Notifications on Xiaomi: how to work, why you need and how to set them up

Have you ever noticed little colored dots or icons next to app icons on Xiaomi's screen? These are notification tags -- one of the key interface elements. MIUI And the new HyperOS, which many users either ignore or don't understand, seems like a simple design detail at first, but actually carries an important functional load: it helps you quickly assess the notification situation without opening every application.

In this article, we will analyze what notification labels on Xiaomi are, what their types are, how they differ in different versions of the shell (from the different versions of the shell). MIUI 12 to HyperOS), and most importantly, how to customize them to keep important messages from missing or getting distracted by unnecessary ones, and focus on common problems: why tags sometimes don't show up, how to return them after a system update, and what to do if they don't work properly.

What are notification labels and why do they need them?

Notification tags (or notification badges) are visual indicators that appear on app icons when new notifications arrive.

• 🔴 Colored dots (usually red, but can be green, blue or orange depending on the topic)
• 📊 Numbers (shows the number of unread notifications)
• 🔲 Badges (e.g. exclamation point for important alerts)

The main purpose of tags is to save you time. Instead of opening every app (like WhatsApp, Telegram or Gmail), you can look at the screen and see where there are unread messages, which is especially useful for those who receive dozens of notifications a day and want to quickly prioritize them.

Xiaomi’s notification tags are tightly integrated with the alert system MIUI/HyperOS. They can work differently depending on the:

• 📱 Smartphone models (for example, on Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 14 settings may differ)
• 🔄 Firmware versions (in MIUI 14 and HyperOS tag display logic changed)
• 🔧 Settings of a particular application (some programs, like Viber, have their own rules for tags)

⚠️ Attention: Notification tags and notification icons in the status bar (top of the screen) are different things.Tags are shown on app icons, and status icons display active alerts at the moment.

Types of notification labels on Xiaomi: dots, numbers, icons

Depending on the version MIUI Or HyperOS on your Xiaomi, the notification tags can look different:

The HyperOS (which has replaced the MIUI In 2026, tags are smarter. Now they can do it:

• 🎨 Change depending on the theme (for example, in a dark theme, the points become less bright)
• 🔍 Filter notifications by importance (the label may not appear if the message is marked as unimportant)
• 🔄 Sync with other Xiaomi devices (for example, if you read the notification on the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro, the tag will disappear on the smartphone too)

How to turn on or off notification tags on Xiaomi

By default, notification tags on Xiaomi are turned on, but sometimes they may disappear after a system update or reset. To return them or turn them off, follow the instructions:

1. Open Settings → Notifications and Status bar.
2. Select Notification Marks (in some versions) MIUI This item may be called Application Badges or Notification Indicators).
3. Activate the switch Show notification tags.
4. Below, select the display style: 🔘 Points (recommended for a minimalist appearance) 🔢 Numbers (useful if you need to know the number of notifications)

If you have HyperOS, the path may be slightly different:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → More.
2. Find the tags section on the icons and set up the display.

For individual apps, tags can be customized, for example, if you want Telegram to show numbers and Instagram just dots:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want (such as WhatsApp).
3. Click Notifications → Notification tags.
4. Turn on or off the tags and select their type.

⚠️ Attention: Some applications (e.g, VK Facebook or Facebook have their own tag settings, which may conflict with the system settings, so the settings of the app itself take priority.

Why Notification Labels Are Not Working and How to Fix It

Sometimes, notification tags on Xiaomi stop showing or don't work properly, and here are the most common reasons and ways to eliminate them:

If the tags are missing after upgrading to HyperOS, try the following:

1. Reset notification settings: Settings → Notifications → Additionally. → Reset the settings.
2. Check if the tags are not switched off. MIUI Optimization (hidden menu for power users). To get there, type the phone code in the app: ##4636## Then select Phone Information. → Menus. MIUI Optimization → Notification Badge.

Important: On some models (for example, POCO F5 or Redmi K60) After resetting to factory settings, the notification tags may not automatically recover, in which case they need to be manually enabled through the notification settings.

How to set up notification labels for yourself: tips and life hacks

Notification tags on Xiaomi can be configured flexibly to make them work as efficiently as possible. Here are some useful tips:

• 🎯 Prioritize important apps, like WhatsApp or Mail, turn on numbers, and leave only dots for Instagram to avoid distractions.
• 🔕 Turn off tags for unnecessary notifications. If you are annoyed by tags from games or news apps, just turn them off in the settings of each app.
• 🌓 Use a dark theme for comfort. In HyperOS, tags automatically adjust to the theme: in dark mode, they become less bright and do not cut your eyes.
• 🔄 Sync with other devices. If you have a Xiaomi Pad or Xiaomi Watch, enable notification sync in Settings → Connected devices.

For advanced users, there are hidden opportunities:

• 🛠️ Change the color of the labels through ADB. If you don’t like the standard red, you can change it with the command: adb shell settings put global. notification_badge_color [HEX-Colour code ] For example, for blue: FF0000FF.
• 📱 Customization through MIUI Hidden Settings. Install the app MIUI Hidden Settings from Google Play (developer rights required) to access additional label options.

If you often use Xiaomi in Do Not Disturb mode, note that notification tags in this case can behave differently:

• In the mode only alarms tags are not displayed.
• In Mode, Priority tags are shown only for selected applications.
• In full-time mode, the tags work as usual.

💡

If notification tags get in the way on your desktop but you don't want to turn them off completely, try using application folders. fold frequently used programs into one folder - the tag will only appear on the folder, not on each icon separately.

Notifications on different Xiaomi models: what has changed in HyperOS

With the release of HyperOS in 2026, the logic of the notification tags has undergone several changes. MIUI 14, here's what you need to know:

On new flagships such as Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Xiaomi MIX Fold 3, notification tags have become part of a more general alert system that takes into account the information:

• 🕒 Time of day (for example, at night, the markings may become less noticeable)
• 📍 Your location (if you’re at work, social media tags may be hidden)
• 🔋 Battery level (at low charge, labels from energy-intensive applications are blocked)

If you upgraded to HyperOS and the tags began to work differently than before, do not rush back to the new system. MIUI. You probably just have to reconfigure them to new realities, like HyperOS, which has Smart Notifications, which automatically sorts tags by importance, to turn it off:

1. Go to Settings. → Notifications → Smart notifications.
2. Turn off the automatic sorting option.

Alternative ways to track notifications without tags

If you don’t like notification tags or they don’t work consistently, there are a few alternative ways to track new posts on Xiaomi:

• 🔔 Notification panel. Just swipe down to see all active alerts. In HyperOS, the panel is more informative: it now shows not only text, but also previews of images (e.g., from Telegram or Signal).
• 📱 Desktop widgets: Many applications (like Gmail or Calendar) have widgets that show the number of unread emails or events.
• ⚡ Quick settings. HyperOS has the ability to add notification icons to the Quick Settings panel, such as putting WhatsApp in there to always see new messages.
• 🔗 Sync with a smartwatch.If you own a Xiaomi Watch S3 Mi Band 8 will be duplicated with smartphone notifications, including those that are usually displayed with tags.

For users who want full control over notifications, third-party apps can be recommended:

• 📌 Niagara Launcher – This launcher offers a unique notification system where all alerts are collected in one place and tags are displayed as a progress bar.

If you choose to use a third-party launcher (like a Nova Launcher or an Apex Launcher), note that the notification label settings in them may differ.

1. Install an additional plugin (e.g. TeslaUnread for Nova Launcher).
2. Enable access to notifications for the launcher in the system settings.
3. Set up the style of the labels in the launcher parameters.

⚠️ Note: Some third-party launchers may conflict with Xiaomi notification system tags, especially on HyperOS. If the tags stopped working after installing the alternative launcher, try disabling its notification settings or return to the standard launcher. MIUI/HyperOS.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Xiaomi Notification Marks