How to Remove Ambient Mode on Xiaomi while Charging: The Complete 2026 Guide

You put Xiaomi on charge, the screen goes out, but after a couple of seconds, suddenly a dim image of time, notifications or animations lights up? This is the work of Ambient Mode, a feature of the MIUI ecosystem that should save charge and show useful information in standby mode. However, many users find it useless, if not annoying: the screen turns on at night, wastes excess battery or simply interferes with sleep.

In this article, we will explore all possible ways to disable Ambient Mode on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, from standard settings to hidden commands for power users. We will focus on the nuances of why the feature can be turned on voluntarily after a MIUI update, how to deactivate it on lock and during wireless charging, and what to do if the settings are gray and inactive.

Important: The instructions are valid for MIUI 14/15 (including global and Chinese versions), but most of the methods work on older builds as well. If your Android One smartphone (like the Mi A3), some of the features may be missing, which we’ll mention too.

What is Ambient Mode on Xiaomi and why to turn it off

Ambient Mode (some firmware called Always-on Display or AOD) is a mode in which the screen of a smartphone remains partially active even when it is turned off.

• 🔌 When connected to a charge (wired or wireless)
• 🔔 When receiving notifications (if the appropriate setting is enabled)
• ⏰ At certain times (for example, at night to show time)
• 🤳 When lifting the phone (on some models)

According to the developers, the function should:

• ✅ Show time, date and notifications without unlocking
• ✅ Save the battery by using only a fraction of the pixels AMOLED-screen)
• ✅ Improve user experience (e.g. at night)

However, in practice, many face problems:

• ❌ Battery discharge: Despite promises of savings, Ambient Mode can spend up to 5-10% of its charge per night.
• ❌ Light interference: the screen turns on in the dark, preventing sleep.
• ❌ Spontaneous Incorporation: After Updating MIUI settings are reset.
• ❌ Not working. LCD-screens: on cheap models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) function is useless, as the entire display is illuminated.

If you're one of those people who wants to turn off Ambient Mode completely, read on. We've compiled all the working methods, from the obvious to the little-known.

Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings

The easiest way to do this is to use the built-in options, but the path to them may vary depending on the MIUI version and the smartphone model, and we'll look at two options: new and old versions of the shell.

For MIUI 14/15 (2023–2026):

1. Open the Settings → Screen.
2. Scroll down to the Ambient Display (or Always-on Display) section.
3. Turn off the slider Show when charging.
4. To completely disable the function, also deactivate Show at Notifications and Schedule.

For MIUI 12/13 (2020–2022):

1. Go to Settings → Lock and Protect (or Lock the Screen).
2. Select Ambient Display.
3. Turn off the option to turn on when charging.
4. If necessary, turn off other triggers: When rising, When notifying.

If you don’t have Ambient Display on your menu, you can:

• 📱 You're a model with LCD-screen (e.g. Redmi Note 10 in the base version) where the function is disabled by default.
• 🔄 The firmware is modified (e.g. custom Pixel Experience) and the option has been moved to another location.
• 📅 Version. MIUI The first was the 11th, where Ambient Mode was called Night Screen.

Method 2: Disconnect via lock settings

On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Mi 11, Redmi K40), Ambient Mode options are duplicated in the lock menu, which is because the feature is closely integrated with the lock screen and notifications.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Screen Lock (or Security and Lock).
2. Look for the section Additional settings or lock screen settings.
3. Disable Ambient Display or Show information when charging.
4. Save the changes and check if the screen stops turning on when you connect to the network.

If there are no options in this menu, try:

• 🔍 Use the search by settings (the magnifier icon at the top of the screen) and enter the Ambient request.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone – sometimes settings appear after a reboot.
• 📲 Update MIUI Up to the latest version (in some builds, options are transferred).

Method 3: Using the Developer Mode

If standard settings don’t work, you can try disabling Ambient Mode through Developer Mode, a method that is suitable for power users and requires caution.

Steps:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on the MIUI Version (you will be notified you are a developer!).
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the USB Debugging option and turn it on (some commands need this).
4. Scroll down to the Screen section and find: Ambient Display is always on, turn it off. Show notifications on a locked screen, turn it off.

If there are no options, you can use them. ADB-Teams (computer required):

adb shell settings put global ambient_display_always_on 0


adb shell settings put secure doze_always_on 0

Warning: Changes in developer mode can affect system stability. If the phone starts to brake or discharge quickly after the options are turned off, return the settings to their original state.

💡

Before using ADB, back up your settings through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. This will help you quickly recover your system when you crash.

Method 4: Disconnecting through the "Security" application

Some MIUI firmware (especially Chinese ones) have Ambient Mode settings hidden in the Security app, which is because it is considered part of the power optimization system.

How to find it:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to the Battery or Optimization section.
3. Find the screen settings or Energy Management.
4. Turn off the Ambient Display option when charging.

If there is no Safety Application:

• 🔍 Check the Service or Google folder on the home screen.
• 🔄 Update. MIUI — In new versions, the application may be renamed to Security Center.
• 📥 Install it manually from the Mi App Store (Chinese firmware only).

Attention: Security often has options that affect autonomy. Do not disable other features (e.g., Battery Optimization) unless you are sure of their purpose.

💡

The Security app in MIUI often contains hidden settings that are not in the main menu. If Ambient Mode doesn't turn off in the standard way, check this section first.

Method 5: Reset screen settings (last resort)

If none of these things worked, and Ambient Mode keeps turning on when charging, you can try resetting your screen settings, and it won't delete your data, but it will bring all the display settings back to factory settings.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings.
2. Select Reset screen settings (or Reset display settings).
3. Confirm the action.
4. After restarting, check to see if the problem has gone away.

If that doesn’t work, there are two options:

• 🔄 Update MIUI Up to the latest version (sometimes bugs are fixed in new builds).
• 🛠️ Install custom firmware (e.g. LineageOS) where Ambient Mode can be turned off completely.

Warning: Resetting the screen settings will also return brightness, color temperature and refresh rate to factory values, and remember or write down the current settings to restore them.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after Ambient Mode is turned off, users are faced with the fact that the screen still turns on when charging, understandable reasons and ways to fix them.

Problem 1: Settings are reset after the MIUI update

This is one of the most common complaints: After updating the firmware, Xiaomi often resets the user’s energy saving and screen settings.

Decision:

• 🔄 After the update, turn off Ambient Mode again through the settings.
• 📥 Install. MIUI via Fastboot, not OTA), save the settings.
• 🔧 Use it. ADB-commands for forced shutdown (see method 3).

Problem 2: The screen only turns on when charging wirelessly

On some models (Xiaomi 13, Redmi K50), Ambient Mode is activated only when wireless charging, even if everything is disabled in the settings.

Decision:

• 🔌 Turn off wireless charging in the battery settings (if not used).
• 🔋 Try another charger – sometimes the problem is protocol incompatibility.
• 🛠️ Update the firmware of the charging station (if it is a branded Xiaomi).

Problem 3: Gray (inactive) settings Ambient Mode

If the options are turned off in gray, it could mean:

• 🔒 Power saving mode or ultrasonic mode is enabled on the phone.
• 🔐 Corporate policy is established (for example, through Android Enterprise).
• 📱 Model with LCD-screen where the function is locked hardware.

Decision:

• 🔋 Turn off the energy saving mode in Settings → Battery.
• 🔓 Check for device administrators in Settings → Annexes → Special access.
• 📲 Reset to factory settings (if the problem is politicians).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions