How to increase the brightness of the flashlight on the Xiaomi phone: all the ways

Why is Xiaomi’s flashlight dim and can it be fixed?

Have you noticed that the flashlight on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO shines weaker than on other smartphones? This is not always a defect - this is often how the standard MIUI optimization works. The manufacturer limits the maximum brightness of the LED to extend the battery life and avoid overheating. But in some situations (search in the dark, emergency cases) you want to get the maximum light.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways to brighten a flashlight on Xiaomi, from standard MIUI settings to hidden engineering menu features. It’s important to understand that hardware constraints (LED power, power driver) don’t always achieve the results comparable to flashlights on Samsung or Apple flagships. But even +20-30% brightness can become critical in the dark.

Before you start settings, check if the cover or the protective glass covers the flashlight area. Sometimes the problem is that the lens is just plain dirty, so you wipe it with a soft cloth. If the light is not brighter, read on.

Method 1: Use maximum brightness mode in MIUI

The latest MIUI (starting with MIUI 12) has a full power flashlight option, hidden in additional settings:

1. Open the Quick Settings panel (swipe down from the top edge of the screen).
2. Find the flashlight icon and hold it for 2-3 seconds – additional options will open.
3. Select High Brightness Mode (or Maximum depending on the firmware version).

If there is no such item, try an alternative path:

• 🔦 Go to Settings. → Special facilities → Lantern.
• 🔦 Activate the Slider Enhanced Brightness (not available on all models).
• 🔦 In some firmware, the option is called Turbo mode.

⚠️ Warning: Forced inclusion of maximum brightness increases battery consumption 15-20% In models with a small battery (for example, Redmi Note). 8) This can lead to a quick discharge.

Method 2: Update the firmware – why it’s important for a flashlight

The manufacturer regularly optimizes the performance of hardware components through MIUI updates. In some cases, the problem of a dim flashlight is solved by installing the latest firmware version. For example, MIUI 14 for the Redmi Note 10 Pro was fixed by a bug that caused the LED to run at 60% power.

How to check and update the software:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 📱 Click Check Updates and wait for the search to be completed.
• 📱 If a new version is available, download and install it (preferably via Wi-Fi).

After the update, restart your phone and check the flashlight brightness. If there are no changes, move on to the next method.

On budget models (Redmi A series, Redmi 9) hardware limitations do not allow to increase the brightness of the flashlight software - LED physically weaker than on flagships.

Method 3: Engineering menu - hidden brightness settings

For power users, there is a way to manually adjust the flashlight settings through an engineering menu, which doesn't work on all models and requires caution - incorrect changes can lead to failures.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##36446337## (code may vary for different models).
2. Go to the Hardware Testing section → LED.
3. Find Flashlight Brightness or Torch Mode options.
4. Try increasing the value from 255 to 300-350 (if the field is available for editing).

⚠️ Attention: Changing the parameters in the engineering menu can cause the LED to overheat and fail. Don't increase the values by more than 20% of the standard. POCO X3 NFC Redmi Note 9 Pro after such changes recorded cases of flashlight flickering.

Method 4: Third-party applications for flashlight control

If MIUI is not working, Google Play apps can be used, offering additional features like brightness control or strobes.

• 🔦 Flashlight + LED — It allows you to adjust the intensity of light (works on 70% of Xiaomi models).
• 🔦 Super-Bright LED Flashlight – has a “Turbo Boost” mode for temporary brightness increase.
• 🔦 Tiny Flashlight + LED — Supports a widget on the main screen with quick access.

Check reviews before installing - some apps may not support your model. For example, Redmi 9C often doesn't have brightness control features due to driver limitations.

How to set up:

1. Install the selected application and open it.
2. Provide all the permissions requested (access to the camera, flashlight).
3. In the settings, look for Brightness Control or Power Mode.
4. Move the slider to the maximum value and save the changes.

✔️ Read reviews about compatibility with your model

✔️ Check the rating of the application (not lower than 4.2)

✔️ Make sure the app has been updated in the last 6 months

✔️ View the list of permissions requested (no need to be extra)-->

Method 5: Cleaning contacts and checking hardware faults

If software methods fail, the problem may lie in the hardware, LED contacts will oxidize over time, especially if the phone was used in wet conditions, and the following malfunctions may also occur:

• 🔧 Bad plume contact – the flashlight flashes or shines dimly.
• 🔧 LED degradation - over time, the brightness falls on 30-40%.
• 🔧 Power Driver Problems – The flashlight is Unstable.

What you can do on your own:

1. Turn off the phone and remove it. SIM-memory-card.
2. Gently blow the flashlight connector (the hole next to the camera) with compressed air.
3. If you have experience disassembling phones - check the plume connecting the LED to the motherboard.

⚠️ Warning: Disassembling the phone is not warranty. IP-certification (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro) after opening the case may lose water protection.

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Before disassembling, take a picture of the location of all the plumes and screws. Redmi and POCO often require a special screwdriver with an asterisk tip (Torx T3/T4).

Method 6: Alternative light sources (if the flashlight fails)

If you can not increase the brightness of the flashlight, consider alternative options:

• 💡 Phone screen – turn on maximum brightness and white background (such as an open blank page in the browser).
• 💡 Flash camera – in some applications (for example, Open Camera) you can use it as a flashlight.
• 💡 Outside USB-flashlight – connects to the Type-C connector and is powered by the phone.

For emergency situations, even a flashlight on headphones is suitable (if they are with a headphone). LED-The main thing is that do not forget that prolonged use of the screen at maximum brightness greatly drains the battery (up to the maximum brightness). 1% post 10-15 minute).

Method 7: Custom core firmware (for advanced users)

This is an extreme method that is only suitable for unlocked phones with custom recovery (TWRP) installed. Some custom cores (such as FrancoKernel or ElementalX) allow you to unlock the brightness limits of the flashlight.

Procedure:

1. Unlock the bootloader through Mi Unlock Tool (the official Xiaomi utility).
2. Install TWRP and backup the current firmware.
3. Download a compatible kernel for your model (check out the XDA Developers or 4PDA forums).
4. Flush the kernel through TWRP and restart the phone.

Once installed in the kernel settings, the LED Control section will appear, where you can set custom brightness values.

• 🚨 Loss of guarantee.
• 🚨 Possible bugs in the work of the camera or sensors.
• 🚨 Overheating of the processor with prolonged use of a flashlight.

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Custom core firmware is the only way to get around hardware limitations on Xiaomi’s budget models (like the Redmi 8A or POCO C3). However, it requires technical skills and can lead to a phone building up when it makes a mistake.

FAQ: Frequent questions about flashlight on Xiaomi