How to set up flash for calls and notifications in MIUI

Many Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners are wondering how to make an incoming LED light up. In today’s world, when devices lack physical notification lights, this feature is becoming vital for users with hearing impairments or those who are often in noisy places. The standard MIUI shell provides built-in tools to accomplish this task, but their location is not always obvious to beginners.

Activating light notifications does not require installing third-party apps, which is an undoubted plus for the security and autonomy of the device. Android, on which HyperOS and MIUI work, has deep accessibility settings hidden from the eyes of the average user in the standard settings menu.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways to activate the function, including standard methods for global firmware versions and specific settings for Chinese versions, and will also discuss the nuances of the function in Do Not Disturb mode and through the Caller app, which will ensure maximum coverage of all possible use cases of your gadget.

Standard Activation through Accessibility Settings

The most reliable and versatile way that works on 95% of Xiaomi devices is to use the special features menu. This is where the main flash switch is hidden. First, you need to unlock your smartphone and open the main app menu. Find the Settings icon, which usually looks like a gear, and go to the Additional Features section. In some shell versions, this item may be called simply "Advanced Settings."

In the list that opens, look for the Special Opportunities (or Accessibility) option. The interface may vary depending on the version of MIUI, but the logic remains the same. Inside this menu, find the Hearing subsection. This is where the settings for the audio and light signals are located. You will need to find the Light on Call option. Slider to the active position.

Once the main switch is activated, the system will suggest clarifying the operating conditions of the function. You can choose whether the flash will only light up when incoming calls or also when receiving messages from messengers. Note that for the camera-flash to work correctly in this mode, the phone must lie down screen or be in a locked state, although this restriction is often removed on new versions of Android.

• 🔦 Open the settings and go to the "Additional Features" section».
• 👂 Select the “Special Opportunities” menu and the “Hearing” tab».
• ⚡ Activate the “Flash for notifications” switch».
• 📱 Set up the mode of operation: only calls or all notifications.

⚠️ Attention: Using flash as an indicator greatly speeds up battery life.If you leave your phone overnight with the function on, make sure the battery is sufficiently charged, or connect the device to the charger.

Set up through the “Caller” app

The second method of activating light signals is relevant for users who use the standard Google Phone application or the proprietary MIUI Dialer. This method allows you to more flexibly adjust the response to incoming calls, ignoring messages from social networks. Open the Phone application and click on three dots in the upper right corner of the screen (or menu button).

In the drop-down list, select Settings. Scroll down to "Response Behavior" or "Advanced." This should include the "Flash on Call" option. Unlike the system accessibility settings, this switch only affects voice calls and does not respond to SMS or notifications from Telegram and WhatsApp.

This method is especially useful if the system settings through “Special capabilities” for some reason conflict with other applications or does not work consistently. However, it is worth remembering that on some global versions of firmware, developers could hide this item by transferring the control of the function exclusively to the Android system menu.

Use of third-party applications for extended control

If standard MIUI tools don't meet your requirements, such as you want to set up complex blinking scenarios or color indications, third-party solutions will come to the rescue. There are many utilities in the Google Play store, such as Flash Alerts or Light On Call, which are applications that intercept system events and control the LED more aggressively than the standard system.

When installing such software, you need to be extremely attentive to the permissions requested. The program will require access to the camera, contacts and, often, the right to display over other windows, this is necessary so that the application can “ignite” the flash at any time, even if the phone is locked. After installation, follow the instructions inside the application to calibrate the duration of the flash.

Using third-party software has the advantage of adjusting the blinking frequency and pulse duration, so you can make the flash flash flash flash in short batches, saving battery power, or, conversely, burn constantly, but such applications can consume more CPU resources in the background.

Compatibility table of functions in different versions of MIUI

The interface and settings can vary significantly depending on the operating system version and the region for which the firmware is released. Below is a table that helps you navigate the activation features of the feature on various Xiaomi shell modifications.

As you can see from the table, most of the time, the route to customization is through the availability menu. However, in Chinese versions of firmware, the logic can be changed, and you will have to look for the switch in the system security utilities. If you have re-flashed the device yourself, the menu structure can be broken or changed by modifiers.

Features of work in the mode “Do not disturb”

Special attention should be paid to the behavior of the flash when the Do Not Disturb mode is activated. By default, turning on this mode blocks all light and sound notifications so as not to disturb the owner.

Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Don’t disturb. You can set up rules for favorite contacts or repetitive calls. If you add an important contact to your favorites list, your phone will respond to your calls with a flash even in silence. This is ideal for on-duty doctors or parents who are waiting for an important call at night.

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To save battery power at night, set up Do Not Disturb mode so that the flash only works for contacts from the Favorites list.

It is worth noting that in some versions of MIUI there is a bug in which the flash stops working in this mode completely, ignoring exceptions, in which case it is recommended to restart the device after changing the settings of the Do Not Disturb mode to apply the changes.

Solution: Why doesn't the flash catch fire?

Despite the ease of setting, users may encounter a situation where the function is activated but the flash does not respond to calls.The first and most common reason is the running power saving mode.The system can block the flash from running in the background to save energy.

The second reason could be conflict with flashlight apps: If you have a third-party flashlight application installed, it can intercept LED control, try removing such programs or denying them access to the camera, and check if Pocket Mode is turned on with aggressive settings, although it usually affects the screen, not the flash.

If nothing helps, it may be the hardware or the camera drivers that are the problem. Try resetting your phone, but remember that this will delete all your data. Before drastic measures, make sure that the regular Flashlight app works correctly.

⚠️ Warning: Prolonged flash operation in flash mode can cause the camera module to overheat.Do not leave the phone in direct sunlight during active calls with light indications on.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Turning on the flash on the call is a simple but effective accessibility setting that makes using the smartphone easier and more accessible for all users without the need to install additional software.