Where to find a flashlight in Xiaomi: 5 ways to turn on the backlight on any smartphone

You find yourself in a dark room or outdoors in the evening, pulling out a Xiaomi smartphone to light the way, but can’t find where the flashlight is hidden? This is a situation familiar to many owners of brand devices — especially those who have recently switched from other brands (such as Samsung or iPhone). Unlike competitors, where the backlight is often put on a separate button or in the notification curtain, in MIUI the location of the feature can vary depending on the model and version of the firmware.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways to turn on a flashlight on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, from standard methods to hidden chips. You’ll learn where to look for an icon on the menu, how to add a shortcut to the home screen, what gestures speed up access, and what to do if the flashlight Suddenly stopped working. And we’ve compiled a compatibility table for popular models, from the Redmi Note 10 to the flagship Xiaomi 14.

1. Standard method: notification curtain

The most obvious and universal method is to use the Quick Settings Panel, which works on 99% of Xiaomi devices regardless of the MIUI version (except custom firmware).

1. Swipe your finger down the screen to open the notification curtain.
2. If the panel is not displayed completely, swipe down again - all icons should appear.
3. Find the flashlight icon (🔦) And you tap it. Some models may have it hidden, so you can tap on a pencil and you can add it manually.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra or POCO F5) The brightness of the flashlight can be automatically adjusted depending on the lighting. If the backlight seems dim, check the display settings in the Screen section. → Adaptive brightness.

Can't find the icon even after editing the panel?Maybe your model supports alternative inclusion methods - read on.

2. Quick activation via the lock button

Many users are unaware that on some Xiaomi smartphones, the flashlight can be activated without unlocking the screen.This feature is available on devices with a physical or touch power button (for example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or Xiaomi 12T).

• 🔑 Hold the lock button for 1-2 seconds (not until the turn off menu appears!).
• 🔦 A pop-up window will appear with a suggestion to turn on the flashlight - tap it on it.
• 🔄 To turn off, repeat the action or click on the icon in the curtain.

On models with side-finger scanners (such as the POCO X5 Pro), this method may not work – instead of a flashlight, a power menu will open, in which case use alternative methods from the following sections.

💡 Useful tip: If you have a magnetic lock case (such as the original Xiaomi Smart Cover), the flashlight can be turned on simply by opening the case - the smartphone recognizes movement and automatically activates the backlight (the function is called a Smart flashlight and is configured in Settings). → Display).

3. Adding a shortcut to the main screen

If you have to use a flashlight a lot, you can put it on your desktop or in the quick access panel in two ways:

Method 1: Through the tool widget

• 📱 Click and hold the empty space on the main screen → select "Widgets".
• 🔧 Find the Tools widget (or Tools) and drag it to the screen.
• 🔦 In the list of tools, select "Lightlight" - the shortcut will appear on the desktop.

Method 2: Through MIUI settings (for new versions)

On MIUI 13/14 firmware, the path is different:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner → "Add to the main screen".
3. Select "Lightlight" from the list of system utilities.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 10C) The flashlight label may disappear after updating the firmware, in which case delete it and add it again.

4.Gestural and voice commands

Xiaomi offers some non-obvious flashlight management methods that save time. Let's take a look at them in detail.

"Shake for the flashlight" gesture

This feature is available on most devices with MIUI 12 and later.

1. Go to Settings → Special features → Gestures.
2. Find the "Shake for the flashlight" option and turn it on.
3. Now it is enough to shake the smartphone (as in the reset of a compass), and the backlight will turn on.

🔹 Note: The sensitivity of the gesture is adjusted in the same menu. If the flashlight is triggered by accident (for example, while running), reduce the sensitivity.

Voice assistant XiaoAI

If you have Chinese firmware or a global version with XiaoAI, you can use voice commands:

• 🎤 Say, “OK, Google, turn on your flashlight” (if you’re configured Google Assistant).
• 🤖 "Hey XiaoAI, turn on the flashlight" (Chinese version).

Double press of the volume button

On some models (e.g. POCO F4 GT), you can double-press the volume button to turn on the flashlight.

Settings → Buttons and gestures → Volume button → Flashlight

5. Problem Solving: The flashlight doesn't work

If the backlight doesn't turn on either way, the reasons can be software or hardware, and let's look at the typical cases and solutions.

🔧 Technical nuance: On infrared-lighted devices (such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra), the flashlight may conflict with the camera's night mode. If you've recently used the camera in the dark, reboot your smartphone - this will reset the priority of use. LED-module.

⚠️ If after falling or getting moisture flashlight stopped working, do not try to disassemble the smartphone yourself – in Xiaomi LED-The module is often integrated into the camera board, and its replacement requires soldering work.

6. Hidden flashlight features in Xiaomi

Few people know, but the backlight in Xiaomi smartphones can do more than just shine.

• 🔥 SOS-Signal: On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro)+) You can set the flashing flashlight in mode SOS (Three short, three long, three short. Path: Settings → Memory and emergency functions → Emergency signal.
• 🎶 Musical backlighting: In the Mi Music or Spotify app, the flashlight can flash to the beat of music (you need to enable the Visualization option). → Illumination).
• 📱 Notifications: The flashlight may flash when incoming calls or messages (configured in Settings) → Notifications → Light effects).

💡 Useful tip: If you often use a flashlight to read in the dark, install the Flashlight Widget app from Google Play - it allows you to adjust the brightness of the backlight (a standard flashlight in the sky). MIUI Always working at maximum).

💡

On MIUI devices for POCO (e.g., POCO X6 Pro), the flashlight may have additional modes, such as a strobe (flash with adjustable frequency) or color filters (via third-party applications).

Differences between models: compatibility table

The location of the flashlight and the available features may vary depending on the series and firmware version, below is a summary table for popular devices (relevant to MIUI 14):

🔍 How do you know your model? Go to Settings → The phone. → Model: If your device is not in the table, use the universal methods from the first sections of the article.

FAQ: Frequent questions about flashlights in Xiaomi