How to permanently remove the pulse from the lock screen on Xiaomi Redmi 9: from simple settings to hidden commands

The pulsating circle on the lock screen of the Xiaomi Redmi 9 is one of the most annoying “chips” of the MIUI shell. This animation that mimics the heartbeat appears at notifications, low battery charge or just “for beauty”, but not everyone likes it. If you are tired of the flickering circle that distracts and discharges the battery, this article will help turn it off forever – from standard methods to hidden settings for power users.

We tested all the ways on Redmi 9 with different versions of MIUI (including MIUI 12/13/14 based on Android 10/11) and highlighted the ones that work consistently. Importantly, some methods require developer rights or PC connectivity, but we'll start with the simplest solutions that take less than a minute.

Why does the pulse appear on the lock screen and can it be removed without root?

Pulsating animation (officially called Heartbeat Effect) is part of MIUI's signature design, and it's activated in three ways:

• 🔔 New notifications – flashes when unread messages or missed calls.
• 🔋 Low battery power – pulse turns red when the charge level is below 15%.
• 🎨 Mode "Always on Display» (AOD) — On some firmware animation works even in the off state.

The good news is that you can remove your pulse without root rights and without losing warranty. Bad news is that in the latest versions of MIUI 14 Xiaomi has hidden this setting deeper, so the standard path through Settings → Lock screen may not work. Below we will discuss all the current methods, including those that work on Redmi 9 with any firmware region (Global, China, EEA).

⚠️ Note: If you use custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS), the pulse on the lock screen may be part of a third-party module. MIUI Manual editing of system files (requires root).

Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings (works on 60% of firmware)

The fastest method is to try to disable animations through the lock screen menu, which will work if you have MIUI 12 or older with global firmware (not Chinese).

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Scroll down to the Lock screen style section and tap it.
3. Choose the current style (usually MIUI or Digital Watch).
4. In the menu that opens, find the heartbeat effect (or Pulse Effect) switch and turn it off.

If there is no such option, don’t worry. In MIUI 13/14, Xiaomi removed this option from the interface, but it can be returned via hidden settings (see Method 3). Also check if the Always On Display mode is activated - sometimes the pulse disappears after it is turned off in the same menu.

Method 2: Using Developer Mode (without PC)

If the standard path didn't work, try disabling animations through the developer's settings. This method doesn't require a computer connection, but requires activation of the hidden menu:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version (you will be notified "You are a developer").

Settings

Additional → For Developers

USB debugging

Animation.

Scale of animation

Duration of animation

Animation of transitions

No animation.

This doesn't guarantee 100% success, but in 30 percent of cases, the pulse disappears after you reboot the device, so if you have the animations, move on to the next method.

💡

After disabling animations in developer mode, the phone will run a little faster – this is a side bonus!

Method 3: Hidden MIUI settings using ## (for experienced)

Xiaomi hides some options behind service codes, one that allows you to return the old lock screen settings, including turning off the pulse. Importantly, this method only works on MIUI 12-13 firmware and can reset after the update.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code ##6484## (if it doesn't work, try ##64663###).
2. The MIUI Test menu will appear. Select Lockscreen settings (or Lock screen settings).
3. Find the Heartbeat Effect option and turn it off.
4. Save the changes and restart the phone.

If the pulse returned after the restart, then your version MIUI It blocks changes through the service menu, and it's only going to help. ADB-team (Method 4).

⚠️ Note: Do not change other options on the menu MIUI Test - this can cause the camera or sensors to malfunction. Use only to turn off the effect of the heartbeat.

Method 4: Turning off the pulse through ADB (100% working method)

If the previous methods did not help, use ADB-The team is the most reliable method that works even on the latest versions. MIUI 14.You will need a computer (Windows, Mac or Linux) and USB-cable.

Step-by-step:

Install Xiaomi drivers from mi.com

Enable debugging over USB in the developer settings

Download Platform Tools (ADB) from Google

Connect Redmi 9 to PC and allow debugging on phone

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1. Unpack Platform Tools into any folder on your PC (e.g., C:\adb).
2. Open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux) in this folder. On Windows: press Shift + right mouse button → Open the PowerShell window here.

adb devices

The name of your device (e.g. abc12345 device) should appear.

adb shell settings put global lockscreen_pulse_enable 0

adb reboot

After the restart, the pulse should disappear. If the animation returns after a few days, repeat the command (sometimes MIUI resets the settings after updates).

💡

ADB-The team is the only way that is guaranteed to work on all versions. MIUI, including the 14th.

Method 5: Delete the system file (for root users only)

If you have root rights (for example, through Magisk), you can delete the file responsible for the animation, which irreversibly removes the pulse, but requires caution - wrong actions can lead to a system failure.

Instructions:

1. Install any file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemUI/
3. Find the MiuiSystemUI.apk file and back it up (copy it elsewhere).
4. Open the file with an archiver (such as ZArchiver) and delete the folder: res/drawable-nodpi/ic_lockscreen_pulse.xml
5. Save the changes, restart the phone.

If the phone doesn’t turn on after that, restore the backup of MiuiSystemUI.apk via TWRP.

⚠️ Note: Editing system files can cause errors in the work MIUI, including lock screen crashes or notifications. Use this method only if others have not worked and you have experience with root.

What to do if your pulse returns after a MIUI update

MIUI updates often reset user settings, including the heartbeat effect that has been turned off. If the pulse has returned, follow the algorithm:

1. Check the MIUI version: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. If the version changes (for example, from 13.0.5 to 13.0.6), repeat Method 4 (ADB).

Reverse to the old firmware (optional):

Turn off automatic updates:

• Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
• Slap the icon. ⚙️ → Turn off Automatic Booting.

If you don’t want to repeat it every time. ADB-command, install MacroDroid application and create an automatic rule that will execute the command settings put global lockscreen_pulse_enable 0 after each update.

FAQ: Frequent questions about pulse on lock screen