How to turn on the microphone in Xiaomi: from system settings to application rights

The problem of a broken microphone on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often arises suddenly, baffling the user: the interlocutor does not hear you in messengers, the voice recorder is silent, and voice input refuses to function. In most cases, hardware failure has nothing to do with it, and the matter lies in the software limitations of the MIUI or HyperOS shell, which aggressively protect privacy by blocking access to sound recording devices by default.

Making matters worse, the settings menus in different firmware versions may differ, and the confusing logic of the Microphone and Dictophone switches baffles even experienced hardware owners. In this guide, we’ll take a look at all the ways you can activate a sound record, from the banal physical lock check to the deep-tuning of the developer menu’s access rights so you can fully use your device’s voice functions.

⚠️ Attention: If after all the software settings, the microphone still does not work, perhaps moisture or dust got into the top of the headphone jack (if any) or the bottom hole.

Basic check of physical switch and system status

Before you dive into the wilds of system settings, you need to exclude the most obvious reasons for blocking the sound. On some models of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, especially in the budget segment, can be activated software "Silence Mode" or "Silence all sounds", which also affects the microphone when recording.

The first thing to do is check the side of the device, make sure the volume sliders are not turned to zero and activate the vibration mode if you need it, but not complete silence, and it is also worth performing a banal but effective reboot procedure, since the audioserver system process, responsible for processing sound, could simply freeze.

If a simple reboot didn't work, check if a Bluetooth device is connected to your smartphone that intercepts audio output and input. Sometimes the phone tries to record sound through a headset that lies at the other end of the room, creating the illusion of a major microphone breaking.

It is also important to pay attention to the presence of a protective film or case. Cheap protective glass sometimes covers the technological holes located near the main lens of the camera or on the lower end of the body, physically blocking the access of the sound wave to the membrane.

Configure permissions for applications in MIUI and HyperOS

The most common reason the microphone doesn’t work in a particular app (e.g. Telegram, WhatsApp or Instagram) is because the Android operating system, coupled with the manufacturer’s shell, doesn’t have the appropriate permissions in the Xiaomi security system.

To activate access, go to the Settings menu, then select the App and click All Apps. Find a problem program (like Viber), tap it, and select Application Permissions (or Rights) section, where you need to find the "Microphone" and switch it to "Allowed" or "Always Allow".

• 🔍 Checking hidden settings: In some versions MIUI microphone settings can be hidden in the submenu "Additional permissions", where you need to go separately.
• 🛡️ Privacy protection: If you choose Ask, the system will request access each time you run the recording feature, which can be annoying with frequent use.
• 📱 HyperOS: The new HyperOS shell adds a green dot indicator in the corner of the screen that lights up when an application uses a microphone.

There is also a global switch that can block access to all applications at once. It is on the Settings path → Privacy Protection → Microphone. Make sure there is no restriction here for specific programs or for the system as a whole.

Access control through Security Rights Manager

Xiaomi smartphones have a separate system component, the “Security” app (green icon with a shield), which takes precedence over standard Android settings. This is often where hard locks are hidden that can not be circumvented through the usual menu.

Open the Security app, scroll down to Tools and find the Rights Manager (or Permissions) icon. From the list that opens, select Microphone. You will see a complete list of all installed programs broken down into categories: Permitted, Forbidden, and Ask.

If the application you want is not in the "Allowed" list, find it in the "Forbidden" list and switch the status. This action will forcibly open access to the audio recording hardware for the selected software, ignoring the previous one.

I'm setting up.

⚠️ Warning: Be careful about issuing permissions to dubious applications (lightlights, simple games, calculators).If a drawing program requires access to a microphone, this may indicate malicious code collecting data.

Interestingly, you can also configure access for system services in the same menu, for example, if you don't have Google Voice Search or Google Assistant, check if it's not allowed, and sometimes, after you update, rights are reset to stricter defaults.

Specific settings for voice recorder and call recording

If the microphone doesn't work in the standard Dictophone app or when recording phone conversations, the problem may lie in the settings of the sound source. In modern versions of MIUI, there is a possibility to choose the source of the recording, especially when using headsets.

Go to the Recorder app, click three dots in the corner or the settings icon. Find the Sound Quality or Sound Source. Make sure you choose the "Phone Microphone" value, not the "Bluetooth Headset" or"USB-“Mic” if you are not currently using it.

Call recording is also a feature that needs to be addressed, and is often hidden in global firmware versions, sometimes requiring you to switch the region in your phone settings (Settings → Advanced Settings → Region) to India, Pakistan or Singapore, and when you change region, the Call Record menu will appear, where you can automatically record and select the source of the sound.

Problems with Bluetooth headsets and external devices

Often, users are faced with a situation where the microphone on the phone works perfectly, but when connecting Mi True Wireless wireless headphones or third-party AirPods, people complain about the lack of sound.

The system may attempt to use the A2DP profile (music only) by ignoring the HFP (Hands-Free Profile) profile that handles voice transmission. To correct the situation, try pressing the gear next to the name of the connected device on the Bluetooth menu and make sure the "Microphone" or "Call Sound" switch is activated.

• 🎧 Reset pairing: Remove the device from the Bluetooth list, restart the phone and re-execute (pairing).
• 🔋 Headphone charge: With a low battery charge, headphones can turn off the microphone to save energy, leaving only playback.
• 📶 Interference: A running microwave or router nearby can cause interference, causing the phone to switch to its microphone, but with a delay.

Also worth checking in the For Developers section.Look for the Bluetooth Codec and try to change it (for example, from AAC to SBC or aptX), as some codecs may not properly handle the input audio stream on certain smartphone models.

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If you plug in a Bluetooth headset, the phone's microphone stops working in the recorder, that's OK. The system automatically switches the audio input to an external device. To write the sound to the phone, you have to physically turn off Bluetooth.

Diagnostics and testing through the engineering menu

If the software settings did not help, you need to conduct hardware diagnostics. Xiaomi smartphones built a powerful tool CIT (Customer Integration Test), allowing you to check the performance of each microphone separately: the main (lower) and additional (top, for noise reduction).

To enter the test mode, open the Phone app and dial the code ##6484##. The device will automatically go to the engineering menu. In the test list, find Main Mic (main microphone) and Sub Mic (secondary microphone).

The sequence of actions in CIT:


1. Main Mic -> Press Record -> Say -> Stop -> Play (must be heard)




2. Sub Mic -> Press Record -> Say -> Stop -> Play (noise-driven check)




3. Headset Mic -> Headset microphone check

If you see a green signal level scale or hear your recording on Main Mic, then the hardware is fine, and you need to look for the problem in the settings of the particular application, and if the silence or the scale does not move, there is a physical breakdown.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change the settings in the engineering menu unless you understand the meaning of the settings. Some settings may change the calibration of the speaker or screen, which will require flashing to restore the settings.

So, pay special attention to the Loopback test, which is a mode where the phone starts to broadcast sound from the microphone to the speaker in real time, and it's the best way to tell if there's wheezing, crackling, or no signal at all, without having to record and listen to it.

Solving problems with voice assistant and search

A separate layer of problems is associated with voice search Google and assistant, if you click on the microphone icon in the search bar, nothing happens or the words “Nothing is heard”, the problem most often lies in the settings of the Google account or the cache of the service.

Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find Google and go to Warehouse. Click Clear Cache and Delete Data. This won’t delete your search history, but reset the settings of the search app itself, which often solves the problem of the microphone hanging.

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Google voice search requires a stable Internet connection. If the microphone is listening but does not recognize speech, check the speed of mobile Internet or Wi-Fi, since the request is processed on Google servers.

Also check your language settings. In the Google app, go to Settings → Languages and make sure you select Russian (or your native) language. If only English is activated, the system can ignore Russian speech, creating the appearance of a malfunction.