How to turn on the notification indicator on Xiaomi smartphones: all ways

The LED indicator on Xiaomi smartphones is a small but extremely useful element that signals missed calls, messages or low battery charge. However, many users face a problem: after updating MIUI, resetting or buying a new device, the indicator stops working. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to turn it on, from standard settings to hidden functions of the engineering menu.

It’s important to understand that not all Xiaomi models have a physical LED. For example, in the POCO X3, Redmi Note 10 and newer devices, the manufacturer often replaces it with a software-on-display light. If your smartphone doesn’t blink at notifications, first check if it has a hardware indicator – this will be discussed in the first section.

We have tested all methods on the current versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS (2026), so the instructions will be suitable for most modern devices, including Xiaomi 13T, Redmi Note 12, POCO F5 and others. If your model is older than 2019, some menu items may differ - for such cases we have prepared separate recommendations.

1. Check for the presence of an LED indicator on your model

Before you try to turn on the indicator, make sure that it is in your smartphone. Xiaomi gradually abandons physical LEDs in favor of software solutions.

• 🔍 Physical LED: A small dot next to the front camera or under the screen that glows even when the display is off.Available in models up to 2020 (Mi 9, Redmi Note 8) and some flagships (Mi 11 Ultra).
• 📱 Allways-on Display: Part of the screen remains active, showing time, notifications or charge. POCO F4, Xiaomi 12 and newer.
• ❌ Lack of indicator: many budget models (Redmi) 10A, POCO M4) They don't have any LEDs, AOD.

To find out if you have a hardware indicator:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Put him on charge.
3. If a red/orange light is lit near the connector or on the front panel, you have a physical LED.

Attention! If your smartphone doesn't flash when charging, but the LED is listed in the specs, it may be off at the software level, in which case move on to the next section.

2. Include indicator through standard MIUI settings

The easiest way to activate the LED is to use the built-in MIUI settings. The interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the overall algorithm is the same:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to All Settings → Display (or Screen in new versions).
3. Scroll down and look for the Notification Indicator or LED indicator.
4. Activate the switch to the position on..
5. Click on the indicator settings to select colors for different types of notifications (calls, messages, charging, etc.).

If the Notification Indicator is not in the Display menu, try an alternative path:

Settings → Applications → Notification Management → Notification settings → Notification indicator

In MIUI 14 and HyperOS, the indicator setting can be hidden under the option Additional screen settings – don’t miss it!

3. Set up the indicator through the engineering menu (for advanced)

If standard settings do not allow access to the indicator, it can be activated through the engineering menu, which is suitable for models where the function is hidden by the manufacturer (for example, the Redmi Note 9 or the POCO X3 NFC).

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. In the menu that appears, select Hardware Testing.
3. Scroll to the LED or Light section.
4. Press Test LED – the LED should light up white.
5. If the test is successful, go back to the basic settings and turn on the indicator as described in Section 2.

Some models (e.g. Mi 10T) may not have an engineering menu, in which case try the alternative code:

##86583##

⚠️ Attention! If the engineering menu does not open after you enter the code, do not try to use third-party apps to activate it. This may result in resetting or blocking the bootloader.

4.Use Always-on Display (AOD) instead of LED

If your Xiaomi doesn't have a physical indicator, it's replaced by Always-on Display (AOD), which displays the time, date and notification icons on the screen that's off, and you can activate it like this:

1. Go to Settings → Display → Always-on Display.
2. Turn on the Always-on Display switch.
3. Select the display style (e.g. Digital Watch or Analog Watch).
4. In the Notification Settings section, mark the types of alerts that should be displayed (calls, SMS, instant messengers).

AOD consumes more power than LED, but in modern smartphones (Xiaomi 13, POCO F5) this is offset by optimizing MIUI.

• 🔋 Set a schedule for AOD (for example, only at night).
• ⏱️ Reduce the brightness in the screen settings.
• 📵 Turn off notifications for unnecessary applications.

5 Problem Solving: Why the Indicator Doesn't Work

If LED or AOD are not included, the causes may be both software and hardware.

If none of the methods helped, the cause may be a hardware malfunction:

• 🔌 Damaged LED: often occurs after falls or moisture. Replacement is required at a service center.
• 🔧 Removed the plume: relevant for models with removable back cover (Redmi) 4X, Mi A1).
• 🔋 Power controller failure: indicator may not work due to charge issues.

⚠️ Before you visit the service, check if the indicator is turned off through the ADB (If you have previously used engineering tools, type the command: adb shell settings get global. notification_light_pulse If the result 0, Enter the indicator with the command: adb shell settings put global notification_light_pulse 1

6. Set up the indicator for specific Xiaomi models

Some Xiaomi devices have unique display controls, and we have compiled instructions for popular models:

Redmi Note 8/9/10 Pro

In these smartphones, the LED is controlled via Settings → Display → Notification Indicator. If not, upgrade MIUI to version 12.5 or higher. For the Redmi Note 10 Pro, color setting is also available through the Themes app.

POCO X3/X3 Pro

The LED in these models is often turned off by default, to activate it:

1. Install the Light Flow app (ADB rights required).
2. In the application settings, select Xiaomi POCO from the list of devices.
3. Assign colors for notifications and save settings.

Xiaomi Mi 11/12/13

Flagship models use Always-on Display instead of LED to configure AOD:

• 🎨 Select style in Settings → Display. → AOD → Styles.
• 🔔 Enable notification display in Settings AOD → Notifications.
• ⏳ Set an automatic shutdown timer (for example, from 23:00 to 7:00).

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If the indicator stopped working after the MIUI update, try resetting the System Settings application (not to be confused with a full reset!). To do this, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three Points → Reset Settings.

7. Alternative methods: applications for indicator management

If the built-in settings don't provide enough flexibility, you can use third-party utilities, which allow you to adjust the color, the blinking frequency and even add support for applications that don't know how to work with the LED by default.

Top.-3 apps:

1. Light Flow (requires ADB) - supports customization of colors for each application separately. Works on MIUI 12-14.
2. LED Blinker Notifications - does not require root rights, but has color restrictions. Suitable for Redmi and POCO. Download to Google Play
3. Always On AMOLED — substitute AOD for devices AMOLED-screens (Xiaomi 12, POCO F4). Download it to Google Play

Before installing third-party applications:

• ⚙️ Enable permission to display over other windows in special features settings.
• 🔒 Disable battery optimization for the application (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery).
• 📥 Make sure the app has access to notifications (Settings) → Annexes → Management of notifications).

⚠️ Apps like Light Flow require permissions. ADB Do not grant such rights to unknown utilities, it can violate the security of the system.

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For models without a physical LED (POCO X5, Redmi Note 12), the only way to get visual notifications is to use Always-on Display or third-party apps with Ambient Display support.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the indicator on Xiaomi