How to turn off screen wake-up when notifying on Xiaomi

Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face a situation where the display of the device spontaneously lights up in a pocket or on a desk when a new message arrives. This behavior of the system by default is designed to inform the user quickly, but in reality it leads to unnecessary battery consumption and distracts from important things.

Always On Display, or just highlighting the screen when notified, is implemented aggressively in the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS. To regain control of the device and extend battery life, you need to manually change several settings in the system settings, since a single switch for all types of alerts often does not exist.

In this article, we will discuss in detail how to prevent the Xiaomi screen from turning on when incoming calls, messages from messengers and system notifications. We will look at both standard methods through the settings menu, and deeper changes for advanced users who want to achieve the perfect work of their gadget.

Why the screen on Xiaomi is on fire

The main reason for activating the display is a special system service that tracks incoming data packets. When an application with the appropriate permissions receives a push notification, it sends a request to the system to display information visually, on Redmi Note devices and flagship Mi devices this is implemented through the function "Lighting on notification".

It is important to understand that modern OLED-The arrays used in most current models can indeed display information without fully turning on all the pixels, but even a brief activation of the display controller and the processor to process the animation of the message is consuming energy. If Notifications are received frequently, it becomes a noticeable expense item.

There is also a risk of so-called “pocket dialing” or random tapping: If the phone is in the bag screen up, a bright flash of light can be a signal to others, and accidentally touching a locked but illuminated screen sometimes leads to the opening of applications or sending voice messages.

It is important to distinguish between two types of glow: full screen activation with unlock (or switch to lockscreen) and AOD (Always On Display) function. In the first case, the entire matrix lights up, in the second, only a small part of the pixels are activated to display the time and the application icon, and we will turn off the full awakening.

Disconnection through standard system settings

The safest and most recommended way to change display behavior is to use the built-in settings menu. The interface between MIUI and HyperOS may vary slightly depending on the version, but the logic of the location of the switches remains the same for the entire Xiaomi ecosystem.

To start, you need to go to the main settings menu of your smartphone. Find the partition responsible for locking and screen. In newer versions of the shell, it is often called "Screen is always on and lock" or simply "Screen lock." This is where the main levers of controlling the device's response to external events are hidden.

📊 How often do you have a screen in your pocket?
Constantly.
Sometimes.
Rarely.
Never.

Inside the menu, find the item "Lighting at Notification" (or "Notification Indicator"). This is the parameter responsible for the short-term turn on of the screen. Switch the slider to the "Off" position. Now, when a message arrives, the screen will remain black, and the information will only appear after physical touch or lifting of the device (if the sensor is active).

Also, you should pay attention to the settings of specific applications. Some programs, such as Telegram or Viber, may have their own display priorities, check if there is a rule for important contacts "Always turn on the screen", which can overlap the system settings.

☑️ Checking screen settings

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⚠️ Warning: After disabling this feature, you may miss urgent calls or messages if the phone is lying down screen or in a noisy place where you don't feel vibrations.

Set up the notification indicator for individual applications

Android allows you to flexibly manage notification behavior for each app installed separately, allowing you to leave the backlight on for calls from loved ones, but turn it off for games or news feeds.

Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Center. This is a list of all the apps that can display information on the screen. Choose the app you want, like WhatsApp or Instagram.

In the app settings menu, find the notification category (e.g., "Messages" or "Groups"). Click on the category name to reveal additional options. Here you are interested in "On the Lock Screen" or "Importance." Make sure you select "No Sound and No Display" or similar if you want to completely ignore the notifications from that source.

  • 📱 Open the settings of a specific application in the general list.
  • 🔔 Select the notification type (chat, call, media).
  • 🚫 Turn off the option “Pop-up notification” or “full screen".
  • ✅ Save the changes and repeat for other noisy apps.

This approach allows you to create a personalized alert profile, so you can set your phone up so that it only responds to SMS from your bank or calls that are marked as urgent, ignoring the promotional mailings and notifications from social networks.

Managing Always On Display (AOD)

The Always On Display feature is often confused by users with normal backlighting. AOD is a mode in which a portion of the pixels burns constantly, showing the time, date and icons of missed events. If you have AOD enabled, the screen does not technically wake up, it simply changes the image.

However, if your goal is to maximize energy savings, AOD is also worth setting up or turning off. In the Settings menu → The screen is always on and locking can be set to work. For example, turn on AOD only from 8:00 to 23:00 so that the phone does not glow in the bedroom at night.

Effect of AOD on the battery
Constantly running Always On Display can consume 5% to 15% of your battery power per day depending on the brightness and amount of information displayed. AMOLED screens consume less than IPS, as black pixels do not consume energy.> Also, AOD settings often have the option to "Show at Notification". If activated, the corresponding icon will appear when you receive a message on the screen turned off. If you do not need this functionality, turn off the display of icons in the AOD style settings section. Display type Energy consumption Informative recommendation Full illumination High Maximum Disconnect AOD (Continuously) Average Scheduled High AOD (Low Medium Optimally Complete Shutdown Minimum Low To Save Use of Do Not Disturb Mode For temporary problem solving, for example, during sleep or meetings, the Do Not Disturb mode is ideal. In this mode, the system blocks not only sound and vibration, but can also prevent the screen from turning on when notifying, depending on the settings. → Sound and vibration → Don't disturb. You can set up automatic on schedule here, so you don't have to manually turn off and turn on the backlight every night. For example, allow repeat calls (if the person calls a second time within 3 minutes) or calls from selected contacts.This ensures that you do not miss a really important signal, even if the screen does not light up. ⚠️ Note: In some versions MIUI Do Not Disturb mode does not turn off the physical backlight when notified if the screen settings are a strict priority. Always check the result experimentally. If you use an alternative shell, such as Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher, Xiaomi’s standard settings may not work correctly. Third-party launchers have their own notification and screen lock mechanisms. In this case, you need to go to the settings of the launcher itself. Usually the section is called "Notifications" or "Block screen". Check if it activates pop-up notifications or Wake on notification. Disabling these settings inside the launcher often solves the problem when system settings are ignored. → Annexes → All applications → Your Louncher. → Permissions: Make sure the app doesn’t have excessive rights to display over other windows unless you’re actively using the feature. 🔍 Go to the settings of the installed launcher. 🛑 Find the section related to notifications or LED-indicator. ⚙️ Turn off the option to turn on the screen (Wake screen). 🔄 Reboot the device to apply changes. Additional optimization techniques and tips There is another nuance associated with the function "Raise to wake." Often users confuse the inclusion of the screen from the notification with the inclusion from the movement. If the screen lights up when you pick up the phone, even without a message coming in, you have to turn off the motion sensor. → The screen is always on and the lock is locked. → Disabling this feature will make the screen more predictable: it will only react to the touch of the power button or fingerprint scanner. 💡An integrated approach to setting up notifications and screen allows not only to remove annoying backlight, but also to significantly increase the smartphone’s operating time from one charge. If none of the software methods worked and the screen continues to blink for no reason, it may be an application conflict or system error. In this case, it is recommended to check which application is waking the phone using battery usage statistics or special diagnostic tools. Why does the screen light up even if all settings are turned off? This can be caused by a system bug or a specific application that uses high-priority notifications. Try updating all the apps on Google Play and see if any of them have permission to "critical notifications." Does turning off the backlight affect the reception of messages? No, the messages will come in full. They just won't be visually displayed on the screen that's off. You'll see them as soon as you unlock the device or open the notification panel. Can you set different actions for different contacts? Yes, you can select a specific person in the Contacts app, click Change and set your settings in the Rington or Notifications section, including an exception to Do Not Disturb mode. MIUI? Usually, user settings are saved. However, after a major update (for example, from MIUI 13 to 14), it is recommended to recheck the "Lighting at Notification" and "AOD" paragraphs, since the new version of the system can reset them to default values. How to check which application wakes up the screen? Turn on the notification log or use the developer mode "Show Active Services" to see in real time which application has started the process of displaying information on the screen.