How to set the brightness of Always On Display (AOD) on Xiaomi: all ways

The Always On Display (AOD) screen on Xiaomi smartphones has become an integral part of everyday use: it shows the time, notifications and even charging animations without draining the battery thanks to AMOLED technology. However, many users face the problem of too bright or, conversely, barely noticeable display in AOD mode. Unlike the main brightness of the screen, the setting of this setting is hidden deep in the menu or completely absent in some firmware.

In this article, we will discuss all available ways to change the brightness. AOD on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices POCO — from official settings in MIUI 14/15 to the hidden commands through ADB You'll also learn why brightness can spontaneously change, how to reset to factory settings, and what to do if you're not bright. AOD It doesn't turn on at all. We'll focus on models with MIUI for Russia (global version), where functionality is often curtailed.

Why AOD is Important and How It Works

Always On Display uses only a few pixels on the screen. AMOLED-But if you don't set up the brightness, you can wipe out all the benefits:

• 🔋 Too high brightness – increases power consumption by 5-15% (according to tests) XDA Developers).
• 🌑 Too dim screen – makes it difficult to read information in bright light.
• 🔄 Automatic adjustment - in MIUI 15 may not work properly, especially on budget models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5).

AOD brightness is adjusted separately from the main display, because it uses a different lighting algorithm. In most cases, the system selects the optimal level, but sometimes manual adjustment is required. For example, on Xiaomi 13 Ultra, the brightness of AOD is tied to the light sensor, and on Redmi 10C, it is fixed and does not change.

Official ways to change the brightness of AOD in MIUI

The latest versions of MIUI (starting with 12.5) have the ability to adjust the brightness of AOD through the standard menu, but the path to these settings varies depending on the model and the firmware region.

Method 1: Through screen settings (MIUI 14/15)

This method works on most flagships (Xiaomi 12/13/14, POCO F5) and some mid-budget models (Redmi Note 12 Pro+):

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Scroll down and select Always On Display.
3. Slip on the item Brightness AOD (or Brightness setting).
4. Move the slider to adjust the lighting level.

If there is no AOD Brightness, then your model does not support manual adjustment through the menu, in which case try the alternative methods below.

Method 2: Through battery settings (hidden parameter)

On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi 11T Pro), AOD brightness is tied to power saving mode to change it:

1. Go to Settings. → Battery.
2. Select Power Modes.
3. Activate Performance mode – this will increase the brightness of AOD by 20-30%.

⚠️ Warning: This method only works on firmware with unlocked Bootloader. MIUI For Russia, it could be offline.

Hidden settings AOD: codes ADB-team

If the menu does not have a brightness slider, you can use engineering codes or ADB. These methods require caution, but give access to advanced options.

Method 1: Engineering menu (for experienced only)

In the application Phone combination:

##36446337##

This will open the CIT (Factory Test) menu.

1. Select Display Test.
2. Go to AOD Settings.
3. Find the Brightness Level and set the value from 1 (minimum) to 7 (maximum).

Warning: Do not change other options in the engineering menu – this can cause display crashes!

Method 2: ADB-commands (universal method)

This will require a computer with ADB drivers installed and USB debugging enabled on your smartphone, plug the device in and do the following at the terminal:

adb shell settings put global aod_brightness_level [meaning]

Where [value] is a number from 1 (dimmest) to 10 (maximum brightness).

adb shell settings put global aod_brightness_level 5

To make the changes effective, restart the device or turn off/on the AOD manually.

Applications for fine-tuning AOD

If standard methods don't work, you can use third-party utilities that offer advanced features including dynamic brightness, schedule and customization of the displayed information.

1. Always On Display (AOD) Customizer

The Urbandroid app allows you to:

• 🎨 Adjust the brightness with a step of 1%.
• ⏰ Establishing a timetable AOD.
• 🔄 Automatically adjust the lighting by the time of day.

Requires Root or ADB for full MIUI functionality.

2. Edge Lighting (for POCO/Xiaomi)

This app is originally designed to set up notification highlighting, but has a built-in module for AOD.

• 🌓 Manual brightness change.
• 🎭 Selection of display styles (dials, animations).
• 🔋 Optimization of energy consumption.

⚠️ Note: Apps from third-party sources may contain advertising or collect data. download only from Google Play or the official Xiaomi website.

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Before installing third-party AOD applications, back up your settings through Settings → Additional → Backup. This will help restore the system when crashes.

Why the brightness of AOD spontaneously changes

Many users complain that the brightness of Always On Display suddenly becomes too high or low without their intervention.

• 📱 Update MIUI — After installing the new version of the firmware, user settings are reset.
• 🔄 Adaptive brightness - in MIUI 15 added an algorithm that analyzes lighting conditions and automatically adjusts the backlight.
• 🔋 Power saving mode - when activated Ultra Battery Saver brightness AOD low.
• 🛠️ Failures in the light sensor — characteristic of the Redmi Note 11 and POCO X3 Pro.

On Xiaomi 13/14 models with MIUI 15, the AOD brightness is tied to the main brightness of the screen if the "Brightness Synchronization" option is enabled in the display settings. Turn it off to split the adjustment.

How to turn off automatic adjustment

If you are annoyed by spontaneous brightness changes, do the following:

1. Go to Settings → Display → Always On Display
2. Turn off the option of Automatic Brightness or Adaptive AOD.
3. If there is no paragraph, use it. ADB-Adb shell settings put global aod_auto_brightness 0

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On devices with MIUI for Russia (global version), automatic brightness adjustment AOD is often disabled by default. To activate it, you need to flash it to the European or Chinese version of the software.

Solving AOD problems: screen not turning on or too dim

If Always On Display has stopped working or become barely noticeable, try the following steps:

Problem 1: AOD is not turned on at all

• 🔌 Check if the function is activated in Settings → Display. → Always On Display.
• 📱 Restart the device – sometimes it helps to reset temporary data.
• 🔄 Update the firmware to the latest version (in) MIUI 14.0.4+ corrected the bugs from AOD).
• 🛠️ Reset the display settings: Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Reset the screen settings.

Problem 2: The screen is too dim even at maximum

• 🔦 Check if the device has a dark filter (Settings) → Display. → Color mode).
• 📉 Turn off Reading Mode – it reduces the brightness of the entire screen, including AOD.
• 🔋 Make sure that Ultra Battery Saver is not activated.
• 🛠️ Calibrate the light sensor through the engineering menu (#36446337## → Sensor Test).

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi 12 Lite and Redmi Note 11S You'll see a hardware defect where the light sensor is wrong, and then you'll only need to change the screen in the service center.

FAQ: Frequent questions about AOD brightness setting