How to turn off flash when calling Xiaomi Mi 9 and other models

Xiaomi smartphone owners, including the popular Mi 9, often face a situation where an LED flash flash flash flashes when incoming, a feature conceived by developers as useful for notifying in noisy places or for people with hearing impairments in everyday use can cause serious discomfort. Bright pulses of light in the dark irritate, interfere with sleep or simply distract from work if the phone is lying down.

Fortunately, the MIUI shell and the newer HyperOS have a simple software way to deactivate this option, so you don’t need superuser rights or third-party apps to bring your device back to its peace of mind. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the path to the switch, look at the interface’s nuances, and answer some of the most frequently asked questions.

It is worth noting that the layout of the menu may vary slightly depending on the version of the Android operating system and the modification of the shell installed on your gadget. However, the navigation logic in Xiaomi smartphones has remained the same for many years, so this instruction will be relevant not only for the Mi 9, but for most devices of the brand.

Why do you need a flash when calling and when it interferes with the phone?

The flashlight feature on incoming calls was originally designed as an element of accessibility, allowing users to spot the phone even if it is lying down screen or in a bag where vibration may not be audible. For hearing-impaired people, visual cues are a critical way to keep an important conversation from missing out.

But in modern life, this feature is often a source of problems: bright lights in the cinema, in a meeting or, worst of all, in the bedroom during a night’s sleep can irritate not only the owner of the phone, but also those around you. In addition, frequent use of flash leads to additional battery consumption, albeit negligible, but in critical situations every minute of the device’s operation on the account.

Many users don’t even know they’ve turned on this feature by accident, like during the initial setup of a smartphone or system update, and understanding where the switch is hiding helps quickly regain control of the device’s behavior.

The main way to disconnect through system settings

The most reliable and correct way to remove blinking is to use the phone’s built-in settings menu, which doesn’t require any additional software to be installed and ensures that the feature is turned off at the system level, rather than just blocked by a temporary crutch. On Xiaomi Mi 9 smartphones, the algorithm is as follows.

The first thing you need to do is unlock the device and go to the home screen. Find the standard Phone app, which usually has a green tube icon, and it's through that, rather than through the general settings of the system, that you most often manage the call parameters in the MIUI shell.

When you open the app, look at the three dots or gear icons in the upper right or lower corner of the screen, and clicking on this element opens the drop-down menu where you want to select Settings. Within this section, we are interested in the category of Inbound Call or Answer and End, the names can vary depending on the localization.

• 📱 Open the phone app on your desktop.
• ⚙️ Go to the settings menu via the three-point icon.
• 📞 Select the “Incoming Call” section in the list of options.
• 🔦 Find the “Flash on Call” switch and turn it to the “Off” position».

If you don't find the right item in the Phone menu, try an alternative way through the general settings of the system. Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Additional. You can also find the switch you want, especially on older versions of the firmware. Once you turn off the function, the phone will stop blinking to incoming connections.

Alternative paths depending on MIUI version

The MIUI shell is known for its tendency to change constantly. With each major update, developers can move menu items, change their names or merge sections. On the Xiaomi Mi 9, which received updates to Android 10 and newer versions, the menu structure could change several times during the life of the device.

In some versions of the firmware, the flash setting has been moved to the special features section. This is logical, since the feature is classified as assistive technologies. To check this path, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Special features. Here you need to look for a tab associated with hearing or visual notifications.

It is also worth mentioning that on some global firmware versions, the item may be called "Flash on call" or "LED flash for alerts." If your interface is in Russian, look for synonyms: "Blinking", "Indication", "Flash Notification". It is important not to confuse this function with a flashlight that is turned on by long pressing the volume button or through the notification curtain.

Using the “Themes” app to manage notifications

A unique feature of Xiaomi’s ecosystem is the deep adoption of the Themes app, which is responsible not only for changing icons and wallpapers, but also for system sounds, fonts and, importantly for us, notification behavior. In rare cases, conflict between the set theme and system settings can lead to incorrect performance of indicators.

If standard methods don't work, try resetting the theme to standard. To do this, open the Themes app, go to the user profile (human icon) and select My Themes. Activate the standard Classic or Default theme. This action will return all visual parameters, including the logic of the flash, to factory state.

Also, some custom third-party themes may have their own rules for notifications. If you're using informal design, try removing it. After returning to the stock theme, check if the problem with spontaneous blinking has gone away.

💡

Before installing any new theme from the MIUI store, pay attention to the description. Authors often indicate whether the theme changes the behavior of system indicators or notification sounds.

Comparison of settings on different models Xiaomi and Redmi

While the logic of the shell is the same, the implementation of the menu on different devices may differ, due to differences in hardware: the presence or absence of an LED notification indicator (separate from the flash), the type of screen and the year of release of the model. Xiaomi Mi 9 is equipped with a different LED notification indicator. AMOLED-screen and does not have a separate LED indicator under the glass, so the load on visual notifications falls on the main flash.

Below is a chart showing the differences in the location of notification settings on popular models of the brand, which will help you navigate if you are using not only the Mi 9, but also other gadgets of the family.

As you can see from the table, on modern devices without a separate LED indicator, the "Ring flash" setting is the main tool for visual alerting. LED-under the screen, this function may have worked differently or required activation in the Event Indicator section».

💡

On devices without a separate notification LED (like the Mi 9), turning off the flash in call settings completely removes the light indication of incoming calls.

Problems after system updates and their solution

Often users notice that the flash starts flashing on its own or stops turning off after an operating system update.A refresh to Android or a upgrade to a new version of MIUI can reset user settings to factory values, where the visual notification feature is often turned on by default.

In some cases, there is a software bug where the switch in the menu is visually turned off, but the flash continues to blink physically, which indicates a conflict of processes in the background. To solve the problem, we recommend you to perform a soft reboot of the device. If this does not help, you can try to clear the cache of the Phone application.

To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps, search in the list “Phone” (or “Calls”), click “Clear” and select “Clear Cache.” It is important not to confuse this with a complete data cleanup, although in the case of a call application it is safe – your contacts and call history will not go anywhere, since they are stored in a separate storage.

The Impact of Third-Party Calling Apps

Many users prefer to replace the standard call with more functional counterparts from the Google Play Store, such as Truecaller, Dialer by Google or others. It is important to understand that flash settings in third-party applications are managed regardless of the system settings of Xiaomi.

If you use a third-party bell ringer, you need to look for a flash switch inside the settings of the app itself. Usually the path is: open the app → settings → visuals → flash when you call. The MIUI system settings may not affect the performance of the third-party software.

Also, some flashlight or notification management apps can take control of the LED. Check the list of recently installed programs. If you notice suspicious activity, try uninstalling the app and see if it solved the problem.

• 📞 Check which application is used for default calls.
• ⚙️ Go to the settings of this application, not the system.
• 🚫 Turn off camera/flashlight permissions for suspicious programs.

A return to the standard Phone app from Xiaomi or Google often solves the problem of uncontrolled blinking, as these apps strictly follow the shell system rules.

⚠️ Warning: If the flash flash flash flashes in a chaotic order, not only when calling, but also in a simple one, this may be a sign of a malfunction of the proximity sensor or a software failure of the power controller.

Additional notification settings and “Do Not Disturb” mode

You should also consider Do Not Disturb (DND) mode, which is flexible in Xiaomi, so you can set your phone up so that when you activate Do Not Disturb mode, the flash doesn't flash even when you call in from your favorite contacts, which is good for night time.

Go to Settings → Sound and Vibration → Don’t disturb. You can set your schedule and rules here. Make sure that exceptions don’t include the “Allow Visual Notifications” box or similar option if your goal is total darkness.

Also check the settings for specific contacts. The phone book may have a customized ringtone or vibration in the subscriber card, and in rare cases, individual notification rules that may be influenced by the overall system settings.

💡

Use the Do Not Disturb mode with a schedule to automatically turn off all light and sound signals at night, remembering to switch switch switch switches manually every evening.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

⚠️ Warning: When you reset your phone to the factory settings, all changes, including turning off the flash, will be returned to the original state.