Badly heard the interlocutor during a call on Xiaomi: what to do and how to fix

You make a phone call, but your voice is quiet, intermittent, or even disappearing? The problem of poor hearing on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most common among users. The causes can be both banal contamination of the speaker and serious hardware malfunctions. In this article, we will analyze all possible scenarios, from simple settings to microphone diagnostics and network parameters.

It's important to understand that poor hearing isn't always the fault of the phone. Sometimes the problem lies in the operator's network, the conversational settings, or even accessories (such as covers or film), we've put together checklists for self-diagnosis, tables with comparison of symptoms and solutions, and instructions for Redmi models, POCO and flagship Xiaomi 13/14 lines. If after all the manipulations, the problem remains, you'll know exactly whether to carry the phone to the service.

1. Checking basic sound settings

Before you take your phone apart or carry it for repair, make sure that the problem is not in the software settings. Often users accidentally change the parameters of the sound without even knowing it.

Start by checking the volume of the speaker. Press the volume buttons during the call, and a slider will appear on the screen that says "Call" (not to be confused with Media or Alarm clock). Make sure the volume is set to maximum. If the slider is gray and does not respond to presses, this may indicate a system failure.

• 🔊 Call volume: Increase to maximum during conversation.
• 📵 “Do Not Disturb” Mode: Turn Off in Settings → Sound.
• 🎧 Bluetooth devices: Turn off headphones or speakers if they are connected.
• 🔄 Reboot: Sometimes it helps to turn off / turn on the phone.

If the sound hasn’t improved after this manipulation, move on to the next step. Note: some Xiaomi models (like the Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3) have a separate voice amplification setting in the call menu – check if it’s on.

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On phones with MIUI 14+, you can activate Adaptive Sound in Settings → Special Options → Hearing. It automatically adjusts the volume depending on the noise level around you.

Dynamics and microphone diagnostics

If the person is not listening well, the problem is probably the microphone, if you can't hear the person, the speaker is to blame, and you can check the performance of both elements without special tools.

For the test, dynamics:

1. Record a voice message in the recorder and listen to it.
2. Call another phone and turn on speakerphone – if the sound is clear and the handset is quiet, the speaker is contaminated or damaged.
3. Try listening to music or video – if the sound is distorted, the problem may be the audio chip.

For the microphone test:

• 🎤 Use the voice recorder app to record voice.
• 📞 Call another phone and check how you can be heard.
• 🔍 Look at the microphone holes (usually located at the bottom of the phone and next to the main camera).

If the speaker or microphone is not working at all, it may indicate:

• 🧹 Pollution (dust, moisture, pile from clothing).
• 🔌 Oxidation of contacts after liquid ingestion.
• 🛠️ Mechanical damage (fall, impact).
• 🔧 Software failure (for example, after updating) MIUI).

3. Problems with network and operator

Poor hearing may not be due to the phone, but to the quality of the communication, and if the problem only manifests itself in certain places (for example, in the subway or on the outskirts of the city), the operator is to blame.

How to check:

• 📶 Signal Level: If the indicator shows 1-2 division, the connection will be unstable.
• 🔄 Network switching: C Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Type of network try to manually select only 4G (LTE) or 3G.
• 📱 other SIM-Card: Insert a card of another operator - if the problem disappears, the provider is to blame.

Important: If the problem only manifests itself when calling via WhatsApp or Telegram, and normal calls work normally – it is in the settings of messengers or Internet connection.

Near the house/work|Only on the subway/lift.|On the outskirts of town|Constantly.|Never.-->

4. Software glitches and updates

MIUI updates sometimes lead to sound bugs. If the problem occurs after installing a new firmware version, try the following steps:

• 🔄 Resetting network settings: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings.
• 📲 Cache Clearing: Go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Phone and clear the cache.
• 🔙 Update rollback: If the crash appears after the update, try rolling back to the previous version (instruction below).

For firmware rollback:

1. Download the desired version of MIUI from the official Xiaomi website.
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of the phone’s memory.
3. Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update and click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Select a firmware file.

If the rollback didn't help or you don't want to take risks, try resetting your phone to factory settings.Caution: this will delete all data, so make a backup beforehand.

Save Contacts in Google Account|Download photos on PC/cloud|Write down passwords from apps|Unplug your Mi Account (if you sell your phone)-->

Hardware malfunctions and repairs

If all the software methods have been tried and the problem remains, it is probably the hardware problem.

• 🔊 Conversational speaker damaged: Sound is quiet or distorted, but in the column / headphones everything is fine.
• 🎤 The microphone is not working: the interviewee can’t hear you, but you can hear him clearly.
• 📶 Problems with antenna module: Poor communication on all networks, frequent call interruptions.
• 🔋 Battery wear: With low charge, the phone can 'muffle' the speaker to save energy.

Self-repair is possible only if the speaker or microphone is contaminated. In other cases, we recommend contacting the service center. The average cost of replacing the speaker on Xiaomi is from 800 to 2000 rubles, the microphone is from 500 to 1500 rubles.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone is in a wet environment (for example, after rain or falling into water), do not try to disassemble it yourself. oxidation of contacts can lead to short circuit.

For models Xiaomi 12/13/14 with waterproof IP53 (dust and spray protection) the risk of damage is lower, but still do not check the “durability”.

6.Influence of accessories and covers

Sometimes the reason for the poor hearing is because of the little things, like the cover, the film, or even the way you hold your phone, for example, if you put your finger over your microphone while you're talking, the person you're talking to will hear you worse.

What to check:

• 📱 Cover: Remove it and check if it covers the speaker or microphone.
• 🧲 Magnetic Holders: If you use a magnetic mount in a machine, it can affect the antenna.
• 🎧 Screen film: Cheap films sometimes overlap the top speaker (on models with stereo sound).
• 🖐️ Holding method: Do not cover microphone holes with your fingers.

On some POCO and Redmi models, the speaker is on the top of the phone, and if you press it too tightly against your ear, the sound may become quieter, or you may try to move the phone away from your ear a little bit, or use the speakerphone.

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If the problem only appears with a case, replace it with a model with cutouts for the speaker and microphone.

7.Problems with VoLTE and VoWiFi

VoLTE (voice over 4G) and VoWiFi (wire-fi) are supposed to improve communication, but sometimes they cause problems. If they cause interference or interruptions, try:

• 🔄 Disable VoLTE: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → [Yours. SIM] → Use VoLTE.
• 📶 Disable VoWiFi: Find the option of Wi-Fi Calls.
• 🔍 Not all Russian operators work correctly with VoLTE on Xiaomi.

If you've improved the quality of the communication after you've disabled these functions, it's the problem.

• Update the firmware (sometimes bugs are fixed in new versions of MIUI).
• Reset your network settings (as described in Section 4).
• Contact the operator to check the VoLTE settings on your number.

Some models (such as the Xiaomi 11T Pro or Redmi K50) have a bug that lets VoLTE turn off spontaneously, in which case it helps to restart the phone or manually turn on the feature after each update.

FAQ: Frequent questions about poor hearing on Xiaomi