How to permanently disable the pulsating notification indicator on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

The pulsating notification indicator (or “pulse”) feature on Xiaomi smartphones was conceived as a convenient visual alert for new messages, missed calls or active notifications. However, for many users, a flashing screen or LED becomes a source of irritation — especially at night when a bright flash wakes up or distracts. Fortunately, the manufacturer has envisaged several ways to turn off this feature, but not all of them are obvious.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible methods for deactivating your heart rate, from standard MIUI settings to hidden developer settings. You’ll learn how to remove screen blinking when you lock, turn off the LED light (if you have one in your model), and even block the pulse for specific applications. Instructions are relevant for Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi smartphones based on MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS (2026).

What is the pulse on Xiaomi and why to turn it off

The term pulse in the context of Xiaomi combines two types of visual alerts:

• 🔄 Screen blinking – short-term display with the notification icon (works even when the screen is off).
• 💡 LED indicator – flashing LED next to the front camera (available not on all models, for example, there is in the Redmi Note 10 Pro, but is not available in the front camera). POCO X5).

By default, the feature is activated for all notifications, including SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram and system alerts, but its behavior can be flexibly adjusted — or completely disabled.

• 😴 Sleep disturbances – bright flashes at night interfere with rest, even if the phone is lying down screen.
• 🔋 Battery consumption – constantly turning on the screen (albeit for a fraction of a second) increases power consumption by 3–7% per night.
• 🎮 Distraction – while playing or watching video, screen blinking is annoying.
• 📱 Important – Many people prefer to check notifications manually rather than by signal.

Interestingly, in recent versions of MIUI (starting with MIUI 13), the heart rate function has become more "smart": it analyzes the time of day and can automatically turn off at night. However, this does not work on all devices, and the algorithm is not always accurate, so manual adjustment remains the most reliable way.

Method 1: Turn off the pulse through the basic MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the standard notification menu, which is suitable for all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models based on MIUI 12-14 or HyperOS.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Notifications and Status bar section.
3. Select the Pulse Notification Indicator (in some firmwares, it may be called the Notification Indicator or the Blinking Indicator).
4. Move the slider to the off position for complete shutdown.

If you only need to turn off your pulse for certain applications, follow these additional steps:

1. In the same menu (Pulsing indicator) click on Settings for applications.
2. Select an app from a list (such as WhatsApp or Viber).
3. Turn off the Pulsating Indicator option for it.

Note that on some devices (such as Xiaomi 13T or Redmi K60) the path to settings may be slightly different. If you do not find the Pulse indicator, try an alternative route:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → [Select App] → Notifications → Additional → Pulsating Indicator

Method 2: Deactivation of the LED indicator (for supported models)

Not all Xiaomi smartphones have a physical notification LED, and if you have one in your model (e.g., the Redmi Note 9 Pro, Mi 10T or POCO F3), you can turn it off separately from the screen pulse.

1. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar.
2. Select the LED indicator (or the Notification Indicator).
3. Turn off the slider Enable the LED indicator.
4. To fine tune, click the indicator color and select No for all types of notifications.

If your phone doesn't have a physical LED, this section will be missing in the settings, in which case the pulse is realized only through the flashing of the screen, and its deactivation is described in the first method.

How do you know if your phone has an LED? Look at the top of the screen next to the front camera -- if there's a little light bulb flashing when you notify it, there's an indicator. AMOLED-The LED is often missing from screens (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro) as it is replaced by the Always-on Display feature.

Method 3: Use Do Not Disturb Mode to Temporarily Shut Down

If you only need to turn off your pulse for a certain amount of time (e.g. overnight), it's more convenient to use the Do Not Disturb (DND) function, which blocks all visual and audible alerts, including screen blinking.

1. Open the Settings. → Sounds and vibrations.
2. Choose Not to Disturb.
3. Activate the slider Enable.
4. Set up a schedule (for example, from 23:00 to 7:00) or turn it on manually.
5. Make sure that the Rules are selected in the section without sound and without vibration.

Important: In DND mode, turn off ALL notifications, including alarms and calls from favorite contacts. To avoid missing important alerts, set exceptions in the Allow Exclusions menu.

The advantage of this method is automation, for example, you can set the Do Not Disturb so that it only activates at night or during meetings on the calendar, and the pulse will work normally during the day.

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If you need to leave the alarm clock sound but turn off the pulse, create a separate rule in Do not disturb: Allow sounds for the Watch app, and block the remaining alerts.

Method 4: Disconnect via developer settings (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work (e.g. custom firmware or older versions of MIUI), you can use the developer menu, which requires caution, as incorrect changes can affect the stability of the system.

First, activate the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times in a row on the MIUI version (you will be notified of becoming a developer!).
3. Return to the main Settings menu, and a new section for developers will appear.

Now turn off the pulse:

1. Go to Settings. → For developers.
2. Find the item “Pulsing Notifications Indicator” (or “Notification Light” in English firmware).
3. Turn it off or set the Disabled value.

If there is no direct option for heart rate on the developer menu, try an alternative path:

Settings → For developers → Animation → The scale of the animation window = Off.


Settings → For developers → Debugging → Disable all animations

⚠️ Attention: Changing the settings in the developer menu can cause interface failures. For example, disabling animations will affect the smooth transitions between screens.

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

In rare cases (such as custom firmware or regional MIUI versions for China), standard methods of turning off the pulse may not work, and third-party utilities such as:

• 📱 Notification Light Control – allows you to flexibly adjust the LED and screen blinking (requires root rights on some devices).
• 🔧 MacroDroid – Automates the pulse shutdown on a schedule or under certain conditions (for example, when the phone is lying down on the screen).
• 🛠️ Tasker is an advanced tool for creating user rules (suitable for power users).

Example of settings via MacroDroid:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Create a new macro command with the trigger Screen is off.
3. Add the action Disable notifications → Pulsating indicator.
4. Save and activate the macro.

Warning: Using third-party utilities may violate security policies MIUI, Especially if you need root access or ADB-Before installing, check the reviews and rating of the application, and back up the data.

Frequent problems and solutions

Even after the pulse is turned off, some users are faced with the fact that the screen blink or LED continues to work.

Problem 1: The pulse is off, but the screen still flashes when notified.

• 🔍 Check the settings of a particular app (like WhatsApp or Gmail) – there may be a separate option for the pulse.
• 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes changes only apply after a reboot.
• 📱 Update. MIUI — In older versions of firmware there are bugs with saving settings.

Problem 2: There is no "Pulsing indicator" item in the settings.

• 🌍 Check the firmware region - in Chinese versions MIUI This item may be called otherwise (e.g. Breathing Light).

Problem 3: After the MIUI update, the pulse turned on again.

• 🔄 Reset notification settings in Settings → Annexes → Application management → [Threefold] → Reset the settings.
• 📋 Check the permissions for system applications – sometimes they are reset after an update.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using POCO Launcher or third-party shell, pulse settings may be elsewhere. Try temporarily switching to standard launcher MIUI, to find the right place.

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If none of these methods worked, check if the phone has an energy-saving shell (such as Security or Battery Saver) that can block changes to notification settings.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions