Xiaomi button highlighting: how to turn it on if it doesn’t work

Touch or physical buttons on Xiaomi smartphones are a useful feature that makes it easier to use the device in the dark. However, many users find that the backlight is either turned off by default or stops working after the MIUI update. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to turn on the backlight, from standard settings to hidden functions of the engineering menu.

It’s important to understand that not all Xiaomi models support button highlighting. For example, in budget smartphones (Redmi Note series or POCO M), it is often physically absent, and in flagships (for example, Xiaomi 13 or Mix 4) can be controlled software. If your model is not equipped with LEDs under the buttons, none of the methods will work — but we will tell you how to check this.

The lighting may also depend on the version. MIUI. In old firmware (up to) MIUI 12) The settings were made available in the open, and in the new versions, they were moved to hidden menus or removed altogether. MIUI 13/14/15 and earlier assemblies.

1. Check the button backlight support on your Xiaomi model

Before you try to turn on the backlight, make sure your smartphone supports it. Here's how to do it:

• 🔍 Physical check: flash a flashlight on the touch button area (if any) or under the physical keys. If you notice small LEDs, the backlights are available.
• 📄 Official documentation: check the model specifications on Xiaomi's website.Look for the mention of Button backlight or Backlit Buttons.
• 🤖 Testing through the Engineering Menu: Enter the code ##6484## (Testing) → Manual Test → If the test doesn't start, there's no backlight.

If your model doesn’t support backlighting hardware, then it’s pointless to do it, but there are alternatives for some devices (like the Redmi Note 10 Pro or the POCO X3 Pro), as we’ll explain at the end of this article.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 12 or Black Shark 5) button highlighting is often implemented software - through the illumination of the display part.

2. Standard method: turning on the backlight through the MIUI settings

If your model supports backlighting, try turning it on through the standard menu first. MIUI 12–14:

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Scroll down and find the button highlighting section (or Button backlight in the global version).
3. Activate the slider and adjust the delay time (usually 1 sec to 10 sec).
4. Save the changes and check the lighting in a dark room.

If there's no button highlight, it's hidden or moved.

• 🔎 Use the Settings Search (the magnifier icon at the top of the screen) and enter a backlight or backlight request.
• 📱 Check the Additional Settings section → buttons (on some models, for example, Redmi) K40).
• 🔄 Restart your smartphone – sometimes the item appears after the reboot.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with touch buttons on the screen (for example, Xiaomi Mi) 10T) The backlight can be linked to Gesture settings. Try turning off full-screen gestures in Settings. → Display. → Full screen mode.

Is the display settings open?

Is the search on settings activated?

Has the "Additional Settings" section been checked?

Reboot your smartphone after the changes?-->

3. Hidden settings: MIUI Lab and engineering menu

If the standard method does not work, you can turn on the backlight through hidden menus, which is suitable for most models on MIUI 11-14, but requires caution.

Method 1: MIUI Lab (laboratory) MIUI)

MIUI Lab is a hidden partition with experimental functions to open it.

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click the MIUI version 7-10 times in a row until you become a developer!
3. Return to the main settings menu and open additionally → Laboratory MIUI (or MIUI Optimization in the Global Version).
4. Find the button highlighting and activate it.

If you don’t have a MIUI Lab, try an alternative route:

Settings → Special features → Laboratory → Illumination of touch keys

Method 2: Engineering Menu (CIT)

The engineering menu allows you to test hardware components, including backlighting. Be careful - wrong actions can disrupt the smartphone.

1. Open the phone app and enter the code: ##6484##
2. Select Manual Test → Backlight (or Button LED).
3. Press Start Test. If the backlight goes on, the function works, but is disabled in the settings.
4. To turn it on permanently, go back to the main menu of the engineering mode and select Hardware Testing → Keys → Backlight Enable.

If the test doesn’t start, your model doesn’t support hardware lighting, in which case try software alternatives (see section 6).

4. Software solutions: applications for highlighting buttons

If hardware backlights are missing or not working, you can use third-party apps that simulate backlighting through the screen or use built-in LEDs (such as notifications).

• 📱 Button Light: a simple tool for controlling touch button backlighting. Supports color and latency settings. Download to Google Play
• 🎨 NavBar Apps: allows customization of the navigation bar, including backlights. Works on Android 10 devices+. Download it to Google Play
• 🔦 LED Blinker Notifications: uses notification LED to simulate button highlighting (suitable for LED models such as the Redmi Note 8 Pro).

Before installing, check compatibility with your Xiaomi model in the application description. Some utilities require root rights or developer mode enabled.

⚠️ Attention: Backlighting apps can drain the battery faster because they use the screen or LEDs in the background.

Standard settings of MIUI

Engineering menu

Third-party annexes

I don't need a light.-->

5. button highlighting on Xiaomi gaming smartphones (Black Shark, POCO F)

Xiaomi gaming smartphones (Black Shark series and some models) POCO F) fitted RGB-It's a backlight that's controlled separately, like on Black Shark. 4/5 button highlighting synchronized with logo highlighting on the back panel.

To set it up:

1. Install the Shark Space app (available from the MIUI App Store or AppGallery).
2. Open the Lighting section (or the Lighting section in the Russian version).
3. Choose Button Lights and set it up: 🎨 Color (up to 16 million shades available). ⏱️ Mode of operation (Always, in games, with notifications). 🔥 Effects (pulsation, gradient, reaction to music).

Save the profile and activate it.

On the POCO F3 GT and POCO F4 GT, backlighting is controlled via the POCO Launcher or Game Turbo app. If these apps are removed, they can be reinstalled from the official Xiaomi store.

💡

On Black Shark gaming smartphones, the buttons can be synchronized with the keyboard or gamepad backlight. To do this, activate the Sync All Lights option in the Shark Space settings.

6. Alternative methods: if the backlight does not work

If none of these methods worked, consider alternatives:

• 🔦 Night: Enable the Nightlight function in Settings → Display. It reduces the brightness of the screen in the dark, making the navigation buttons more visible.
• 📱 Gestures: Go to full-screen gestures (Settings) → Display. → Full screen mode. In this case, the navigation buttons are displayed directly on the screen with adjustable transparency.
• 🔋 Backlit case: Some models (e.g. Redmi Note 11) sell cases with built-in backlight that connect via a lighting device. USB-C.
• 🛠️ Replace buttons: If the backlight burns out (for example, after a fall), contact the service center. On many Xiaomi models, backlit buttons are sold separately (priced from 300 to 1000). ₽).

On smartphones with AMOLED-In this case, the brightness of the buttons (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro or Mix Fold) is often implemented through the programmatic highlighting of the display part.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Let’s analyze typical situations when the backlight of the buttons does not work, and ways to eliminate them:

If the backlight stopped working after the MIUI update, try rolling back to the previous firmware version.

1. Download the archive with the desired version of MIUI from the official Xiaomi website.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
3. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Select the firmware file.
4. Please indicate the path to the downloaded archive and wait for the process to be completed.

⚠️ Attention: Firmware rollback will reset all data on your smartphone. Pre-backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

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If the button lighting stopped working after the MIUI update, try resetting to factory settings first (Settings → Additional → Resetting). 60% of the time, this solves the problem without rolling back the firmware.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions