Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where a small crescent symbol appears at the top of the screen, next to the signal and battery indicators. For many users, this becomes a cause for concern: whether the sound is gone, why notifications are not coming or the alarm clock is not working. In fact, this icon indicates the activation of the system function “Do Not Disturb”, which is designed to block incoming calls and notifications at certain hours or at the request of the user.
This feature is standard for Android operating systems and shells such as MIUI and HyperOS. Its main goal is to provide the user with peace and quiet during sleep, work or important meetings without requiring a complete shutdown of the device. Understanding how this mode works allows you to flexibly manage the availability of your phone, while not missing critical messages from loved ones.
In this article, we will explore in detail why the moon icon is activated, how to manually remove it, and how to set an automatic schedule so that the phone itself goes into quiet mode at night. We will also look at the subtleties of operating exceptions that allow you to skip calls from favorite contacts even when silence mode is turned on.
What does the crescent icon mean in a status bar
The appearance of the moon icon in the status bar means that your device activates the mode “Do Not Disturb” (Do Not Disturb), in which the smartphone ignores incoming calls, SMS-messages and notifications from applications without sounding or vibrating, and the screen may not light up when the notification is received, creating the illusion of no activity.
It's important to distinguish this from the normal silent mode or "In the plane" mode. If the "Air mode" completely shuts down the communication modules, then when the "Moon" is turned on, the phone continues to work on the network, receive data and messages, but does it silently and unnoticed by the owner, a key difference that is often overlooked.
⚠️ Note: With an active moon icon, the standard alarm clocks in the Clock app usually continue to work, but the system sounds of the interface and media notifications can be silenced depending on the version. MIUI.
The system allows you to flexibly adjust the behavior of the device in this state, you can allow interruption of silence for repeated calls (if the same number rings several times in a row for several minutes) or for certain categories of contacts, which makes the feature a universal tool for managing digital detox.
How to turn off the “Do Not Disturb” mode manually
If the moon icon appears unexpectedly and prevents you from hearing calls, it needs to be deactivated.The fastest way to do this is to use the control panel. Swipe from top to bottom (or bottom to top, depending on the navigation settings) to open the "Curtain" of notifications and quick settings.
Find a crescent icon among the icons, if it's illuminated or has a colored background, then the mode is active. Click on it once to turn it off. The icon should turn grey or disappear, and the moon icon at the top status bar will disappear, returning the phone to standard behavior at notifications.
☑️ Verification of the deactivation
An alternative way to get more detailed information through the system settings is to go to the Settings menu → Sound and vibration → Don’t disturb. Here you will see the mode switch. If it is activated, just turn it to the Off position. Also, in this menu you can see the schedule if it was set earlier.
Sometimes users accidentally activate this mode in an attempt to turn the volume down. When you press the volume down button, a slider appears, which often has additional settings under it. If you click on the gear icon or three dots next to the slider, you can accidentally turn on "Do Not Disturb." Be careful when you adjust the sound.
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To quickly check the status of the mode, pay attention to the color of the volume icon: if there is a moon next to it, the mode is activated through the sound bar.
Setting up an automatic work schedule
One of the most useful features of Do Not Disturb mode is the ability to work on a schedule, which eliminates the need to manually turn on and off silence every night, and the smartphone will go into the desired mode at a given time and exit it in the morning.
To set up, go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb → Scheduled. Here you can activate the function and set time intervals. For example, from 23:00 to 07:00. At the set time, the moon icon will automatically appear on the screen, and the phone will stop making sounds.
There's also a smart sleep schedule that syncs to your alarm clock, and if you use the standard clock app to set your alarm clock, your phone can automatically turn on the silent mode when you go to bed and turn it off when the alarm goes off.
| Setup parameter | Description of action | Recommended value |
|---|---|---|
| Time to start. | Mode activation | 23:00 (time to go to bed) |
| Time to end | Time of deactivation | 07:00 (rise time) |
| Days of repetition | Choosing the days of the week | Daily or weekday |
| Repeated calls | Double-bell pass | Included (for emergencies) |
The flexibility of the settings allows you to create a personalized silence profile, so you can set different schedules for weekends when sleep patterns can shift, or you can turn off automation at certain dates altogether, which is especially true for people with floating work schedules.
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Automatic schedules are the best way to ensure quality sleep, as they eliminate the human factor and forgetfulness.
Setting up exceptions: who can reach you
Even in total silence, it is important to remain available for emergency communication. Xiaomi's system provides powerful tools for creating exception lists. These are contacts or types of notifications that will ignore the restrictions set.
In the Do Not Disturb mode settings menu, look for the "Exceptions" or "Allow Notifications" section, and you can choose which events will interrupt the silence.
- 📞 Favorite Contacts: Calls and Messages Only From People Added to the Favorites List in the Phone Book.
- 🔄 Repeated calls: if one number calls a second time during the 3-5 minutes, the call will pass (emergency function).
- ⏰ Alarm clocks: ensures that the alarm beeps are heard at any time.
- 💬 Messages: the ability to allow notifications only from certain messengers or SMS.
Special attention should be paid to the function of "Repeat calls", which works on a system level and often saves in situations where you need to urgently contact a person who has "Do not disturb" mode. If you are waiting for an important call, ask the caller to duplicate the call.
⚠️ Note: Adding contacts to exceptions does not guarantee notification delivery if an app (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) has limited background power consumption.
To set up your favorite contacts, open the Contacts app, find the right person, and click on the asterisk icon or select Add to Favorites, only after that they can break through the silence wall of your smartphone.
Why the Moon Sign Turns On On Its Own
A common problem with Xiaomi users is to turn on the mode spontaneously. If you didn't touch the settings and the moon appeared, most likely, the planned event worked. Check the "Schedule" section in the audio settings, perhaps there is a tick "Enable by time".
The second reason could be to activate sleep mode through the Health or Mi Fitness app if it's synced to the system.The sleep tracker can automatically put the phone into quiet mode when it detects you've fallen asleep or gone to bed.
It’s also worth checking out third-party alarm apps or focus programs (like Google’s Digital Well-Being) that may have their own rules that override standard system settings, in which case the moon icon is an indicator of third-party software.
Hidden activation triggers
Software glitches are not to be discounted either. In rare cases, after a MIUI update, audio settings can “fly” into a default state with silence mode on. Rebooting the device often helps to reset the mistaken flag status in the system.
The effect of the regime on the alarm clock and timer
One of the most common questions is, "Will the alarm ring if the moon is on?" The answer is yes, it will. The standard Watch app on Xiaomi takes precedence over the Do Not Disturb system mode. The alarm clock will sound even when the speaker is off (unless the silent mode is set separately) and the vibration mode is on.
Countdown timers may behave differently, however: In some firmware versions, the audible timer alert is muted or replaced by vibration if the silent mode is active, so that the kitchen timer does not wake everyone in the house.
It is important to distinguish between system alarms and third-party alarms. Third-party programs may not have sufficient rights to ignore the "Do Not Disturb" mode. Always test important alarms in advance, setting the time a couple of minutes ahead in real time.
- ✅ System alarm clock: rings always, regardless of the moon icon.
- ✅ Timer: can be silenced, depending on the version of the OS.
- ⚠️ Third-party alarms: require checking access rights and battery settings.
To make sure you wake up, it is recommended that you do not rely solely on one sound source, and that using loud melody and vibrations in conjunction with the correct exception settings ensures that the moon icon does not cause you to be late.
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Conduct a test run: turn on the “Do not disturb” mode, set the alarm 1 minute ahead and put the phone down with the screen to make sure the work is correct.
Comparison of silence modes on Xiaomi
Users often confuse the different ways to turn off the sound. Xiaomi smartphones have several, and each has its own purpose. Understanding the difference will help to avoid situations where the phone is silent at the most inopportune time.
| Regime. | Icon | Call sound | Notifications | Media (music/video) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silent | Cross-out speaker | Off | Vibration/No sound | It's working. |
| Vibration. | Vibromotor | Vibration. | Vibration. | It's working. |
| Don't disturb (Moon) | Crescent | Block (except for exceptions) | Block (screen not lit) | It's working. |
| On the plane. | Aircraft. | No network. | No network. | It's working (offline) |
Do Not Disturb is the most intelligent mode, and it doesn't just turn off the sound, it filters the incoming information, it lets you stay up to date without being distracted by the noise, and unlike In Airplane, the Internet connection stays active, and the messengers continue to receive messages without disturbing you.
The right mode depends on the context. In a meeting, you'd better turn on "Do Not Disturb" with an exception for the select few. In a movie theater, full silent mode. In flight, air mode. The moon sign is your friend in situations where you need concentration or rest.