Why WhatsApp on Xiaomi doesn’t sound when new messages are posted and how to fix it

Have you noticed that WhatsApp on your Xiaomi has stopped making sounds when receiving messages? The problem is familiar to many owners of smartphones of this brand - from budget Redmi to flagship Mi and POCO. The reasons can be several: from the banal settings in the messenger itself to the features of energy optimization in MIUI. In this article, we will analyze all possible scenarios why the sound of notifications disappears, and give step-by-step instructions for restoring performance.

Xiaomi’s feature is that it actively saves battery power by blocking the background activity of apps, which often leads to notifications coming without sound or not showing at all, but don’t rush to blame the system alone – sometimes the problem lies in the settings of WhatsApp itself or even in the hardware problems of the speaker.

Then you'll find a detailed analysis of each cause, and the diagnostics and the solutions, and if you don't get the sound after checking all the points, at the end of the article, there's an FAQ that answers the most difficult cases.

1. WhatsApp Notification Settings: What to Check First

Start with the obvious, the notification settings inside the messenger. Often users accidentally turn off the sound or change it to "No Sound" when setting up chats.

Open WhatsApp, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Settings → Notifications. Check the following settings here:

  • 🔔 Notifications: Any tune other than “No Sound” or “Silent Mode” should be selected.
  • 📢 Vibration: If it’s turned off, turn it on, which will help you know if notifications are coming at all.
  • 💬 Message tones: Make sure that individual chats do not have custom settings with the audio turned off.
  • 🔔 Call sounds: sometimes the problem is only about calls - check this section separately.

If everything is fine here, but there is still no sound, move on to the following points, especially after updating WhatsApp or MIUI, the settings can be reset to standard.

📊 How often do you experience notification issues on WhatsApp?
Often, several times a month.
Sometimes, once every 2-3 months.
Close by, only after updates
Never had a problem.

Battery Optimization in MIUI: Why the System Blocks Sounds

MIUI is known for its aggressive charge-saving policy: By default, the system limits the background activity of apps, including WhatsApp, which leads to notifications being skipped or "silent" coming.

To correct this, follow the following steps:

  1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
  2. Find WhatsApp in the list and select it.
  3. Click Battery Optimization (or Battery Savings in newer versions of MIUI).
  4. Choose No Limits.
  5. Go back and turn on the Autostart switch.

It is also recommended to add WhatsApp to the list of protected applications:

  1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Application Protection.
  2. Find WhatsApp and activate the protection.

Disable battery optimization for WhatsApp|Enable autostart|Add to protected applications|Reboot your phone after the changes-->

If the sound does not appear after these manipulations, the problem may lie deeper in the notification system settings.

3. Notification system settings: where Xiaomi hides the sound

In MIUI, notifications are not only managed by the application itself, but also by the system, and the sound may be turned off globally or for a particular chat.

Check the following parameters:

  • 📱 General Sound Settings: Go to Settings → Sound and vibration. Make sure the volume slider for Notifications is not at zero. Also check if Do Not Disturb mode is activated (the bell icon with the cross-out in the notification bar).
  • 🛠 Notification settings for WhatsApp: Open Settings → Annexes → Application management → WhatsApp → Notifications. Make sure the Allow Notifications switch is on. Click on Notification Categories and check that the Message and Calls are not off.

Priority of notifications

WhatsApp

Importance

Tall.

If everything is set up correctly, but there is still no sound, the problem may be due to the app’s cache or conflict with other services.

What to do if the settings do not include the item "Notification Categories"?
Some versions of MIUI (especially older Xiaomi models) may not have the Notification Categories section, in which case try: 1. Update MIUI to the latest version via Settings → About Phone → System Update. 2. Reset notification settings for WhatsApp: in the app settings, click Storage → Clear Data (this will delete chat history!). 3. Install an alternative launcher (such as Nova Launcher) that can give access to hidden settings.

4. Conflict with other apps: who is "stealing" the sound from WhatsApp

Sometimes WhatsApp audio notifications are blocked by other programs, especially if they use similar alert channels.

  • 🎵 Music players (e.g. Mi Music, Spotify, YouTube Music): can take over an audio channel and keep it from being released.
  • 🎮 Gaming Utilities (e.g. Game Turbo): Disable notifications to improve performance.
  • 🔒 Antiviruses and optimizers (e.g. Security, Clean Master): block background activity.
  • 📱 Duplicate messengers (for example, Telegram, Viber): can conflict over resources.