How to turn on the flashlight on Xiaomi Poco 5: 5 proven ways + troubleshooting

The flashlight on the Xiaomi Poco 5 is one of those features that seems simple until you encounter unexpected nuances. You can turn it on in a second, but what if the standard method does not work? Or if you want to activate the LED faster than usual? In this article, we will analyze all possible methods for turning on the flashlight on the Poco 5 — from classic to hidden, and also tell you how to fix typical problems with its operation.

The Poco 5 (codenamed redwood) comes with a bright 6500K LED that can shine in two modes: constant and strobe (for alarms), but not everyone knows that the flashlight here can be customized to suit their needs, such as changing the brightness or double-pressing the power button. If you just purchased this smartphone or switched from another Xiaomi model, our instructions will help avoid common mistakes.

Important: Depending on the firmware version (MIUI 14 or later), the location of some menu items may vary slightly. We will show you the current paths for the latest updates, but if your interface looks different, check the version in Settings → About phone.

1. Standard method: notification panel

The most obvious and quickest method is to use the notification bar, which works on all Xiaomi smartphones, including the Poco 5, and does not require any additional settings.

1. Unlock the screen (if it is locked).
2. Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
3. Find the flashlight icon (🔦) If you don't have one, swipe left to open the extra buttons.
4. Stick the icon once to turn on the flashlight. Pressing it again will turn it off.

If the flashlight icon is not in the panel, it can be added manually:

• 📱 Open the notification panel and tap the icon"⚙️ Edit” (or"✏️").
• 🔍 In the list of "Additional switches" find the "Flashlight" and drag it to the active area.
• 💡 Now the button will always be at hand.

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If the notification bar does not open with a swipe, check your gesture settings in Settings → Screen → System Navigation. Full-screen gestures may be enabled.

On Poco 5, you can turn on the flashlight even from a locked screen — swipe the notification panel down without unlocking the phone. This is convenient when you need to quickly light up without entering. PIN-However, this method only works if the security settings do not activate the option "Hide notifications on a locked screen".

2. Quick activation by double pressing the power button

One of the most convenient ways is to activate the flashlight with a double press of the power button, which is not available on all Xiaomi smartphones, but on Poco 5 it is supported out of the box.

1. Go to Settings → Special features → Gestures and movements.
2. Select the option "Double pressing the power button".
3. In the action list, find the flashlight and activate the switch.

Now, to turn on the flashlight, you just need to press the power button twice quickly (even on a locked screen), a method that is especially useful in the dark when you do not want to unlock the phone or look for an icon in the notification panel.

Double press is done quickly (interval < 0.5 sec) |

Power button not pressed (press must be short)|

Function enabled in gesture settings |

The phone is not in power saving mode (can block gestures)

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⚠️ Note: If double pressing does not work, check if it conflicts with other gestures (such as calling a voice assistant), and this feature can be disabled in Do Not Disturb or when active. VPN.

3. Voice activation via Google Assistant or Xiao AI

If you have a voice assistant on (Google Assistant or Xiaomi's Xiao AI), you can activate the flashlight with a voice command, which is convenient when your hands are busy or your phone is on the table.

For Google Assistant:

• 🎤 Say, “OK Google, turn on the flashlight” or “Hey Google, turn on the flashlight".
• 📱 Make sure that the assistant settings (Settings) → Google → Settings for applications → Search, Assistant and Voice access to flashlight enabled.

For Xiao AI (Chinese version of the assistant):

• 🤖 Activate the assistant with a long hold of the home button or voice ("").
• 💡 Tell me:"" (dǎkāi shǒudiàntǒng) —"flashlight".

Note: Xiao AI may not work on Poco 5 global firmware. If you have an international version of MIUI, use Google Assistant.

Google Assistant |

Xiao AI (Chinese) |

Alice (Yandex) |

I don't use voice assistants.-->

4. Turning on the flashlight through the widget on the desktop

For those who prefer maximum convenience, you can add a flashlight widget directly to the main screen, which eliminates the need to open the notification panel or memorize gestures.

Instructions:

1. Press and hold the empty space on the desktop, then select "Widgets".
2. In the list, look for the flashlight widget (usually called Flashlight or Torch).
3. Drag it on the screen. Now tap on the widget will turn on/off the flashlight.

Poco 5 also has a Tools widget that combines flashlights, calculators, screen recording and other features, and can be customized to suit your needs:

• 🔧 Add the Tools widget to the screen.
• 🔄 Slip it and select "Set up".
• ✅ Check the "lightlightlight" box and save the changes.

5. Alternative methods: applications and automation

If you don't like the standard ways, you can use third-party applications or automation features, which is true, for example, if you want to:

• 🔦 Turn on the flashlight on schedule (for example, at night).
• 🎵 Activate it with music (for parties).
• 🚨 Use the strobe in emergency situations.

The best applications for advanced flashlight management:

To automate through MacroDroid:

1. Install the application and grant it Special Opportunities.
2. Create a new macro with a trigger (e.g., “Shake the phone”).
3. Add the "Lighten the flashlight" action.
4. Save and activate the macro.

⚠️ Note: Flashlight control applications require permission to use the camera (since the LED is connected to its module).If the flashlight does not work after installation, check the permissions in Settings → Annexes → [Title of the annex] → Permits.

6. Problem Solving: The flashlight does not turn on

If the flashlight on Poco 5 has stopped working, the causes can be both software and hardware.

• 🔋 Battery discharge. At a charge level below 5%, the system can block power-intensive functions, including a flashlight.
• 📱 Firmware failure after update MIUI Sometimes you reset your settings. Try rebooting your phone or resetting the Camera app settings. → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → Drop it).
• 🔧 LED damage: If the flashlight is not turned on by any means, the LED may have burned out. This can be verified by running a test of hardware components through code ##4636## (section "Equipment Testing").
• 🛠️ Conflict with other applications: Some programs (e.g., to save battery) may block access to the flashlight.

On the Poco 5, the flashlight is physically connected to the camera module, so if the camera is also not working, the problem is likely hardware – repairs are needed.

If none of the methods helped, reset the settings to factory:

1. Make a backup copy of the data.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select Reset All Settings (does not delete files, only settings).

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Before resetting the settings, try clearing the system cache in Recovery mode (press Power + Volume up when the phone is off).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the flashlight on Poco 5