How to turn on the radio on your Xiaomi phone: FM, Online radio and reception secrets

Have you bought a new Xiaomi smartphone and want to listen to the radio but don’t know how to turn it on? Or your old Redmi suddenly stopped catching your favorite stations? In this article, we will discuss all the ways to run radio on Xiaomi devices – from the classic to the traditional one. FM-radio with antenna to Internet radio stations 4G/Wi-Fi. It is important to understand that the features depend on the model of the phone, the version. MIUI and even the firmware region.

Many users mistakenly think that radio on a smartphone necessarily needs the Internet. FM-Radio works without a network connection, but requires a wired antenna (usually headphones), while online radio, on the contrary, depends on the speed of the Internet, but offers thousands of stations from around the world. We will tell you how to configure both options, and also share life hacks to improve reception and solve typical problems.

Verification of support FM-Radio with your Xiaomi model

Not all Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with FM-For example, flagship models (Xiaomi 13, 14) often lack this feature, while budget Redmi and other models are not. POCO It's usually supported. To avoid wasting time, check first:

• 🔍 Specifications on the official website. In the "Characteristics" section, look for a mention "FM-For example, the Redmi Note 12 has one, but the Xiaomi 12 Pro does not.
• 📱 Model chipset. FM-radio usually supports Qualcomm Snapdragon processors (series) 4xx, 6xx, 7xx) The flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen is often devoid of this feature.
• 🛠️ Test using Engineering Mode. Type in the dial ##4636##, select "Phone Information" and look for the item "FM Radio. If it's not there, the chip's missing.

If your model does not support FM, Don't worry, Internet radio is available on any smartphone.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models for the European market (marked) EEA) FM-The radio is turned off at the firmware level, even if there's a chip, and then flashing it to the global or Chinese version will help. MIUI.

How to turn it on FM-Radio on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

If your smartphone supports you FM, You'll need wired headphones (which act as an antenna) and 5 minutes of time.

1. Put your headphones on your phone. Without them, the radio won't work -- it's not a bug, it's a feature of the work. FM-chip.
2. Open the Radio app FM (If you don't have an antenna icon, download the official Mi Radio app from Google Play.
3. Press Turn on the radio and wait for the scanning frequency, and the screen will show a scale with the stations found.
4. Select a station from the list or manually enter the frequency (e.g. 103.5). FM for Europe Plus").

If the radio is not switched on:

• 🔌 Check if the headphone plug is tightly inserted, sometimes a slight swaying of the headphone connector helps.
• 📶 Try to move closer to the window – the walls of buildings screen the signal.
• 🔄 Restart your phone and try again.

Check the support FM model

Connect your headphones (required!)

Update the Mi Radio app on Google Play

Try an alternative app (NextRadio, Spirit) FM)

Reset your network settings in the "Settings" menu → SIM-maps and mobile networks"-->

On Xiaomi models with a connector USB-C (For example, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+) for FM-radio will require an adapter USB-C → 3.5 mm or headphones with USB-C. Without an adapter, the radio won’t work even if the chip is there!

Best Apps for FM-radio

The standard Mi Radio app doesn't always work well, especially on custom firmware, and we tested 5 alternative apps and picked the best ones:

To install alternative applications:

1. Download APK or install from Google Play.
2. At the first start, provide access to the microphone (needed for work). FM-chip).
3. Connect the headphones and press Scan.

⚠️ Note: Apps like Online Radio Box or Radio Garden offer only Internet radio and will not replace it. FM. For real radio without the Internet you need a physical FM-chip.

How to listen to Internet radio on Xiaomi without FM-chip

If your Xiaomi is not supported FM, The Internet radio is the way out, and the advantages are thousands of stations from all over the world, no headphones, working through the Internet. Wi-Fi/4G. Cons: Traffic consumption (about) 60 MB/hour) and dependence on Internet speed.

Top.-3 How to listen to online radio:

• 🌍 Aggregator Apps: TuneIn Radio – 100,000+ Radio Garden is a unique interface with a "globus", you can listen to local stations from any country. Online Radio Box is a Russian-language catalog with popular stations (Europe Plus, Radio Record, etc.).
• 🎵 Music services: Yandex Music and VK Music has tabs with radio stations.Spotify offers themed radios (by genre, mood).
• 📱 Built-in capabilities MIUI: In the Music app (from Xiaomi) there is a Radio tab with popular stations. Voice assistant Alice (in Yandex) can turn on the radio on the command "Turn on radio Retro". FM".

To save traffic:

• Download radio podcasts in advance (for example, in Yandex Music).
• Use Traffic Compression in Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Saving traffic.
• Connect to Wi-Fi where possible.

💡

If your favorite station is slowing down, try changing the bitrate in the app settings. For example, in TuneIn Radio, select Low Quality (24 kbps) for stable subway reception.

Improve reception FM-Radio: 7 working methods

Weak signal, noise, cliffs are typical problems FM-We've put together proven ways to improve reception:

1. Use headphones as an antenna: The longer the wire, the better the reception. Optimally, 1 m or more. Unwind the headphone wire and position it vertically.
2. Change the location of the phone: Hold the phone to the window or go out to the balcony. Avoid metal surfaces (they shield the signal).

Adjust the frequency manually

• In the Mi Radio app, click ⋮ → Manual scanning.
• Enter the frequency in 0.1 MHz increments (e.g. 103.4 instead of 103.5).

For advanced users:

• 🛠️ Firmware modification: On some models (e.g, POCO X3) after installing a custom Recovery (TWRP) LineageOS firmware is getting support FM, Even if it wasn't on the stock. MIUI.
• 📡 External antenna: Can be connected via adapter USB-C → antenna connector (suitable for Redmi Note 10 Pro and newer).

⚠️ Attention: On models with MIUI 14 and the newer built-in Mi Radio app can block manual frequency settings. In this case, use NextRadio or Spirit. FM.

Problem Solving: Radio is not working, slows down or does not find the station

Let’s look at common mistakes and their solutions:

If nothing helps:

1. Reset network settings: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings.
2. Clear the cache of the Mi Radio app: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Radio FM → Clear the cache.
3. Install an alternative application (see section above).

On Xiaomi models with MIUI 13+ It can help to roll back to the previous version of the firmware, if the radio stopped working after the update:

1. Download the old version of MIUI from https://xiaomifirmwareupdater.com/


2. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 10 times on the logo.




3. Select Select the firmware file and specify the downloaded ZIP.




4. wait for the rollback to be completed (the data will not be erased).

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If the radio was running before, but stopped after the update MIUI, The problem is almost always the firmware. Try rolling back or wait for a patch from Xiaomi.

FM-Radio vs Internet Radio: What’s Best for Xiaomi

Which option to choose? Let's compare the key parameters:

Conclusion:

• 🚗 FM-Radio is ideal for trips where there is no Internet (for example, outside the city) or you need to save battery.
• 🏠 Internet radio is suitable for home / office, where the choice of stations and sound quality are important.

Many users combine both options: listen to the FM In your car, you can switch to online radio at home. On Xiaomi models that support Dual Apps (such as the Redmi Note 11 Pro), you can duplicate the Mi Radio app and configure your favorite stations to quickly access it.

FAQ: Frequent questions about radio on Xiaomi