If none of these methods worked, check your power saving settings. MIUI has an optimization feature that can block user ringtones from playing. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Optimization and disable the restrictions for the Phone app.
⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra after updating to MIUI 14, you lose the ability to install ringtones longer than 15 seconds. This is not a bug, but a feature: the system automatically crops files. To get around the restriction, use third-party applications like Ringtone Maker.
5. Third-party applications for advanced users
If you don't like the built-in MIUI tools, you can use third-party solutions that not only install ringtones, but also edit them directly on your phone, create playlists for different contacts, and even adjust dynamic change of the tune depending on the time of day.
Top.-3 Proven applications for Xiaomi:
- 🎵 Zedge is the largest database of free ringtones and notification sounds with the ability to pre-listen).
- ✂️ Ringtone Maker – a tool for pruning MP3-files and create your own tunes from songs. fade-in/fade-out effects.
- 🔔 Ringdroid is an open source software that fine-tunes audio files, and it allows you to highlight fragments of tracks to within milliseconds.
To install the ringtone through Zedge, download the app from Google Play, find your favorite tune and click Set. The system will automatically redirect you to the ringtone selection menu. If you use Ringtone Maker, after editing the file, click Save as and select the ringtone - the program will place the file in the desired folder.
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If you downloaded the ringtone via Telegram or WhatsApp, it may lie in the folder of that messenger (e.g. Telegram/Telegram Audio). Move the file to Ringtones and restart the phone so that it appears in the list.
6.How to Download Free Ringtones for Xiaomi
Don’t want to mess around with the trimming of songs, but the standard MIUI tunes are tired? we have collected 5 proven sources where you can legally download quality ringtones for your Xiaomi:
- 🌍 Zedge (Google Play) — over 1 million tunes, updated daily.
- 🎼 Mobil9 (site - the oldest resource with ringtones in the format MP3. You can download without registration.
- 🎧 MyTinyPhone (website) – specializes in short tunes (up to 20 seconds) for calls and notifications.
- 🎵 Audiko (website) - allows you to create ringtones from YouTube songs.
- 📱 Ringtones for Xiaomi (Google Play) – a collection of tunes optimized specifically for the MIUI.
When downloading, pay attention to the file resolution. Optimal settings for ringtones on Xiaomi:
- Format: MP3 or M4A (AAC)
- Bitrate: 128-192 kbps (above – redundant for a call)
- Duration: 15–30 seconds (the system will be cut longer)
- Volume: normalize to -16 LUFS (available via Audacity)
If the downloaded file is not playing as a ringtone but is normally playing in the player, the problem may be in the metadata.Use the MP3 Tag Editor app to clean up the tags (especially if the file is downloaded from social media).
7. Double SIM ringtones: How to customize individual tunes
Xiaomi smartphone owners with two SIM-The question is often asked: can you assign different ringtones for each SIM? In standard firmware. MIUI There is no such function, but there are workarounds.
Method 1: Contacts: If the caller is saved in the phone book, you can assign a customized tune (as described in Section 3), the downside is that this only works for known numbers.
Method 2: Third-party apps. Install Dual Sim Ringtone from Google Play.
- Assign unique ringtones for SIM1 and SIM2
- Set different tunes for voice calls and video calls
- Set the vibration separately for each SIM
⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14 and newer applications for managing dual SIM They may require permission to access phone features, but only give them to proven, high-ranking programs.
Method 3: Tasker (for advanced) Create a profile that will check which SIM the call came from and play the corresponding sound file.
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Starting with MIUI 13, Xiaomi removed the ability to assign different ringtones to SIM-This is done to make interfaces easier, but it actually makes life harder for dual-number users.