Notification indicator in the Xiaomi smartphone: appointment, settings and secrets

Have you ever noticed a small color light flashing periodically on your Xiaomi body?It's not just a decoration, it's a notification indicator, one of the most useful (and sometimes annoying) elements of the brand's smartphone interface. In an era where the screen is off 90% of the time, it's this tiny LED that keeps you up to date with missed calls, messages and system alerts.

But what if the indicator flashes too often, doesn’t turn off, or, on the contrary, stopped working? In this article, we will examine all the nuances of the notification indicator on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO – from basic functions to hidden settings that are not told even in the official instructions, you will learn how to change the color of the indicator for different applications (yes, it is possible!), why it sometimes burns green for no reason, and how to bring it back to life if it suddenly “died”.

What is a notification indicator and why you need it

Notification indicator (or LED-The indicator is a miniature LED embedded in the body of a smartphone that signals new events. In Xiaomi, it is usually located at the top of the screen (to the right or left of the front camera) and can glow in different colors. Its main task is to attract attention when the screen is off, but not to drain the battery as actively as does Always-On Display.

For example, red often means a missed call, blue means a new WhatsApp message, and green means a successful charging. But these are just basic settings: Xiaomi actually allows you to flexibly adjust the indicator to your needs. Moreover, in some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12 Pro+), LED supports smooth color transitions and even animation!

• 📱 Where: usually to the right of the front camera, but in some models (e.g., the camera is located, POCO F5) It can be left-handed or not at all (like Xiaomi). 12S Ultra).
• 🔴 Colors: red, green, blue, yellow, white - depends on the model and firmware.
• ⚡ Energy consumption: minimum (about) 0.1% charge per hour), but with constant blinking can reduce battery life on 5-10%.

⚠️ Note: In smartphones Xiaomi with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K60 Pro) physical LED-The indicator is often missing. Instead, the Always-On Display function is used (AOD), It's a system that displays notifications directly on the screen that's turned off. LED If the Notification Indicator section is not available, then your model does not support it.

How the notification indicator works in different Xiaomi models

The functionality of the indicator depends on the smartphone model, the MIUI version, and even regional firmware. For example, in Xiaomi for the Chinese market, LED settings are often wider than in the global versions.

Interestingly, in some models (such as the Xiaomi 11T Pro), the indicator can change color depending on the battery level: green – 100-50%, yellow – 50-20%, red – less than 20%.

And here's the owners. POCO Often less fortunate: in budget models (for example, in the case of the, POCO M5) The indicator can only flash red when missed notifications and green when charged, without the possibility of customization. MIUI for POCO.

How to turn on or off the notification indicator

By default, the notification indicator on Xiaomi is turned on, but sometimes it can be deactivated after updating the firmware or resetting the settings.

1. Open Settings → Notifications and Status bar.
2. Select the Notification Indicator (in some firmware it may be called LED indicator or LED-notice).
3. Activate the switch at the top of the screen.

If there is no partition with the indicator, then your model does not support it (see the table above), in which case the alternative will be Always-On Display (available in Settings → Screen → Always-On Display).

To turn off the indicator, just move the same switch to the "off" position.

• 🔋 You want to save battery life (even if it’s a little bit).
• 😴 The indicator interferes with sleep at night (especially if it flashes bright blue).
• 📱 You use a window case for notifications, and LED duplicate.

⚠️ Note: On some models (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro) disabling the indicator through the settings does not work due to a firmware bug. ADB (instruction below) or custom firmware installation.

Setting up indicator colors for different applications

One of the most useful features of the indicator on Xiaomi is the ability to assign a unique color to each application, for example, you can make Telegram flash blue, WhatsApp flash green, and missed calls red, which allows you to determine the type of notification, not including the screen.

To customize the colors:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification indicator.
2. Select the Notification Color (or Color Setting).
3. In the list of applications, tap on the desired (for example, Messages for SMS).
4. Choose a color from the suggested ones or create your own using a palette (not available on all models).

Some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 for Xiaomi 13) have advanced configurations available:

• 🎨 Gradient: smooth transition between two colors (e.g., blue to purple).
• ⏱️ Blinking duration: you can choose a constant glow or blinking with different frequencies.
• 🔄 Priority: If multiple notifications arrive, the indicator will show the color of the most important (for example, a missed call instead of a message on a social network).

If your model does not have this option, you can use third-party applications, for example, Light Manager (root rights required) or Notification LED (rootless, but with restrictions).

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To reset the indicator colors to factory settings, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three Dots (menu) → Reset the application settings. This won’t delete the data, but will return the standard notification colors.

Why the notification indicator does not work: reasons and solutions

If the indicator stops flashing or is on the wrong color, the problem can be in both software settings and hardware malfunctions.

If none of these things worked, there might be a hardware problem, like the Redmi Note 10 Pro, where the light stops working after the smartphone crashes, in which case you need to replace the LED at the service center, and you can check this with a hardware component test:

1. In the phone app, type ##4636##.
2. Choose Equipment Testing.
3. Check the LED section – if the test fails, the LED is faulty.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi 11), the indicator may temporarily turn off when the power saving mode is activated. To return it to work, turn off the mode in Settings. → Battery and productivity → Energy saving regime.

Hidden functions of the indicator: what is not written in the instructions

Few people know, but the notification indicator on Xiaomi can do much more than just blink when you miss a call. Here are some hidden features that will make your interaction with your smartphone more convenient:

• 🔋 Charging Indication: On models with MIUI 13+ The indicator can show the percentage of charge in color — 100-70% Blue — 70-30% Red is less than red. 30% To activate, go to Settings → Battery → Charging indicator.
• 📞 Missed Call Notifications: If the indicator flashes red with a pause of 3 seconds, it means that you received a call from an unknown number (not from contacts).
• 🔒 Do Not Disturb Mode: Enable Settings → Notifications → Don't disturb. → Permission. LED-Notifications to keep the indicator running even in quiet mode.
• 🎵 Music Notifications: In some firmware, the indicator flashes to the beat of music when played via Mi Music or Spotify.

Another little-known feature is setting the indicator through ADB, which can unlock additional colors or change the behavior of the LED, for example, to turn on white (not available in all models), do in ADB:

adb shell settings put system notification_light_pulse 1


adb shell settings put system notification_light_color 0xffffffff

But beware: incorrect commands can cause system settings to fail. Back up before experimenting!

Alternatives to the notification indicator: what to do if it is not

If your Xiaomi model is not equipped LED-Indicator (such as Xiaomi) 12S Ultra or Xiaomi Mix Fold 2), don't despair! there are several alternative ways to get notifications, not including the screen:

• 📱 Always-On Display (AOD): Shows time, date and notification icons on the off AMOLED-Included in Settings. → Screen. → Always-On Display. Minus: Spending up to 1-2% charge-hour.
• 🔊 Sound and vibration alerts: Set up unique tunes for each app in Settings → Sounds and vibrations.
• 📌 Widgets on the lock screen: Add widgets for frequently used apps (such as WhatsApp or Gmail) through Settings → Lock screen → Widgets.
• 🤖 Third-party apps: Always On AMOLED — emulate AOD Notification Light adds a virtual indicator to the status bar. Edge Lighting highlights the edges of the screen when notified (required) MIUI 12+).

For POCO and budget Redmi owners, a notification window case is a good solution, and it lets the screen light through, allowing you to see the time and the alert icons without opening your smartphone, for example, Spigen or Ringke cases for the POCO X4 Pro support this feature.

If you need a physical indicator, you can consider buying an external one. LED-A module that attaches to the back of a smartphone and connects via Bluetooth, like the Noto gadget. LED Compatible with most Xiaomi models and allows you to customize colors for each application.

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On the off-the-shelf. LED-The best alternative to the indicator is Always-On Display, but remember: it works only on the display. AMOLED-screens and reduces the time of autonomous operation on 10-15%.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's notification indicator