How to remove the flashlight when calling Xiaomi: 5 ways

The flashlight on an incoming call on Xiaomi is a feature that should attract attention, but is often annoying. Especially unpleasant when the flash is triggered at night, blinds in the dark or just distracts. In this article, we will examine all the ways to disable this option, from standard MIUI settings to hidden developer settings.

Complicating the problem is that the path to settings may be different in different versions of the firmware. We tested the methods on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO X5 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Lite with MIUI 14/15, but the instructions are also relevant for older models. If your smartphone is running MIUI 12 or earlier, check the alternative solutions at the end of the article.

Why does the flashlight blink when you ring and can it be turned off?

The flash-on-call feature was introduced in early versions of MIUI as part of the alert system, and was designed to:

• 🔦 Attract attention in noisy places where vibration or sound is not audible.
• 🚨 Signal an important call (e.g. from selected contacts).
• 🌑 Helping to find your phone in the dark by flash.

But in practice, many users experience an uncontrolled flashlight even when it's silent, which causes discomfort. The good news is that you can turn it off, but not always in an obvious way.

The newer versions of MIUI 14/15 have a deeper setup than before, like the Xiaomi 13T Pro, which moved from the Sounds section to the Special Features section, and the Redmi 10C doesn't have it on the menu at all. If the standard way didn't work, read on.

Method 1: Disconnecting via Call Settings (MIUI 14/15)

The easiest method is to use the standard menu, which works on most modern Xiaomi, POCO and Redmi devices with up-to-date firmware:

1. Open the phone application (pipe icon).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → select Settings.
3. Go to Incoming Calls (or Call Alerts) section.
4. Find the flash point when calling (may be called a light signal) and turn off the slider.

If you don't have one, your model is using an alternative path, like on POCO F5, it's hidden in Settings → Special Options → Hearing → Alert Flash.

Make sure your phone is not in silent mode.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Close all background applications (they can block changes)

Reboot your phone after disconnecting-->

Method 2: Through "Special Features" (for older versions of MIUI)

On devices with MIUI 12 and below, the path to setting up the flash is different.

1. Open the Settings. → Special facilities.
2. Choose Hearing (or Sound and Vibration).
3. Find the flash option at alerts.
4. Turn it off or set exceptions (for example, only for messages, but not for calls).

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 9A) This item may not be available. In this case, try the developer mode method (see below).

Method 3: Using Developer Mode (for experienced)

If standard methods don't work, you can turn off the flash through the developer's settings, which is universal, but requires care.

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find Disable camera flash on calls (or Disable camera flash on calls in English firmware).
4. Activate it and restart the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Not all firmware supports this setting. If it's not, don't change other settings in developer mode without understanding their purpose.

Method 4: Disconnect via the Security app (for Chinese firmware)

On Chinese firmware devices (such as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra for the domestic market), the flash setting can be hidden in the Security app:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to Optimization → Battery → Battery settings.
3. Find the Alerts section and turn off the Flash when calling.

If this item is not available, try:

• 🔍 Go to Security. → Permits → Autostart and disable autostart for the Phone app (this can reset flash settings).
• 📱 Install a global firmware (if you are ready to flash it over).

💡

If you have Chinese firmware without Google services, make a backup copy through Settings → Additional → Backup before changing your settings.

Method 5: Using third-party apps (if nothing worked)

If all of the above methods fail, you can use third-party utilities, for example, the Flash Alerts 2 app (available on Google Play) allows you to:

• 🔧 Flexibly configure the flash operation (turn on / off for calls, SMS, notice).
• 🕒 Set a schedule (for example, turn off at night).
• 🎨 Change the color and frequency of the flash (on supported models).

How to set up:

1. Install Flash Alerts 2 from Google Play.
2. Open the application and provide all the permissions requested (access to notifications, camera).
3. In the Calls section, turn off the Flash on incoming calls option.
4. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: Some antiviruses (e.g. Avast) can block the operation of such applications. If the flash continues to blink, add Flash Alerts 2 to the exception of the antivirus.

💡

The app side is the last option if the standard settings don't work, they consume an extra battery and may conflict with system services.

Frequent problems and solutions

Sometimes even after the shutdown, the flash continues to blink, and let's look at the typical causes and ways to fix them:

If the problem persists, check if the phone has:

• 🛠️ Custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) can ignore settings MIUI.
• 🔄 Call blocking apps (like Truecaller) sometimes override system alerts.
• 🔋 Battery optimizers (e.g. Greenify) can force background processes to be turned off, including flash settings.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions