How to turn on the sound of SMS notifications on Xiaomi: all ways + error fixing

Do you miss important messages because your phone doesn't make a sound when you receive an SMS? The problem of silent notifications is one of the most common on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones. The reasons can range from accidentally switched off sound in settings to system failures in MIUI. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to turn on the sound of SMS, including hidden settings, and also tell you what to do if the notifications still do not work.

The MIUI firmware feature is a lot of customizations that sometimes confuse users. For example, the sound of SMS can be muted separately from other notifications, or it can be blocked by Do Not Disturb mode. We tested the instructions on the latest versions of MIUI 14 (Android 13/14) and took into account the nuances for older models. If you use Xiaomi Mi 11, Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5, this article is right for your device.

Before you get to the settings, check the basics: is the phone silent (slider on the sidebar), is not activated mode "On the plane" and notify the app Messages as a whole. If all is well, read on.

1. Check the main SMS sound settings in MIUI

So, to start with the obvious, the audio settings are directly in the Messages app. In MIUI, this setting can be hidden deep in the menu, especially if you've been upgrading from an older firmware version. Here's how to find it:

1. Open the Messages app (an envelope icon).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → select Settings.
3. Go to Notifications (or Sounds and Notifications in older versions).
4. Make sure that the notification sound is turned on (should be blue).
5. Below, select the melody from the list (the default is usually MIUI SMS or Bells).

If it's set up right here, but the sound is still missing, the problem may be the global settings of the system.

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In some versions of MIUI, the sound of SMS is tied to the overall sound of notifications. Try changing the melody to Settings → Sounds and vibrations → The sound of notifications – this can automatically apply to SMS.

2. Sound tuning through Android system settings

In MIUI, SMS sound can be controlled not only through the Messages app, but also through system settings, especially for users who use third-party messengers (such as Google Messages) or encounter a bug after an update.

1. Open the phone settings (cog icon).
2. Go to the Sound and Vibration section (or Sound in older versions).
3. Slip on the default notification sound.
4. Select any tune from the list (e.g. Call 1 or Space).
5. Go back and make sure that the Vibration slider is also on (if necessary).

Important! In some Xiaomi firmware, SMS sound may be reset after an update. If you recently upgraded your phone, check if the sound settings are No Sound or Silence.

If the text message never appeared after this manipulation, the problem could be with application permissions or system constraints, and this is discussed in the next section.

3. Verification of permissions for the application “Messages”

In Android 12/13/14 (and the corresponding versions of MIUI), applications require separate permissions to output notifications. If they are disabled, the sound of the SMS will not work.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Messages (or Messages for English firmware) in the list and tap on it.
3. Select Notifications.
4. Make sure all notification categories (New posts, Group chats, etc.) are included.
5. Slip on the New Posts category and check that:

A critical feature of MIUI is that if you ever clicked "Disable Notifications" in the SMS pop-up window, the system could block the sound globally, in which case you would manually reset the notification settings for the app.

4.Do Not Disturb and other system restrictions

One of the most common reasons for not having SMS sound is activated Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, which in MIUI can run on a schedule or be activated automatically (e.g. at night).

1. Open Settings → Sounds and vibrations → Do not disturb.
2. Make sure the mode is off (the slider is grey).
3. Slip on the Schedule and check if the automatic turn on is configured.
4. In the Exclusions section, find Messages and make sure that they are allowed to sound.

Make sure the phone is not in silent mode (side slider)

Check if the "Airplane" mode is on.

Open the notification curtain - is there a "Do Not Disturb" icon?

Connect your phone to charge (sometimes the sound doesn’t work when the battery is low)

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5. Resetting sound settings and notifications

If all the previous methods didn't work, you might have a system settings failure, and then you might want to reset your sound and notification settings without losing data:

1. Go to Settings → System and device → Resetting.
2. Select Reset Application Settings (or Reset All Settings in Older Versions).
3. Confirm the action. The phone will reboot.

After the reboot:

• 🔄 Notification sounds will return to factory settings.
• 📱 You will have to reconfigure the tunes for SMS and other notifications.
• ⚠️ Note: This method does not delete personal data, but resets the settings of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other settings.

If the reset did not help, the last option remains - cleaning the Messages app cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Messages.
2. Select Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
3. Reboot the phone.

6.Firmware problems and radical methods

If the text message is gone after the MIUI update, it could be a firmware bug.

• 📲 Check for updates: Settings → The phone. → Update the system. Install the latest version. MIUI.
• 🔧 Recoil to the previous version: if the problem appeared after the update, you can roll back through Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → Three-point badge → Select the update package (needs a firmware file).
• 🛠️ Resetting to factory settings: extreme method if nothing helps. → System and device → Resetting settings → Delete all data. Attention: this will delete all files and applications!

For power users, there is another way to manually edit system files through ADB. However, this is risky and can lead to the phone’s inoperability. If you are not sure about your skills, you should contact Xiaomi’s service center.

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Before resetting to factory settings, be sure to back up the data through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset!

Comparison of methods of inclusion of SMS sound on Xiaomi

As you can see from the table, most problems are solved in 1-2 minutes by simple methods, and if none of them worked, the cause may be a hardware malfunction (for example, a damaged speaker), in which case we recommend contacting the service center.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the sound of SMS on Xiaomi