How to turn off the pulse on the lock screen Xiaomi Redmi Note 9

Owners of the Redmi Note 9 line often face a situation where a pulsating indicator or animation appears periodically on the display off, not a system failure or a virus, but a regular MIUI shell feature known as Always On Display (AOD), which is designed to inform the user about the time, date or notifications received, without requiring full activation of the screen.

However, the constant operation of this interface element can be annoying for those who prefer a completely black screen in standby mode. Moreover, active animation, even minimal, contributes to the additional energy consumption of the battery. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to deactivate this effect in various ways.

Customization of visual elements in the Xiaomi system can be hidden in different menu sections depending on the firmware version. We will look at all the current ways for the Redmi Note 9 series models so that you can choose the most convenient option for you to manage the interface.

The Nature of Pulsing Indication in MIUI

Before you start shutting down, you need to understand what you're seeing. A pulsation on a locked screen is a visual signal that there's an event. In the standard state, the AMOLED screen on the Redmi Note 9 only consumes energy when the pixels are burning. Always On Display only activates a small part of the matrix, creating a smoldering or pulsating image.

The frequency of blinking or pulsing depends on the style you choose. The system can show the time every minute, respond to notifications with a blink or simply display a static picture with periodic updates. Understanding this mechanism will help you fine-tune the device to your needs.

Some users confuse this indicator with a proximity sensor or an LED indicator that is physically located at the top of the case. However, in modern Xiaomi models, the physical LED is often replaced by a software simulation right on the display, which is the software part that we will be turning off.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling Always On Display does not affect notifications.You will still receive messages and calls, just the screen will remain completely black until unlocked.

It’s also worth noting that the menu items may vary slightly across global firmware versions (Global, EEA, China). If you don’t find an option on one of the paths, try the alternatives described below. The flexibility of the MIUI shell allows you to manage these options in quite detail.

Disconnection through lock screen settings

The most direct and logical way to remove the ripple is to go to the lock screen settings themselves, and that's where the basic parameters for the device's sleep mode look are concentrated, and the algorithm is the same for most versions of the Android operating system with the MIUI 12 shell and later.

To start, unlock your smartphone and find the Settings icon. In the list that opens, you'll need to find a section that might be called Lock Screen or Wallpaper and Personalization, and then go to Lock Screen, which is the primary way to manage visual effects.

Inside the menu, find Always On Display or Always On screen. The switch to activate the function must be switched to an inactive position. After that, the pulsation should disappear instantly, without the need to restart the device.

If the animation is still visible after the switch is turned off, there may be a different style of design that was not affected by the main switch, in which case it is worth checking the style section. Sometimes the system suggests choosing between Constant, 10 seconds after touch or Scheduled. Make sure that you choose a complete shutdown.

If the standard disablement didn’t work, try changing the theme to standard Classic or Default to eliminate the impact of third-party design code.

Management through the “Themes” app

The MIUI shell is closely integrated with the theme store, and often lock screen settings are duplicated or overlapped by the settings set in the Themes app. If you can't remove your pulse through the system settings, it's worth checking this section.

Open the Themes app on your Redmi Note 9. In the lower right corner, click on the profile icon(s). In the menu that opens, select Settings. Here we are interested in the Lock Screen or Lock Options section.

Inside the theme settings, there may be a Always On Display switch, its state must be turned off, and there may be a "Show on the lock screen" option, which controls the display of widgets and time, and disabling this item will also lead to the desired result.

Using third-party themes from the MIUI Themes directory can return the ripple settings automatically. If you like to change the design often, you will have to check this item every time you install a new theme. Some "heavy" themes may ignore the system prohibitions on animation.

Schedule and activation conditions

If you don't want to see time at night but don't want to see the ripples of the day, you can use flexible schedule settings to save battery power and reduce visual noise at inappropriate times.

In the Always On Display menu, find Schedule or Schedule Turn on, and you can set time slots for when the screen will burn, for example, set it to only turn on from 22:00 to 07:00, and the rest of the time the screen will be completely black.

Also available is the option “Show within 10 seconds”: When you select this mode, the screen only lights up immediately after locking the device or when a notification arrives, and then goes off.

• 🕒 Night mode: Set the switch on only for sleep time to use the phone as an alarm clock without too much light during the day.
• 📵 "Do Not Disturb" mode: Some versions MIUI link AOD with silent mode, turning off the pulsation when the phone should not distract.
• 🔋 Saving charge: Automatically shutting down the function at a battery level below 15% or 10% will help extend the life of a smartphone at a critical moment.

Using a light sensor is another smart way to control, so if you have a light-adapt option in your settings, turn it on, and then in the dark, your pulse will be reduced to a minimum or it will shut down completely so that it doesn't interfere with your sleep.

💡

Use In-Pack mode in the AOD settings to ensure the screen is exactly blown out when the phone is in your bag or pocket, preventing accidental heating and discharge.

The Impact of Always On Display on Autonomy

The power consumption issue is key for many Redmi Note 9 owners. The AMOLED matrixes used in these devices are really more economical than IPS when displaying black, since the black pixels are simply off.

Xiaomi engineers say that battery consumption with an active Always On Display is about 1-2% per hour depending on the brightness and complexity of the animation, which can mean a loss of 10 to 20% of charge per day, which for many users is a significant indicator.

If you notice that your phone is running out faster than usual, try turning off the pulse for a couple of days and compare the statistics. In the Battery → Power consumption section, you can see how much percent was the share of the MIUI System or Always On Display.

⚠️ Attention: Long-term use of static images at high brightness can theoretically contribute to the burning of pixels (burn-in) on the surface of the image. AMOLED-screens, although modern technology minimizes this risk by periodically shifting the image.

For maximum autonomy in travel, it is recommended not only to turn off the pulse, but also to switch the phone to Ultra Battery Saver mode, which forcibly extinguishes all background processes and the screen.

Solving pixel sticking problems

Sometimes users complain that after turning off the pulse function, faint traces remain on the screen, which is not a malfunction, but a feature of the work of organic LEDs, usually disappearing on their own within minutes after changing the picture.

If you see strange flickers or colored bars that don’t disappear, it could be a sign of a software failure of the display drivers, in which case a simple device reboot (Reboot) often helps to reset the graphics card memory buffer and eliminate artifacts.

You can use special tests to diagnose the state of the screen. In the Phone app, dial the code ##6484## to enter the engineering menu. Select the item associated with the display (usually Display or Color), and check the uniformity of the glow.

• 🔄 Reboot: The first step in any visual glitches is to reboot your smartphone.
• 🎨 Wallpaper change: Setting bright, dynamic wallpaper on the home screen can help "melting" stuck pixels.
• 🛠️ Software Update: Check for system updates as Xiaomi regularly releases patches that fix the display.

In rare cases, the problem may be mechanical damage to the display plume, especially if the phone fell. If artifacts are present even when the AOD is turned off and after resetting, you should contact the service center.

Additional settings of the lock interface

Beyond the pulsation, the Redmi Note 9 lock screen offers a host of other settings that can be helpful.By disabling AOD, you may want to customize the rest of the screen behavior for maximum comfort.

Note the Double-Tap feature for Turning on. It allows you to activate the screen with a light tap, which partially compensates for the lack of a constantly burning indicator. You can find this option in Settings → Additional Features → Gestures.

Also worth mentioning are widgets. The lock screen can display steps, weather, or music status. If you've turned off the time pulse but the widgets are still there, the screen will still light up. Check the widget settings in the same lock screen section.

For users who value minimalism, it is possible to install black wallpaper for the lock screen, combined with the AOD disabled, this will give the perfect deep black and maximum energy savings.

💡

The combination of disabled AOD, dark wallpaper and double-touch mode provides the best balance between informative and energy efficient Redmi Note 9.