How to change the color of the indicator on Xiaomi Redmi 5: Guide

Xiaomi Redmi 5 smartphone owners often face the desire to personalize the device to their tastes, and one of the first questions is changing the color of the light indicator. The standard MIUI shell installed on these models provides basic functionality, but often hides the advanced options for adjusting LED backlight. Understanding how this element works is key to successful modification of the notification system.

It should be noted that the hardware of the device has its limitations. The indicator in Redmi 5 is not a full-fledged indicator. RGB-An LED that can display millions of shades, a simpler module, but there are software methods that can trick the system or redirect signals to achieve the desired visual effect.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to change the color of notifications, from standard settings to the use of third-party applications.

You will learn why only a limited number of parameters can be changed with standard system tools and what tools will be required for deep customization.

We will also touch on the subject of hardware limitations so that your expectations match the real-world capabilities of your smartphone hardware.

Before you start settings, you need to clearly understand the technical specifics of the device. The Redmi 5 model uses a single or two-color LED, physically located under the screen or in the upper part of the body. This means that it cannot mix red, green and blue to produce new colors on its own, as full-fledged colors do. RGB-The standard behavior of the system is tied to rigid algorithms: green usually means full battery charge or an incoming message, red signals a low charge or missed call, and orange indicates the charging process. Change these colors through the standard menu "Settings» → «Additionally» → «Light indicator can only be partially, as the firmware MIUI dictates its display rules. Attempting to make the diode burn purple or blue by software methods without root rights often results in only a change in the brightness or frequency of the blinking, and not in the spectrum of the glow. ⚠️ Warning: Do not physically disassemble the LED replacement housing if you have no soldering experience SMD-This will result in loss of warranty and possible damage to the display plumes.

Standard system settings MIUIThe first step in exploring the possibilities is to have the built-in functionality of the operating system. MIUI It's based on Android, but it has its own add-on over the system notifications, so to access the basic settings, you need to go to the settings menu and find the section responsible for additional features of the device. Here, the user can activate or deactivate backlighting for different types of events, such as missed calls or messages. In some versions of the firmware, a setting of the indicator burning duration is available, which allows you to save battery power or, conversely, make the notification more noticeable. However, if you are looking for a color palette for a select hue, you will not find this with standard system tools, since the functionality is limited to pre-installed scenarios. 📊 How often do you use the light indicator?Constantly check the blink Only when the phone is down screen Do not pay attention to Disabled in settings To access the menu go on the way: Settings → Additionally. → Light indicator. In the window that opens, you'll see switches for different events, but the lack of color selection indicates that this function is blocked at the core level of the system. However, checking these settings is mandatory before installing third-party software to avoid priority conflicts.

Use of management applications LEDBecause standard tools are limited, most users turn to specialized software from the Google Play store. LED controller apps work by intercepting system notifications and redirecting signals to a diode with specified parameters. One of the most popular and functional solutions is Light Flow or its analogues, such as NotifyBuddy, which allows you to create complex profiles where the color and pattern of blinking depends on the specific sender application. For example, messages from Telegram can cause the indicator to flash blue, and SMS — It's very red, which makes it easy to color code. MIUI Often special permissions and power saving disabling for the controller application itself are required. ☑️ Configuring the application LEDDownload Light Flow or analogueProvide all requested permissionsUnable battery saving for the applicationConfigure profiles for the desired programsReboot deviceReboot Completed: 0 / 5 ⚠️ Attention: Aggressive energy saving system MIUI It can kill the background processes of the application for the indicator. Be sure to fix the application in memory and allow auto-run. After installing the program, you need to go to its settings and find the section responsible for compatibility with your device model. In the list of supported phones, select Xiaomi Redmi 5 Or a close model if the exact one is not on the list to activate the correct control driver, then a test follows: send yourself a test message and check if the indicator catches fire with the selected color.

To make it easier to understand how different applications and system settings affect the behavior of the indicator, the following table is compiled: it shows which colors are available by default and which require third-party software. Event Standard Color (System) Color through Light Flow Need Root Low Battery Charge Red Any (RGB) No Charging Connected to Orange/Green Any (RGB) No Missed Blue/Green Challenge Any (RGB) No message (SMS/MMS) Green Anybody (RGB) As you can see from the table, third-party applications allow you to override the standard behavior of the system for almost all types of events. However, it’s worth remembering that a physical LED will still emit light within its spectrum, and a “pure” purple color can look like a mixture of red and blue. The accuracy of color rendering depends on the quality of the LED module installed by the manufacturer. Why colors may differ from expected? Physical LED in Redmi 5 often has a narrow spectrum of radiation. When the application sends a signal “purple”, the diode tries to mix the available red and blue components, but due to design features, the final color can go into a purple or even pink shade. This is normal for budget models.

One of the main difficulties faced by Xiaomi users is the aggressive optimization of applications in the background. MIUI It is known for forcibly shutting down processes that are not in active use to extend battery life, which often causes the configured indicator to stop lighting after a few hours of phone operation. To fix this, you need to manually configure exceptions for the LED control app. Go to the battery settings, find your app, and select No Limits mode. It is also recommended to enable auto-start for this app so that it is activated immediately after the phone is turned on. 💡Use the function "Lock app" (Lock app). Open the menu of running applications, find the desired program, click on the lock, this will prevent it from closing when you clean the memory. Another important step is to turn off the "Mi Optimization" mode in the developer menu, although this action requires caution. To enter the developer menu, click seven times on the MIUI version number in the "About Phone" section. After turning on the developer menu, find the "Enable MIUI optimization" item and turn it off, then restart the device.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions: Can you make the indicator multicolored (RGB) without soldering? No, it is software impossible to turn a single or two-color LED into a full-fledged RGB. Applications only mimic colors using the available diode mixing capabilities, but the physical spectrum will remain limited. Why did the Light Flow indicator stop burning? Most likely, the MIUI system closed the application to save energy. Check the battery settings, allow auto-start and fix the application in memory, as described in the section on energy saving. Does the change in color of the battery affect the battery, however, the application will not use of the battery power consumption of the battery itself.