How to permanently turn off the flashlight when incoming call on Xiaomi smartphones

Why Xiaomi flashlight turns on on on its own – and how to fix it

Have you ever encountered a situation where your Xiaomi flashlight suddenly lights up during an incoming call? It's not an accident, but one of the "chips" of MIUI firmware that is supposed to help find your phone in the dark. However, for many users, this "help" turns into annoyance - especially if the call comes at night or in the theater. Fortunately, you can turn off the flashlight automatically in several ways, and we'll tell you about each of them.

The problem is relevant for most models Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO based MIUI 12-14, including flagships like Xiaomi 13 Pro and budget devices like Redmi Note 12. The reasons for the flashlight operation can vary from standard firmware settings to third-party applications that have access to the camera and flash. In this article, you will find 5 proven methods, including hidden settings and workarounds for stubborn devices.

Before you start settings, make sure that the problem is not due to damage to the light sensor or a malfunction of the camera module. If the flashlight is switched on arbitrarily (not only when calling), this may indicate a hardware malfunction, in which case it is better to contact the service center.

Method 1: Disconnect via call settings (the easiest method)

In most cases, the automatic flashlight activation when you call is adjusted in the Call Settings menu.This method works on all devices with MIUI 12 and later, including the Xiaomi 12T, Redmi Note 11 Pro and POCO F4.

1. Open the phone application (pipe icon).
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to Incoming Calls or Calls (the name may be different).
4. Find the flashlight option when you call (sometimes hidden under Additional settings).
5. Transfer the slider to the "Off" position.

If you don't have that option, then your model uses an alternative flash control mechanism, in which case move on to the next one.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Make sure you have enough rights (not guest mode)

Close all background apps that can use the camera

Restart your phone before settings-->

Method 2: Use Do Not Disturb mode to lock a flashlight

If the standard settings don't work, you can go a detour, block access to the flashlight through Do Not Disturb mode, which is a good method for owners of Xiaomi Mi 11, Redmi K50 and other models where the flash is controlled at the system level.

1. Open the Settings. → Sound and vibration.
2. Choose Not to Disturb.
3. Activate the mode and click Settings (or Rules).
4. Find the Exclusions section and select Calls.
5. Turn off the flashlight option when calling (if any) or add the Block Flash rule.

This method does not turn off the flashlight completely, but only prevents it from working in certain conditions (for example, at night or during important meetings).

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI 13/14 Do Not Disturb mode may interfere with the alarm clock. Before using, check if the planned signals are being disrupted.

Method 3: Disconnecting through hidden developer settings

For advanced users who aren’t afraid to dig into system settings, there’s a way to turn off the flashlight through the developer menu, which works even on devices where standard options aren’t available (like the POCO X3 Pro or Redmi 10 with custom firmware).

First, you need to activate the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click on the MIUI version 7 times in a row until the notification “You became a developer!” appears.
3. Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.

Now find the options associated with the camera and flash:

• 🔍 Scroll down to the Hardware Acceleration Display block.
• 🔍 Find Camera Debugging or Flash Control option (name may vary).
• 🔍 Disable the option Allow applications to control the flashlight.

If you don’t have the right option, try another way:

Settings → Applications → Permissions Management → Camera → System applications

Here you can manually deny access to the camera for the application “Phone” or “Contacts”.

Method 4: Use of third-party applications (if system methods don’t work)

If none of the above methods work, third-party utilities will come to the rescue, for example, Flash Alerts 2 (available on Google Play) allows you to flexibly adjust the flashlight behavior when calling and notifying.

1. Download and install Flash Alerts 2.
2. Open the application and provide all necessary permissions (access to notifications, camera).
3. Go to the Calls section.
4. Turn off the flashlight option when you call.
5. Save the settings and restart the phone.

The advantage of this method is that Flash Alerts 2 can control not only the flashlight, but also the screen (blinking, color signals), which is useful if you want to replace standard notifications with more noticeable ones.

⚠️ Note: Some antiviruses (e.g. Avast or Dr.Web) may block Flash Alerts 2 from working because they are suspicious of the camera permission request.

Method 5: Resetting settings to factory (last resort)

If the flashlight keeps on despite all attempts, perhaps the problem lies in the failure of the system settings. in this case, resetting to factory parameters will help.Remember: this method will delete all data from the device, so make a backup first.

Resetting instructions:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Settings Reset.
3. Confirm the action by entering a password (if required).
4. Wait until the process is completed (the phone will restart).

Once the flashlight is reset, the caller should switch off automatically, as all user settings will be deleted, but this method should only be used as a last resort when other methods have not worked.

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Before resetting, export your contacts to your Google account: open Contacts → Settings → Import / Export → Export to a VCF file and save a backup to Google Drive.

Additional tips: how to prevent the spontaneous switching on of the flashlight

Sometimes the flashlight on Xiaomi is turned on not only when calling, but also in other situations.

• 📱 Camera Access Apps: Check which programs have requested permission to use the camera (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Delete the suspicious camera.
• 🔋 Low battery power: On some models (e.g. Redmi 9), the flashlight flashes at a critical charge level. → Battery → Low charge warning.
• 🌓 Light sensor: If the sensor is contaminated, the phone may mistakenly turn on the flashlight.
• 🔄 Update MIUI: In some versions of the firmware, the flashlight bug was patched. Check the updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

If the problem persists, try rolling back the firmware to an older version. MIUI (If you know that the flashlight worked correctly, use the official Mi Flash Tool or custom recovery utility. TWRP.

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Before rolling back the firmware, make sure your model is supported! the wrong firmware can turn the phone into a "brick."

FAQ: Frequent questions about flashlight on Xiaomi