How to make a notification flash on Xiaomi: step-by-step setting

The flash of light at notifications on Xiaomi is a useful feature that helps you not miss important messages, especially when the phone is down or in silent mode. This option is available on most devices running MIUI, but not always on by default. Depending on the smartphone model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13, etc.) and firmware versions, the settings may vary slightly, but the general principle remains unchanged.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways to activate a notification flash, from standard MIUI settings to hidden features for advanced users, how to adjust the color and frequency of the flash, which apps support this option, and what to do if the flash doesn’t work, and how to use the camera as a light source for notifications if your model doesn’t have a separate LED.

What is a notification flash and why you need it

Notification flash is a visual signal that is triggered when a new message, call or alert from an app arrives. In Xiaomi smartphones, either a separate LED indicator (on older models) or a camera flash (on newer devices without LEDs) is responsible for this.

• 🔇 When the phone is silent or the vibration is off.
• 📵 If the smartphone is lying down and you don’t see the lock screen.
• 🎵 While listening to music or watching videos (so as not to be distracted by sounds).
• 🏃 For athletes or active users who carry a phone in their pocket.

On Xiaomi devices with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi) K60) Sometimes the Always-on Display function is used (AOD) It uses more energy than a short-term LED blink, but it works even when the screen is off and has little effect on autonomy.

It is important to understand that not all apps by default support this feature, for example, WhatsApp or Telegram may require additional settings in the messenger itself, and system notifications (calls, SMS) usually work out of the box.

What Xiaomi models support the notification flash

The notification lighting feature is available on most Xiaomi smartphones, but its implementation depends on the model and year of release.

If your model didn’t make it to the table, test for the feature experimentally: go to Settings → Notifications → Light indicator. If there is no partition, then your device does not support the notification flash at the software level, in which case you can use third-party applications (we will discuss this below).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI for POCO (for example, POCO F3 or X3 Pro) the path to settings may be different.Look for Settings section → Additionally. → Notification indicator.

How to enable notification flash in standard MIUI settings

If your Xiaomi smartphone supports the feature, you can activate it in a few steps, and the instructions are suitable for MIUI 12/13/14 and most models, Released after 2018.

Open "Settings" on the main screen

Go to the Notifications section (or Notifications and Status bar)

Select "Light indicator" (or "Notification flash")

Activate the slider "Enable light indicator"

Customize the color and frequency of flashing (if available)-->

More on each step:

1. Open Settings and find the Notifications section, which may be called Notifications and Status bar on some firmware.
2. Scroll down to Light indicator (or Notification flash). If it is not, check the section Additional.
3. Activate the master switch. After that, a list of applications that you can configure the display for will appear.
4. (Optional) Click on the app (like WhatsApp or SMS) and select the flashing color. The available shades depend on the model.

On devices with AMOLED-In the case of a screen (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra), instead of flash, you can use Edge Lighting, which illuminates the edges of the screen:

Settings → Screen → Edge Lighting → Enable for notifications

⚠️ Note: If the flash fails after activation, check the permissions for apps. For example, Telegram requires a separate permission to display notifications in the app settings.

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On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 11), the flash only works when the screen is locked. Unlock the device and check the settings again.

Setting up a flash for specific applications

By default, the light display can only work for system notifications (calls, SMS). To add support for instant messengers or social networks, you need to:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Light indicator.
2. Tap on the item Application (or Configure for applications).
3. Select the desired app from the list (for example, Viber or Instagram).
4. Activate the switch and select the flashing color (if available).

Some apps (like WhatsApp) may need to be configured inside the messenger itself:

WhatsApp → ⚙️ Settings → Notifications → Light indicator

If the application is not listed, it means that it does not support interaction with the system API notifications, in which case the third-party software will help (see the next section).

Third-party applications for notification flash

If the standard MIUI settings are not satisfactory (for example, few supported applications or no flexible color settings), you can install one of the specialized applications.

• 🔦 Light Flow supports color, frequency and duration of blinking for each application separately. LED.
• 📱 Flash Notifications is a simple tool with the ability to select color and enable vibration. MIUI 12–14.
• 💡 LED Blinker Notifications – an alternative for devices with AMOLED, where screen lighting is used instead of flash.
• 🔄 Notification Light is a minimalist application with Tasker support for automation.

To set up one of these applications:

1. Download it from Google Play (or via APK if the model is not certified).
2. Grant permissions to access notifications (Settings → Applications → Special Access → Notifications).
3. In the application settings, select the applications that need a flash and configure blinking options.

On devices with MIUI 14 and later, some third-party applications may conflict with system services. If the flash doesn't work, try turning off battery optimization for the selected software in the battery settings.

What to do if the notification flash doesn’t work

If you have turned on the function, but the light indicator does not work, check the following points:

If the problem persists, reset the notification settings:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → ⚙️ (three dots) → Reset notification settings

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI Global Stable sometimes helps switch region to India in settings (Settings) → Additionally. → This reveals hidden features, including advanced flash settings.

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If the flash stopped working after the MIUI update, try clearing the cache of the com.android.systemui system application.This often resolves notification issues.

Additional tricks: the camera as a light source

On new Xiaomi models (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T or Redmi K50) separate LED-There's no indicator, but you can use the camera flash to notify:

1. Make sure that the settings include Use Camera Flash (usually in the same section as the light indicator).
2. If you don’t have an option, install Flash Alerts 2 from Google Play.
3. Provide all necessary permissions (access to camera, notifications, auto-run).
4. In the app settings, select Camera Flash as the light source.

The downside of this method is that it's more battery-consuming, because the camera uses more power than the LED, but the flash will be brighter, and you can see it even in bright light.

For infrared-lighted devices (such as the POCO F4 GT), you can use it as an indicator.

1. Install Tasker and AutoNotification plugin.
2. Create a task that activates the IR port when notified.
3. Set up a trigger for notification events from selected apps.

This is a solution for advanced users, but it allows you to flexibly configure even those features that are not provided by the manufacturer.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi notification flash