The LED notification indicator on Xiaomi smartphones is a useful feature that visually alerts you to missed calls, messages or low battery charge. However, after updating the firmware or resetting, many users find that the indicator stops working. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways of inclusion LED-indicator on Redmi devices, POCO and Mi under control MIUI 12, 13 and 14, and consider typical problems and their solutions.
It is important to understand that not all Xiaomi models are equipped with a physical LED. For example, budget devices in the Redmi A or POCO M series often use software screen illumination (Ambient Display) instead of hardware LED. You can check for the presence of an LED by the specifications of the model or visually - it is usually located next to the front camera or under the screen.
If your smartphone supports the function, but the indicator does not flash, the reason may lie in the settings of the system, energy saving or application conflict, and then we will discuss each of these cases in detail.
1. Standard way to enable through MIUI settings
The easiest method to activate the indicator is to use the built-in MIUI parameters. The instructions are suitable for most models, including the Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5 and Mi 11/12.
- Open the Settings app (cog icon).
- Go to Always Active Screen and Lock (in older versions of MIUI – Lock Screen).
- Select Notification Indicator or LED Indicator.
- Activate the switch at the top of the screen.
- Customize the color and frequency of blinking for different types of notifications (calls, SMS, instant messengers).
If the Notification Indicator is not on the menu, then your model does not support hardware LED, or the function is hidden by the manufacturer, in which case try alternative methods from the following sections.
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On some firmware, the item may be called "Notification Illumination" or "LED-indicator. If you don't find it, search by settings (loop icon at the top).
2. Including through hidden developer settings
On some Xiaomi devices (especially custom firmware) access to the indicator settings is blocked by default. To unlock it, you will need to activate the developer mode:
- Go to Settings. → The phone.
- Find the MIUI version line and tap it 7 times in a row until you become a developer!
- Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
- Scroll down and find the Notification Indicator or LED-indicator.
- Turn on the function and adjust the blinking parameters.
Some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu) may not have direct access to the indicator in the developer menu. ADB-teams (described in section 5).
What to do if the developer mode is not activated?
3. Set up the indicator for individual applications
By default, MIUI allows you to flexibly adjust the color and behavior of the indicator for each application separately, which is useful if you want to distinguish notifications from WhatsApp (green) from Telegram (blue).
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Always active screen and lock → Notification indicator.
- 🎨 In the Notification Colors section, select the app from the list.
- 🔄 Assign a unique color and frequency of blinking (e.g. red for missed calls, yellow for flashing). SMS).
- 🔕 To turn off the indicator for a particular application, move the slider to the left.
Please note: if the application is not displayed in the list, it does not support the work with the LED-This is typical for some Chinese messengers (like WeChat) or games.
| Annex | Recommended color | Frequency of flashing | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green. | 1 time 2 seconds | Standard color messenger | |
| Telegram | Blue | 2 times per second | Corresponds to the color of the logo |
| Missed calls | Red. | Continuously | High priority |
| Gmail | White | 1 time 3 seconds | Low priority |
| Low battery charge | Orange | Accelerated blinking | Activated at <15% |
4. Problems with the indicator: causes and solutions
If the indicator does not work despite the settings included, check the following points:
- 🔋 Energy saving: In the mode of ultra-saving or balanced LED It might be off. Go to Settings. → Battery → Power Saving Modes and Select Performance.
- 📵 Firmware problems: After the update MIUI The indicator settings may be reset. Try restarting the device or resetting the settings. → System system → Resetting settings → Reset all settings (without deleting data).
- 🛠️ Application conflict: Some SEOs (e.g. Clean Master) block the indicator. Uninstall suspicious programs or add them to exceptions.
- 🔧 Hardware malfunction: If the indicator does not flash even after reset, it may be damaged LED or plume, in which case diagnostics are required at the service center.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro, POCO F4) hardware-based LED The Always-On Display function can be used (AOD). In this case, the LED is physically absent, and notifications are displayed on the screen turned off.
Critical information: On some models (Redmi Note 9 Pro, POCO X3 NFC), the indicator only works when the screen is locked. If you unlock the device, the LED automatically turns off until the next lock.
5. Including the indicator via ADB (for power users)
If the standard methods do not work, you can try to activate the indicator through the ADB-This is a way for advanced users to connect their smartphone to a PC:
- Download and install Platform Tools on your computer.
- Enable USB debugging in the developer settings (see Section 2).
- Connect your smartphone to your PC and open the command line in the folder with adb.exe.
- Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices must display the serial number of the device.
- Give permission to change settings: adb shell pm grant com.android.settings android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
- Enable the indicator with the command: adb shell settings put secure notification_light_pulse 1
- Reset the device.
If the indicator is running after restarting, fix the changes by adding the Settings app to the battery optimization exceptions:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the settings in the list and open the Energy Consumption.
- Choose No Limits.
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB It can cause system failures if you type commands at random. Do not change other parameters through the adb shell unless you are sure of their purpose.
Install Xiaomi drivers on PC
Enable debugging over USB in the developer settings
Download Platform Tools of the latest version
Connect your phone to the original cable
Allow debugging on the smartphone screen-->
6. Alternatives to the hardware indicator
If your Xiaomi model is not equipped with an LED, you can use software alternatives:
- 🌑 Always-On Display (AOD): Displays time, notifications and battery power on the screen off. → Always active screen. AMOLED-display.
- 🔄 Ambient Display: Turns on the screen briefly when notified. Set up in Settings → Lock screen → Ambient Display.
- 📲 Third-party applications: For example, Light Manager or Notification LED They emulate the performance of the indicator through the backlight of the screen or vibration.
- 🎵 Sound Alerts: Set up unique tunes for different apps in Settings → Sounds and vibrations.
When using AOD, consider that the feature increases battery consumption by 5-10% per day. To save charge, limit display time or turn off AOD at night through Settings → Always Active Screen → Schedule.
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On LCD-screen devices (e.g. Redmi 9A), Always-On Display is not supported due to high power consumption, leaving only third-party apps or audio notifications.