Xiaomi’s maximum volume: How to remove the restrictions in MIUI and increase the sound to the limit

Have you ever noticed that even at full volume, music or videos on your Xiaomi sound quieter than on other smartphones? It's no coincidence that the manufacturer artificially limits the maximum volume level through MIUI firmware to protect speakers from overload and extend their life. However, for many users, these restrictions become a problem: in noisy rooms, on the street or when listening to music through external speakers, standard volume simply does not suffice.

In this article, we’ll look at all the working ways to increase volume on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, from standard MIUI 14/15 settings to hidden engineering menus and third-party apps. It’s important to understand that some methods require root rights or can void warranties, so we’ll explain in detail the risks and alternatives. If you’re willing to sacrifice security for loud sound, read on. If you want to stay within the official scope, we have solutions, too.

Why Xiaomi Limits Volume: Technical and Legal Reasons

Smartphone manufacturers, including Xiaomi, deliberately lower the maximum volume of speakers for several reasons:

• 🛡️ Equipment protection: Excessive load on speakers leads to rapid wear, distortion of sound ("wheezing") and breakage. Xiaomi guarantees the performance of speakers for 2-3 years under standard settings.
• ⚖️ EU certification and laws: The European Union has regulations to limit the sound level of headphones (up to 85 dB) to protect hearing. Xiaomi applies these restrictions globally to avoid certification issues.
• 🔋 Battery savings: Loud sound increases energy consumption.Restrictions help prolong battery life, which is important for marketing metrics.

But these limitations are not always justified, for example, when you connect to external speakers or car audio systems, the risk of damage to the speakers of your smartphone is minimal, and low volume becomes a real problem, and fortunately, you can get around the restrictions — and we'll show you how to do it safely.

⚠️ Attention: Volume increases above factory settings can lead to loss of warranty if speakers fail. Xiaomi service centers easily detect firmware interference from system logs.

Method 1: Standard MIUI settings (without root and risk)

Before you resort to drastic measures, check all the available audio settings in your version of MIUI. Many users miss out on the obvious options that can increase volume by 20-30%:

1. Open the Settings. → Sound and vibration.
2. Activate the Sound Amplification slider (if you have one in your firmware), which appears on some models after upgrading to MIUI 14+.
3. Turn on Adaptive Sound – the system will automatically adjust the volume to the surrounding noise.
4. In the Additional Settings section, check the “Normalization of Media Volume” option and turn it off (it aligns the volume between the tracks).

You should also pay attention to the sound profiles in Settings → Special features → Sound Improvement.

• 🔊 Boosting bass (good for music).
• 🎵 Equator – manual frequency setting can visually increase volume at certain ranges.
• 📱 Mono-audio (if one speaker is quieter than the other).

Volume normalization disabled |Accumulated sound amplification (if any) |Profiles checked in "Special Features" | Updated firmware to the latest version-->

If these settings don't work, move on to more advanced methods, but remember, any changes to system files can cause crashes.

Method 2: Engineering menu (hidden sound settings)

Every Xiaomi smartphone has a hidden engineering menu where you can manually adjust the settings of speakers, microphones and even antennas, accessed through the USSD code or special applications. On models with a Qualcomm processor (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or POCO F5), this method works more stable than on devices with MediaTek.

To open the engineering menu:

1. Open the phone app.
2. Enter the code ##36446337## (some models may require code #4636###).
3. Select the section "Hardware Testing» → «Audio».

In the Audio menu, you are interested in the following options:

⚠️ Warning: Changing the Headset Volume above 140 can damage headphones (especially cheap models) and headphones below 32 ohms are most vulnerable.

When you change your values, press Set and restart your smartphone. If the sound gets worse (wheezing or distortion), return the values to the standard (usually 80-100 for speakers).

Method 3: Apps for sound amplification (without root)

If the engineering menu seems too complicated, you can use third-party apps. They don't require superuser rights, but their effectiveness depends on the smartphone model and the version of MIUI.

• 🎧 Volume Booster GOODEV — It increases volume by 20-40% through software-based audio processing, works with most Xiaomi models, but can cause delays in games.
• 🔊 Equalizer FX — In addition to the equalizer, it has a function called Bass Boost, which indirectly increases the overall volume.
• 📱 Precise Volume – allows you to adjust volume levels more accurately (useful if standard adjustment steps are too rough).

Install one of the apps from Google Play and follow the instructions.

1. Launch the application and provide access to the “Sound Settings”.
2. Activate the Boost option.
3. Adjust the gain (start at 10-15% to avoid distortion).

The disadvantage of such applications is that they work only with media files (music, video) and do not affect the volume of calls or notifications, and some Xiaomi models block changing the system settings of sound through third-party programs.

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If the sound is intermittent after installing the app, try turning off the "Absolute Volume" option in Bluetooth settings (if you use wireless headphones).

Method 4: Modify system files (root required)

This is the most radical method, which gives maximum volume increase, but requires unlocking the bootloader and obtaining root rights. It is only suitable for advanced users, since improper actions can lead to a "brick" (complete inoperability) of the device.

Algorithm of action:

1. Unlock the bootloader through Mi Unlock Tool (the official utility from Xiaomi).
2. Install Custom Recavers (TWRP) and get root rights through Magisk.
3. Using a root-access file manager (such as Root Explorer) find the file: /system/vendor/etc/mixer_paths.xml or (on new models): /system/vendor/etc/audio_platform_info.xml
4. Open the file in the text editor and find the lines with the parameters: <path name="speaker"> <ctl name="RX1 Digital Volume" value="80" /> Replace the value by 120 or 150 (no higher, otherwise the risk of damage to the speakers).
5. Save the file, set the correct rights (644) and restart the smartphone.

⚠️ Note: On models with MediaTek (e.g. Redmi) 10C or POCO M5) The path to the file may be different. Before editing, back up the original file!

This method gives the largest increase in volume, but has serious drawbacks:

• 🚫 Loss of warranty (unlocking the bootloader is recorded in service logs).
• 🔄 Risk of failures when updating the firmware (you will have to repeat the procedure after each update).
• 🔊 Distortion of sound at maximum volume (especially on cheap models).

Method 5: Firmware custom ROM (for advanced)

If you’re willing to go even further, you can install custom firmware (like LineageOS, Pixel Experience, or crDroid) that removes the volume limits by default, a technique that’s suitable for models that no longer receive official updates (like the Xiaomi Mi A2 or Redmi Note 7).

Advantages of custom firmware:

• 🔊 No artificial volume limits.
• 📱 More flexible sound settings (including equalizer and effects).
• 🚀 Better productivity through optimization.

There are, however, downsides:

• 🔋 Loss of function MIUI (Second Space or Game Turbo).
• 📱 No guarantee of stability (probable bugs with camera or sensors).
• 🔄 Manual updates (automatic updates via OTA may not work).

Instructions for installing custom ROM:

1. Unlock the bootloader (as in method 4).
2. Install TWRP for your model.
3. Download firmware from the official website (for example, LineageOS) and GApps (Google services).
4. Using TWRP, run Wipe (cleaning the Data, Cache, System partitions).
5. Install firmware and GApps, then restart.

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Custom firmware gives you maximum freedom, but requires technical skills. Beginners should focus on methods 1-3.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you try to turn up the volume, you may encounter problems. Here's how to solve them:

If none of these things worked, there may be a hardware problem (such as a clogging speaker or a plume damage), in which case you can contact a service center, and dust and moisture are the main enemies of Xiaomi speakers, especially in lower-connector models (such as the Redmi Note 11).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions