Have you noticed that during calls on Xiaomi Redmi Note, the interlocutor complains of poor hearing, and his voice is interrupted, distorted or completely disappears? This problem is found in many users of the line of Redmi Note — from the budget Redmi Note 10/11 to the flagship Redmi Note 12 Pro+. The reasons can lie in hardware malfunctions (damaged microphone, oxidized contacts) and software failures (incorrect network settings, firmware errors).
In this article, we'll look at all the possible causes of hearing loss, from the usual clogging of the speaker to the hidden network parameters that interfere with stable voice transmission. You'll learn how to diagnose the problem yourself, which settings to check first, and when to contact the service center. And for owners of the Redmi Note 8/9/10, we have prepared separate recommendations related to the features of their hardware platform.
Important: If the problem occurs after a phone falls, moisture or a MIUI update, it is a critical signal that the microphone or motherboard may be damaged, and in such cases, self-repair can make the situation worse.
1.Checking the microphone: how to know if it is faulty
The first thing to rule out is hardware breakdown of the microphone. Xiaomi Redmi Note usually has two or three microphones:
- 🎤 Main microphone (lower, next to the connector) USB-C) — Responsible for voice transmission during calls.
- 🎤 Second microphone (top, next to speaker) – used for noise reduction and recording.
- 🎤 Third microphone (in some models, for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro) – to improve the sound quality in video.
To check the performance of the microphone:
- Open the Dictaphone app and record 10 to 15 seconds of speech, and listen to the recording, if the voice is distorted or missing, the microphone is the problem.
- Call another phone and turn on speakerphone, and if you hear you clearly, the bottom microphone is defective, and if it's not, the problem could be the top or the system board.
- Try recording video in the camera – if there is no sound, the top microphone is faulty.
If the microphone doesn’t work at all, the reasons may be:
- 💧 Moisture intrusion - even after drying, the oxidation of contacts can occur after months.
- 🔧 Mechanical damage after falling (plastic-body models like the Redmi Note 9 are especially vulnerable).
- 🔌 Disconnecting the microphone plume from the motherboard (frequent problem after disassembling the phone).
⚠️ Warning: If you hear any noises (cracking, hissing) when recording in the recorder, this may indicate damage to the microphone membrane.
2.Clogging speaker and microphone holes: how to clean without risk
One of the most common causes of hearing loss is contamination of the microphone holes, which are located at the bottom of the Redmi Note, and are often clogged with dust, pocket pile, or skin particles, which causes the voice of the interlocutor to sound muffled and your voice to be distorted.
How to Clean the Microphone Hole:
- 🧹 Use a soft brush (for example, for drawing) or a toothpick with cotton wool. Carefully walk through the holes without pressing hard.
- 💨 A compressed air canister (to clean keyboards) will help blow out dust. Keep the balloon upright to avoid fluid intrusion.
- 🚫 Do not use needles, pins or sharp objects – they can damage the microphone’s protective mesh.
For Redmi Note 10/11 models with IP53 (splash protection), cleaning can be done with a slightly wet wipe, but do not allow liquid to enter the holes. After cleaning, allow the phone to dry for 10-15 minutes.
Turn off your phone before cleaning |
Use only soft tools |
Don't blow with your mouth - saliva can get inside |
Check your hearing after cleaning.-->
If the problem persists after cleaning, it's possible that the contamination is under the safety net, and if that happens, you'll need to disassemble the phone, you'll need to contact the service.
3. Software failures: reset network and sound settings
Often, poor hearing is not due to hardware problems, but to software failures in MIUI. This can happen after a system update, custom firmware installation, or application conflict, the first thing to do is reset the network and sound settings.
Resetting instructions:
- Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings.
- Confirm the reset. The phone will reboot, and the network settings will return to factory settings.
- To reset your audio settings, go to Settings → Sound and Vibration → Reset (not available on all versions of MIUI).
If the reset didn’t help, try the following steps:
- 🔄 Restart your phone in Safe Mode (click the power button) → long-press on "Switch off" → "Safe Mode. If the sound is normal in this mode, the problem is in one of the installed applications.
- 📱 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version: Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
- 🔧 Turn it off. VoLTE/VoWiFi (if included: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Challenge 4G/VoLTE.
⚠️ Note: Some of the Redmi Note firmware 8/9 And if you reset the network, you can lose the mobile Internet, and then you have to manually configure it. APN operator.
If the problem occurred after the MIUI update, try retracing to the previous version via Fastboot or Recovery. Instructions for a particular model can be found on the 4PDA forum.
4. Network coverage issues: VoLTE, 4G and voice "muffling"
Poor hearing may not be due to the phone, but to the quality of the network connection, where the voice of the interlocutor is interrupted, robotically sounded or disappears, especially when using VoLTE (voice over 4G), which is sensitive to network congestion.
How to check and correct:
| Problem. | Signs. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Weak 4G signal | Voice interrupts, bell interrupts | Switch to the switch. 3G: Settings → SIM-map → Preferred type of network → 3G |
| VoLTE is not supported by the operator | Calls don't connect or the sound is distorted | Turn off VoLTE in the settings SIM-map |
| Overloading of operator network | Problems during rush hours (morning/evening) | Try calling via Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) or messenger |
| Wrong APN settings | No internet, calls are connected for a long time. | Reset your APN settings or request them from the operator |
For owners of the Redmi Note 10/11 with 5G support, it is worth checking whether the phone is switching to a unstable new generation network. In network settings, select 4G/3G/2G (auto) mode instead of 5G/4G/3G/2G.
If the problem only occurs in certain places (such as the subway or at work), the cause may be interference from other devices or “jamming” the signal, in which case only a change of operator or the use of alternative methods of communication (WhatsApp, Telegram) will help.
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If you have a Redmi Note 9 Pro or older, try turning on the "Improving Voice Quality" option in your call settings. It reduces noise but can delay sound slightly.
5. Application conflict: what prevents normal communication
Some applications may block the microphone or interfere with telephone services, most commonly the culprits being:
- 🎵 Call Recorder Applications (Cube Call Recorder, ACR) — They intercept the audio stream and can distort the sound.
- 🔇 Noise reduction programs (Krispi, Solocam) – sometimes mishandling voice.
- 🎮 Game launchers (Xiaomi Game Turbo) – may limit the resources for calls.
- 🛡️ Antivirus and VPN (Avast, NordVPN – sometimes blocking VoIP network packets.
How to find and resolve conflict:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Permissions and check which programs have access to the microphone. Turn off suspicious ones.
- Turn on Safe Mode (as described above) and check the quality of calls. If the problem disappears, one of the installed applications is to blame.
- Update conflicting programs or remove them.
On the Redmi Note 12 and later, there's a built-in Call Optimization feature in your audio settings. Try to turn it on, and the system will automatically turn off background processes that interfere with communications.
6. Hardware malfunctions: when without service can not do
If all the software methods have been tried and the problem remains, it's probably a hardware breakdown.
- 🔊 The speaker works, but the microphone does not (or vice versa).
- 💥 The sound appears only when pressing the body (symptom of a disconnected plume).
- 🌊 The phone fell into the water or was exposed to high humidity.
- ⚡ The problem occurred after the battery or screen was replaced (possibly damaged the microphone plume).
The cost of repair in official Xiaomi services:
| Type of repair | Cost (₽) | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Replacement of microphone | 1 200–2 500 | 1–2 |
| Cleaning/sweating contacts | 800–1 500 | 1 |
| Replacement of microphone plume | 1 500–3 000 | 2–3 |
| Diagnosis + repair after moisture | 2 000–5 000 | 3–5 |
Redmi Note 8/9 models may be cheaper to repair because parts are widely available, but Redmi Note 12 Pro+ owners should be prepared for higher prices due to the complexity of the design.
⚠️ Warning: If the phone is warranty, don't open it yourself! This will void warranty obligations.
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Before visiting the service, make a backup copy of the data - during the repair, a complete reset of the phone may be required.
7. Features of Redmi Note models: what you need to know
Different generations of Redmi Note have their own sound-related illnesses:
Redmi Note 8/9:
- 🔋 Frequent microphone problems after battery replacement (the plume is easily damaged).
- 🔊 In some games there was a marriage of the lower speaker - the sound disappeared when the speakerphone.
Redmi Note 10/11:
- 📶 Problems with VoLTE on firmware MIUI 12.5–13 (resolved by updating to the MIUI 14).
- 🎤 The top microphone sometimes shuts down after falling (solding required).
Redmi Note 12:
- 🔊 Sound distortion when using Bluetooth headphones during calls.
- 📱 Failures in the second microphone after upgrading to Android 13.
For the Redmi Note 10 Pro and Note 11 Pro, there is an unofficial patch fixing microphone issues when recording video in 4K. It can be found on the XDA Developers or 4PDA forums.