How to increase the brightness of the flashlight on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T: from settings to modifications

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T is equipped with a built-in flashlight based on LED, but its standard brightness often leaves much to be desired — especially in low light conditions or when shooting video in the dark. Many users do not even suspect that brightness can be increased without physical modification of the device. In this article, we will analyze all available methods, from hidden MIUI functions to modifications through the engineering menu and third-party utilities.

It is important to understand that the maximum brightness of the flashlight is limited by hardware — the LED in the Redmi Note 8T has a fixed power (about 1-1.5 W). However, software settings allow you to use it to the fullest, and in some cases even exceed factory limits. But be careful: improper actions can lead to overheating or shorten the life of the LED.

We tested all methods on MIUI 12.5 and MIUI 14 (Android 10/11) firmware, and the results are summarized in a comparison table at the end of this article. If your smartphone is running custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), some methods may not work.

1. Check the current brightness of the flashlight

Before you try to increase the brightness, make sure that the problem is not a software failure or energy saving restrictions.

• 🔦 Turn on the flashlight in the standard way: swipe down the screen to open the notification bar and click on the flashlight icon (or tell voice assistant OK, Google, turn on the flashlight).
• 📱 Compare brightness to another device (e.g., Redmi Note 9 or POCO X3) If the difference is obvious, your flashlight is not working at full capacity.
• 🔋 Check the battery level. At a charge below 15% MIUI automatically reduces the brightness of the flashlight to save energy.

If the flashlight flashes or dims after a few seconds, this is a sign of active energy saving mode. Turn it off in Settings → Battery → Power saving mode and restart the device.

2. Hidden brightness settings in MIUI

MIUI has a hidden setting in the firmware that allows you to adjust the flashlight brightness through an engineering menu, which does not require root rights, but only works on standard versions of MIUI (non-custom versions).

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##36446337###
2. In the engineering menu, select Hardware Testing → LED.
3. Find Flashlight Brightness (or Torch Brightness)
4. Set a value from 100 (standard) to 255 (maximum). Values above 200 can cause the LED to overheat with prolonged use.
5. Save the settings and restart the smartphone.

If the LED item is not on the menu, try the alternative code:

##4636##

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After changing the brightness through the engineering menu, check the temperature of the back of the smartphone after 5 minutes of continuous operation of the flashlight. If it becomes hot, reduce the value to 180-190.

3. Use of third-party applications

If the engineering menu is not available or does not work, you can use specialized utilities. 8T:

• 📱 Flashlight Brightness Control (available on Google Play) – allows you to adjust the brightness with a slider, but requires permission to access the camera (since the flashlight is controlled through its driver).
• 🛠️ Torch Level – supports saving brightness profiles and has a widget for quick access.
• 🔧 Flash Alerts 2 – in addition to adjusting the brightness, adds the flashing flashing function with a flashlight when notifying.

Warning: Some apps may request device administrator permissions - don't provide them unnecessarily. check reviews and rankings on Google Play before installing.

Check compatibility with MIUI 12.5/14|

Download APK only from official sources |

Turn off battery optimization for the app |

Test the brightness in a dark room-->

Modification via ADB (for advanced users)

If you're ready for a deeper setup, you can change the flashlight settings through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that requires connecting your smartphone to a PC and basic command line knowledge.

Step-by-step:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Connect the Redmi Note 8T to your computer and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb shell


su




echo 255 > /sys/class/leds/torch-light0/brightness

If the team doesn’t work, try an alternative route:

echo 255 > /sys/class/leds/flashlight/brightness

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB If the flashlight stopped working after you enter the commands, restart the device or reset the settings through Settings. → System system → Resetting settings.

5. Hardware limitations and risks

Increasing the brightness of the flashlight above the factory settings has consequences:

With constant use of the flashlight at maximum brightness (255 units), the LED can fail after 1.5-2 years of active use. If you need a powerful light source, consider buying an external flashlight with a smartphone mount (for example, Xiaomi Mi LED Flashlight).

Alternative solutions

If software methods do not give the desired result, consider these options:

• 🔦 External LED-panels - for example, Nitecore TIP CRI (attached to the back cover with a magnet, brightness up to 700 lumens).
• 📸 Using a camera flash – in some applications (such as Open Camera) you can turn on a constant flash light instead of a flashlight.
• 🔋 Power Bank with flashlight – devices like Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 3 have a built-in bright LED.

For shooting video in the dark, it is better to use an external light source - even at the maximum brightness of the built-in flashlight, the recording quality will be worse due to the noise of the camera matrix.

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The safest way to increase brightness is to use an engineering menu with a value of up to 180 units, which gives a gain of 30-40% without critical risks to the hardware.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

Users often face these problems when trying to change the brightness:

• ❌ "Engineering menu won't open" - check if the code is entered correctly (without spaces.
• ❌ "Application does not find a flashlight" - give all necessary permissions to Settings → Annexes → Permits.
• ❌ "Flashlight flashes after changes" - reset the camera settings through Settings → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → Clear the data.

⚠️ If after the modifications, the smartphone began to warm up strongly or discharge quickly - return the standard settings. Prolonged overheating can damage not only the LED, but also the battery.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions