How to set up notification indicator on Xiaomi: from flashing to color

Xiaomi’s LED notification indicator is a small but extremely useful detail that helps you avoid missing important messages, calls or reminders. However, not all users know that this indicator can be flexibly adjusted: change the color of the blink for different applications, adjust the frequency of signals or turn it off altogether at night. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to customize the indicator, from basic settings in MIUI to hidden functions through the engineering menu.

Xiaomi is a company that regularly changes the location of options in the firmware. For example, in MIUI 14, the path to the indicator settings is different from MIUI 12, and on some models (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the LED is not physically present at all, and we took these nuances into account and prepared universal instructions that will suit most devices, from the Poco X3 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Checking the presence of LED on your Xiaomi model

Before you set up the indicator, make sure it's on your smartphone at all.In recent years, Xiaomi has been gradually ditching physical LEDs in favor of the LEDs. AMOLED-Screens with Always On Display (AOD). Here's how to determine the type of indicator:

• 🔍 Physical LED: a small dot near the front camera or under the screen (characteristic of models up to 2021: Redmi Note 9 Pro, Mi) 10T, Poco F2 Pro).
• 📱 Program indicator (AOD): flashing the edge of the screen or icons on the off display (all flagships from 2022: Xiaomi 13, Redmi) K60).
• ❌ No budget models: no budget models AOD (Like Redmi. A2, Poco M5).

If you are not sure, check the specifications of your model on the official Xiaomi website or use the application. AIDA64 (section Sensors → Notifications on smartphones with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro) physical LED replaces the function "Blinking edge" in the settings AOD.

Basic settings of the indicator in MIUI

The standard LED control options are hidden in the Notification Settings menu. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the general logic is maintained:

1. Open Settings → Notifications and Status bar.
2. Select the Notification Indicator (or LED indicator in older versions).
3. Activate the slider Show notification indicator.
4. Set up the parameters: 🔄 Blinking Color: Default or Custom for Each App. ⏱️ Frequency: slow/fast/constant. 🌙 Night mode: turn off the indicator at specified hours.

On models with MIUI 13/14, the path is simplified: Settings → Notifications → Additional → Notification Indicator. If there is no point, then your model uses a program indicator via AOD (more on this below).

Customize colors for different applications

By default, MIUI assigns standard colors to notifications (e.g. green for WhatsApp, blue for Telegram), but you can reassign them or create unique combinations.

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Notification Indicator → Notification Colors.
2. Select an app from a list (like VK or Gmail).
3. Click the Blink Color and select from the palette or enter a hex code (e.g. #FF00FF for purple).
4. Save the changes.

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 12.5 for Redmi Note 10), the color customization option is hidden, in which case the third-party Light Manager app (requires overlay permission) will help.

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If the color of the indicator does not change, try to turn off the energy saving for the application in the battery settings.

Program indicator on AMOLED-screens (AOD)

On smartphones without a physical LED (such as the Xiaomi 13 Lite or Redmi K50), Always On Display plays the role of an indicator.

1. Go to Settings → Screen → Always On Display
2. Enable the feature and select the display style (e.g. Digital Watch + Notifications).
3. Activate the option "Blinking edge" (not available on all models).
4. In the Notifications section, select the applications for which the indication will work.

The difference from a physical LED is that AOD consumes more power (up to 5-7% per night), but offers more customization options, from animations to displaying notification text. On the Xiaomi 14 Pro, you can even customize a dynamic background that responds to notifications.

⚠️ Attention: On models with LCD-screens (e.g. Redmi) 9A) function AOD no – the indicator will only work through a physical LED or a short-term screen turn on.

Hidden settings through the engineering menu

For advanced users, Xiaomi offers additional options for setting the indicator through the engineering menu, which works on most devices, but requires caution:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. In the menu that appears, select Equipment Testing.
3. Go to the LED (or LED indicator) section.
4. Here you can test the indicator, change the brightness or blinking mode (for example, make it constant).

On models with MIUI 14, the Adaptive Indicator feature has appeared, which automatically reduces the brightness in the dark. To activate it, go to Settings → Display → Adaptive Backlight → Notification Indicator.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with MIUI for POCO (for example, Poco X5 Pro) the night switch off option may be called Sleep Mode and be in Battery & Performance.

Solving problems with the notification indicator

If the LED doesn’t work or flashes wrong, check the following points:

If the problem persists, try:

1. Clear the Settings app cache (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Settings → Clear the cache).
2. Remove the MIUI update (if the problem has occurred after the update).
3. Reset all settings to factory (pre-reverse!).

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On Xiaomi models with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (such as Xiaomi 13), indicator problems are often solved by updating drivers through Fastboot.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Notification Indicator