The automatic brightness adjustment on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones is a feature that simultaneously saves battery power and protects vision. But many users are faced with the fact that the autobrightness works incorrectly: the screen is too dim in sunny weather or blinds their eyes at night. In this article, we will examine all the ways of setting, from basic parameters to hidden engineering menus, which will help calibrate the light sensor more accurately.
The feature of the autobrightness on Xiaomi is that it depends not only on the MIUI settings, but also on the firmware version, the smartphone model (for example, the Redmi Note 12 and Redmi 10C have different algorithms), and the physical state of the sensor. We tested all methods on the current versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS - the results are summarized in the comparison table below.
Important: If the autobrightness still jumps or behaves illogically after setting up, the problem may lie in a contaminated light sensor (located next to the front camera) or a system services failure, which is discussed in a separate section of the article.
Where is the autobrightness setting in MIUI and HyperOS
In the latest versions of the shell, the path to autobrightness settings has changed. If you've upgraded from MIUI 12 or earlier, the old instructions from the Internet are no longer relevant.
- 📱 MIUI 14 / HyperOS: Settings → Display. → Brightness → Automatic brightness (slider at the top)
- 🔄 MIUI 12-13: Settings → Display. → Additionally. → Autobrightness
- ⚙️ Old versions (up to) MIUI 11): Settings → Screen. → Brightness → Automatically.
Some Redmi models (like the Redmi 9A or Redmi 8) may not have a separate switch, instead only a brightness slider labeled "Adaptive" -- the same auto-brightness mode, but with a simplified interface.
Once you activate the autobrightness, the system will suggest that you train the sensor, which is an important step that many people miss. The MIUI algorithm remembers your brightness preferences in different lighting conditions, so that the training is correct:
- Activate autobrightness and leave your smartphone for 10-15 minutes in a room with constant lighting.
- Do not change the brightness manually during this period.
- Repeat the process at a different light level (e.g., go outside).
Fine tuning of autobrightness through the engineering menu
If the standard settings don't work, you can manually calibrate the light sensor through the engineering menu, which works on all Redmi models, but you need to be careful that the wrong settings can lead to incorrect screen performance.
To open the engineering menu:
- Open the Phone app.
- Enter the combination: ##36446337## (on some models it may not work – see alternative methods below).
- Select the Light Sensor (Light Sensor).
| Parameter | Recommended value | What regulates |
|---|---|---|
| Min Brightness | 20–50 | Minimum brightness in the dark |
| Max Brightness | 300–400 | Maximum brightness in bright light |
| Middle Brightness | 150–200 | Average brightness in the room |
| Sensor Sensitivity | 3–5 | Sensor sensitivity (the higher the sensor reacts faster) |
Important: brightness values in the engineering menu are indicated in conventional units (not in threads!). For the Redmi Note 11 and newer, the optimal range is 20-400, for older models (for example, Redmi 5) - 10-255.
Recorded the current parameter values|Do not exceed the maximum brightness for your model|Sensitivity of the sensor is not higher than 5|Check the screen performance in different lighting-->
⚠️ Warning: If after changes to the engineering menu the screen becomes too dark or bright, reset to factory settings via Settings → The phone. → Resetting: Some parameters (e.g. Sensor Calibration) can cause permanent sensor failure!
Why Auto Brightness is Not Working: 5 Reasons and Solutions
If the avtobrightness on your Xiaomi Redmi is behaving strangely – changing dramatically for no reason, not responding to changing lighting, or getting stuck at one level – the reasons may be as follows:
- 🧹 The light sensor is contaminated, and it's located next to the front camera (usually in the top left corner), wipe it with a soft napkin dipped in alcohol.
- 🔄 System services failure. Restart your phone or reset your display settings: Settings → Display. → Resetting settings.
- 📱 Outdated firmware. MIUI 13 and older patched autobrightness bugs for most Redmi models.Update the software via Settings → Updating the system.
- 🔋 Battery savings limit brightness. Turn off power saving mode or add Display to exceptions.
- 🛠️ Hardware malfunction of the sensor. If nothing helps, the sensor may fail (often after falls or moisture hits).
On the Redmi 10/11/12 series, there is a bug when the autobrightness is reset after rebooting.
- Turn off the autobrightness.
- Manually set the brightness to the average level.
- Turn on autobrightness back and reboot the phone.
How to check the performance of the light sensor?
How to turn off autobrightness completely and return to manual settings
If you decide that autobrightness only interferes with it, you can turn it off in two ways:
- Through settings: Go to Settings → Display → Brightness. Turn off the slider Auto Brightness. Manually adjust the brightness with the slider.
- Through the notification panel: Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar. Find the Brightness icon and tap it. Uncheck the Auto box in the top right corner.
On some firmware (such as customized Pixel Experience or LineageOS), autobrightness may not be present in standard settings.
- Install Lux Auto Brightness from Google Play.
- Give him permission to change the system settings (ADB-team:
adb shell pm grant com.vito.lux android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGSThe app will then be able to control brightness regardless of system constraints.
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If the brightness is reset when the screen is locked after the autobrightness is turned off, check the adaptive lighting settings in Settings → Battery → Energy Saving Modes. Turn off the Adaptive Brightness option there.
Comparison of autobrightness on different models Xiaomi Redmi
Autobrightness algorithms differ not only depending on the version of MIUI, but also on the model of the smartphone, and we tested several popular devices and put the results in a table:
| Model | Screen type | Autobrightness range (thread) | Sensitivity of the sensor | Typical bugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ | AMOLED, 120Hz | 2–1000 | Tall. | Sharp jumps in the transition from shadow to light |
| Redmi 10C | IPS LCD, 60 Hz | 10–450 | Medium | Slow reaction at dusk |
| Redmi 9T | IPS LCD, 60 Hz | 5–400 | Low. | Too dim screen in sunlight |
| Redmi K50 | AMOLED, 120Hz | 1–800 | Very high. | Flickering with automatic adjustment |
Nana AMOLED-screens (for example, in Redmi Note 11 Pro or Redmi) K60) Auto brightness works smoother thanks to technology DC Dimming, which reduces flickering at low brightness. IPS-displays (like in Redmi) 10A) adjustment is less accurate and the screen may appear “soapy” at average brightness values.
How to Save Battery Charge with Auto Brightness
Properly tuned autobrightness can extend the life of your Xiaomi Redmi by 10-15%. Here are some tips for maximum savings:
- 🔋 Limit maximum brightness. In the engineering menu, set Max Brightness no higher than 300-350 (even in bright sunshine, this is enough).
- 🌙 Use a dark theme. AMOLED-It reduces energy consumption by 20 to 30 percent on screens. → Display. → Dark subject.
- ⚡ Turn off the adaptive refresh rate. 90/120 Hz (e.g. Redmi Note) 11 Pro, switch to 60 Hz in Settings → Display. → Frequency of update.
- 📊 Set up a brightness schedule. Apps like Tasker or MacroDroid can automatically dim brightness at night.
On Redmi with Snapdragon 4xx/6xx processors (for example, Redmi 9 or Redmi Note 10), autobrightness consumes less power than on flagships with Snapdragon 8xx, since it uses a less resource-intensive algorithm for processing data from the sensor.
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Nana AMOLED-The brightness of the screen saves more energy than on the IPS, The ability to turn off pixels when displaying black.
⚠️ Note: If you are using battery supersaving modes (e.g. Ultra Battery Saver in the Ultra Battery Saver) MIUI 14), autobrightness can be turned off automatically.To avoid this, add the com.android.systemui process to the battery optimization exceptions.
Alternative applications for brightness control
If the standard avtobrightness on Xiaomi Redmi doesn’t suit you, you can use third-party apps that offer more flexibility, such as adjusting brightness by time of day or geolocation.
Top.-3 applications to replace standard autobrightness:
- 🌞 Lux Auto Brightness is the most advanced solution with user profiles, and can emulate the light sensor if it's broken.
- 🌓 Velocity – lightweight application with the ability to bind brightness to the battery level.
- 🔆 Brightness Auto Mode is a simple app for manual sensor calibration without an engineering menu.
To make these applications work properly, they need special permissions.
- Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times).
- Follow the command in ADB:
adb shell pm grant PAKET APPLATIONS android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGSReplace the Application Package with:
- com.vito.lux for Lux Auto Brightness
- com.velveten.brightness for Velocity