How to Make a Notification Indicator on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Owners of the Chinese company’s modern smartphones often face the lack of a classic light indicator that has been a beacon for missed calls and messages for years. In the pursuit of reducing the screen frames, Xiaomi engineers removed the physical LED, leaving users in the dark if the device lies down. However, the MIUI software shell and the new HyperOS retained hidden capabilities to return notification functionality through the screen.

There are several ways to simulate work. LED-These are lamps, each with its own power consumption and visual features, and standard system settings often hide these features deep in the menu, and some models require additional actions. The right configuration will allow you to avoid missing an important call even in complete darkness without draining the battery critically.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods for activating visual signals. We will touch on both the standard system tools and third-party solutions that may be needed for owners of old or specific firmware versions. MIUI It only works with models with OLED-screens, LCD-The displays may be missing or work differently.

Built-in function of the light indicator in MIUI and HyperOS

So, to start with the most obvious, but often overlooked, option, which is the native function of the system, the developers have implemented a mechanism that causes the screen to briefly light up a certain color when a new event arrives. This is not just a blink, but precisely a color coding that resembles the work of classical RGB-light-emitting.

To activate this option, you need to go to the notification settings. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of the shell, but the logic remains the same. You need to find the item responsible for visual alert in the locked state.

• 🔍 Open the settings of your device.
• 📱 Go to Lock Screen or Notifications and Status bar.
• 💡 Find the Light Indicator (sometimes called Mi Light).
• ✅ Activate the switch and select apps for which you need to display color.

It's important to understand that this feature consumes battery power because it makes the display turn on. However, Xiaomi's optimization algorithms try to minimize this consumption by using the minimum brightness of the pixels. If you didn't find this item on the menu, maybe your model doesn't support hardware or software emulation at the system level.

⚠️ Note: On some global firmware versions, the Light Indicator may be hidden or removed by localizing commands, in which case activation is only possible through third-party software or engineering menus.

Once you turn on the feature, the system will offer you to adjust colors for various applications, which allows you to at first glance, without even unlocking the phone, to know who wrote to you: WhatsApp, Telegram or a system notification has arrived.

Alternative: Screen pulsation at notifications

If you don't have a classic color indication or it seems too dim, the screen pulsation is a more aggressive warning method that causes the screen to flash in whole or in part when the signal arrives, and unlike the color code, it focuses on brightness and visibility.

The pulse setting is usually in the same section as the light indicator or in the menu of special features, which is especially useful for people with visual impairments or for those who often put the phone down in the bag.

• 🌊 In the menu Light indicator find the option Screen Pulsation.
• 🎨 Choose the pulsation style: blinking, smooth attenuation or color splash.
• 📲 Adjust the duration of the glow: from 1 second to 10 seconds.

Using pulses on AMOLED arrays is almost safe for the screen life, since black pixels do not consume energy. However, on IPS displays, constant lighting can reduce the life of the matrix and significantly reduce battery life.

It's also worth mentioning the "Rise to Wake Up" feature in conjunction with notifications. If the phone vibrates and the screen lights up at the same time as it lifts, it creates a powerful combined effect that's hard to ignore. Set up this bundle in the Lock Screen section for maximum efficiency.

Set up third-party applications to simulate LEDs

When built-in tools are scarce, Google Play apps come into the arena, emulating the indicator with much more flexibility than standard settings, which can make flashes flash, change screen color, or even display text on a locked screen.

One of the most popular and reliable solutions is NotifyBuddy, or its equivalent, which allows you to create a virtual LED at the top of the screen (if there is no notch), or in any other area, the main advantage is the ability to fine-tune colors for each contact or group of applications.

Required work permits:


- Access to notifications




- Over the other windows.




- Auto-start.




- Background work (without battery limitations)

When you install this software, MIUI will aggressively try to shut down the process to save energy, you need to manually add the application to the exceptions and allow auto-start, without which the indicator will not work if the phone wakes up from sleep mode.

• 📥 Download the emulator app LED proven.
• ⚙️ Provide all the permissions requested, especially "Over other windows».
• 🔋 In the battery settings, select the "No Limits" mode for this application.
• 🎨 Set up a color scheme for important contacts.

Using third-party software is a trade-off between functionality and autonomy. The constant operation of background services and the periodic turn on of the screen can add 3-5% to daily battery consumption. However, for those who are critically important not to miss a call from a child or colleague, this price is quite justified.

Use Always On Display for notifications

The Always On Display (AOD) feature is perhaps the most elegant LED replacement. Instead of blinking, the constantly-on screen displays unread message icons, which is not only informative, but also stylish, turning a black screen into a useful dashboard.

Unlike a simple blink, AOD shows specific icons of apps that are waiting for your attention. You can see missed calls, new emails and messages from messengers just by looking at the phone. You can customize through the Wallpaper menu and personalization.

For owners of models with LTPO screens (adaptive refresh rate), the use of AOD is almost imperceptible in terms of power consumption, since the frame rate is reduced to 1 Hz. On conventional screens, the consumption will be higher, so it is recommended to use the “Schedule” or “10 seconds after touch” mode.

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To save charge, set Always On Display to turn on only during working hours, for example, from 08:00 to 22:00, and turn it off overnight.

It is important to note that on some budget models Redmi and Poco AOD function may be reduced or absent, in such cases, it is worth checking the presence of the theme "Always On Display" in the MIUI theme store, sometimes this allows you to bypass software restrictions.

Problems with notifications and their resolution

Even after setting it up properly, users may find themselves in a situation where the indicator doesn't light up, most often because of power saving settings or application conflict. Android's MIUI-based system has a complex process control structure that needs to be "trained" correctly.

The first thing to check is access rights. The app that handles notifications (whether system or third-party) must have permission to display over other windows and operate in the background. Without that, the screen simply won't be able to catch fire when the phone is locked.

• 🚫 Check if the “Do Not Disturb” or “Insomnia” mode is turned on».
• 📂 Make sure notifications from the right apps aren’t hidden in your system settings.
• 🔄 Restart the device after setting new display settings.

Another common problem is the dark topic: Some types of light indicators may not display correctly or be too dim when the dark theme of the interface is turned on. Try switching to a light theme temporarily to see if the indicator behavior changes.

⚠️ Note: If you use third-party launchers (Nova, Lawnchair, etc.), the notification system indicator may stop working as the launcher intercepts control of the desktop and lock screen.

In rare cases, you may need to reset your notification settings, which will not delete your data, but will return all permissions and priorities to factory values. → All applications → Settings → Notifications.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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The optimal balance between visibility and autonomy is achieved by combining Always On Display for visual control and vibration for tactile response.