Incoming lights on Xiaomi smartphones are a useful feature that helps you avoid missing an important call, even if the phone is down screen or in silent mode. However, many users are faced with the fact that the backlight either does not work out of the box or turns off after the MIUI update. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to activate the LED, including hidden settings and solutions for different versions of the firmware.
Xiaomi is a feature that often changes the layout of options in the menu, and in some models (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro) the LED is not physically present. We will explain in detail how to check the presence of the indicator in your device, what alternative methods to use if hardware illumination is not available, and how to adjust color schemes for different contacts.
Checking the presence of LED in your Xiaomi model
Before you try to turn on the backlight, make sure that your Xiaomi smartphone is equipped with an LED indicator at all. In recent models (starting with the Xiaomi 12 and Redmi Note 11), the manufacturer often abandons the physical LED in favor of software-on display illumination (Always-on Display).
How to check:
- 🔍 Inspect the top panel of the phone next to the speaker - there should be a small transparent or matte circle (diode).
- 📱 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Full specifications and look for a mention of the notification LED.
- 🛠️ Use the hardware component test: type in the dial number ##4636##, select Equipment Testing → LED indicator.
List of Xiaomi models without LED
Since 2021, most Xiaomi smartphones have lost their hardware LED, including the entire Xiaomi 12/13/14 series, Redmi Note 11/12, POCO F4/F5, Black Shark 5 and later. Instead, software backlighting via AOD (Always-on Display) or screen blinking is used.
If your model is on this list, go straight to the section on alternative notification methods.
Standard way to include lighting in MIUI
In MIUI 12-14 firmware, the path to the LED settings may differ, but the overall scheme is maintained.
- Open the settings (cog icon on the desktop).
- Go to the Notifications and Status bar section.
- Select the LED Notification Indicator (in some versions, the Event Indicator).
- Activate the slider Turn on the LED.
- In the Call submenu, check the box and select the color (usually blue, green, red are available).
☑️ Checking the operation of the illumination
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Make sure the LED flashes when you make a test call.
- ✅ Reboot the phone.
- ✅ Check if the backlight is blocking the cover or film.
- ✅ Make sure that in the settings → Battery → Power saving mode is turned off by ultramode (it can block) LED).
Important! On some devices (e.g. Redmi 9 or POCO M3), the option is hidden in the menu Additional settings → Notification indicator. If you do not find an item, search by settings (the magnifying icon at the top of the screen).
Setting up lighting for individual contacts
MIUI allows you to assign unique LED colors to different contacts, and it's convenient to visually distinguish calls from family, work or spam.
- Open the Contacts app and select the contact you want.
- Click Edit (pencil icon).
- Scroll down to the Notification block and select the LED Color.
- Set the desired color (up to 7 options are available depending on the model).
- Save the changes.
If there is no option, check:
- 📞 Contact is stored in the phone book, not on the phone SIM-map.
- 🔄 In the notification settings for the Phone application, the option Allow to change the notification settings is enabled.
- 🛠️ Update the firmware to the latest version (in older versions) MIUI function may have been absent).
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If you want to assign different colors to SMS and calls from a single contact, use the Mi LED Notifications app from Google Play, which allows you to flexibly configure the LED for each type of notification.
Problem Solving: Why the Lighting Doesn't Work
If the LED doesn't blink when you make calls, the reasons can be both software and hardware, and let's look at the most common cases and how to fix them.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The lighting doesn't turn on at all. | Disabled in settings or reset to factory | Check the settings according to the instructions above. If it does not help, reset via Settings → Reset settings (without deleting data). |
| It only flashes when charging. | Conflict with the energy saving regime | Turn off Ultra Power Saving Mode in the battery settings. |
| It works for SMS only, but not for calls. | Error in the settings of the phone application | Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone → Notifications and turn on the LED indicator. |
| Flicking too dimly or intermittently | LED pollution or malfunction | Wipe the diode area with an alcohol napkin. If it doesn't work, contact the service. |
Critical information: On devices with a MediaTek processor (such as Redmi 9A or POCO C31), the backlight may not work due to an error in the LED driver. The only solution is to update the firmware to MIUI version 13.0.4 or later.
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If the backlight stopped working after the MIUI update, try rolling back to the previous firmware version via Fastboot or wait for a patch from Xiaomi.
Alternative Notifications Without LED
If your Xiaomi is not equipped with hardware LED, you can use software alternatives:
- Always-on Display (AOD): Displays time, notifications and incoming calls on the screen off. Enables in Settings → Screen → Always-on Display. Minus - increased battery consumption (~5-7% per night).
- Blinking screen: Enables in Settings → Special features → Blinking screen at notifications. The screen will be turned on briefly when you call.
- Indicator apps: Utilities like Always On Edge or AcDisplay simulate backlighting over the edge of the screen or pop-ups.
For models with AMOLED-screen (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi) K50 Pro recommend using AOD — It is less energy-consuming than on LCD-panel.
How to reduce battery consumption in AOD?
Activate Schedule Only mode in the AOD settings and set the display interval (e.g. 8:00 to 22:00). Also turn off animations and select the minimalist style of the dial.
Hidden functions of backlighting: what MIUI can do
In addition to the basic setup, MIUI has hidden opportunities for working with the LED:
- 🎨 Gradient backlighting: on some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 11T) You can adjust the smooth color change LED. To do this, you need to activate the Developer Mode (7 times press the Version). MIUI in the phone settings) and enable the option Animated LED.
- 🔔 Blinking frequency: In the engineering menu (#36446337##) you can change the blinking interval (values from 1 to 5, where 1 is the fastest).
- 🔕 Lighting in silent mode: by default LED It works even when the sound is turned off, but if there is no blinking, check the settings of Do Not Disturb Mode (notifications should be allowed to be displayed).
For advanced users: If you want to have full control of the LED, install Tasker and create a task with the LEDBlinker plugin, which will allow you to customize unique blinking patterns for different events (for example, 3 short flashes for calls from family and 1 long for work).
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Many Xiaomi users face typical problems when setting up the backlight.
⚠️ Note: Do not install third-party management applications LED They may contain malicious code that will gain access to notifications and personal data.
- 🚫 Ignore updates MIUI: In older versions of firmware, there are often LED bugs. MIUI 12.0.3 for Redmi Note 10 backlight didn't work when Game Turbo was turned on.
- 🚫 Reset settings without backup: save contacts and notification settings via Settings before resetting → Additionally. → Backup.
- 🚫 Use magnet cases: they can block sensors and turn off the backlight (especially relevant for the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite).
If the LED still doesn't work after all the manipulations, check it for physical damage. Hold the phone to your ear during the test call -- if you hear a light squeak (the LED driver's work), but there are no blinks, most likely the diode itself burned out, in which case only a replacement at the service center will help.