How to turn off the pulse on Xiaomi phone

Owners of modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO often face an unusual problem, which they describe as a “pulse” or “pulse” on the screen, which can manifest itself in the form of a barely noticeable flicker of the display, a flashing notification indicator, or the intrusive operation of an optical fingerprint scanner that is constantly illuminated. Understanding the nature of this “pulse” is the first step to eliminating it, since the reasons can be completely different.

In most cases, the term “pulse” is used to refer to the light sensor that causes the screen to change brightness, or the function Always On Display, which simulates the heartbeat in the rhythm of notifications, and often the source of the problem is an optical fingerprint scanner built directly into the screen matrix, which can behave aggressively, preventing comfortable use of the device in the dark.

This guide will help you understand the details of the settings of the MIUI and HyperOS system. We will consider all possible options for eliminating visual and functional “pulsations”, from calibrating the screen to completely disabling biometric sensors. Careful follow-up of instructions will return the device to stability.

Nature of flickering: PWM and refresh rate

Before you go to the deactivation of functions, you need to understand what exactly causes the discomfort. Many Xiaomi models use a technology known as PWM (pulse-latitudinal modulation) to control the brightness of the screen. When the brightness decreases, the screen actually starts to turn on and off quickly, creating a flickering effect that some users perceive as “pulsation”.

This is especially evident on AMOLED-matrixes, which are equipped with the flagship and mid-budget series of Redmi Note and Xiaomi. If you feel that your eyes quickly tire and the image “twitches”, the problem can lie in low refresh rate or low brightness.

It is also worth considering that some applications may request a high refresh rate of the screen, putting a load on the GPU, which can lead to unstable interface operation, which is mistaken for a hardware defect.

• 📱 PWM effect: characteristic of OLED low-brightness screen.
• 🔄 Upgrade Frequency: Standard 60Hz may seem less smooth than 90 or 120Hz.
• 🔋 Energy saving: Aggressive settings can reduce frame rate to save charge.

⚠️ Note: If the screen flicker is accompanied by the appearance of colored stripes or image artifacts, this may indicate a physical malfunction of the matrix or plume, and not a software failure.

Disabling the optical fingerprint scanner

One of the most common reasons users want to turn off their pulses is because they use an optical fingerprint scanner. Unlike ultrasonic or capacitive scanners, an optical scanner requires lighting up the area under their fingers to read the pattern. On some firmware, the area may be illuminated constantly or react too often to touch, creating an irritating lighting effect.

To completely remove this pulse, you need to turn off the fingerprint unlock function, which can be done through the security menu, and remember that after that, you will need to use a digital password, a pattern lock or facial recognition to log in to the device.

To perform the setting, go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Unlocking by fingerprint. Here you will need to enter the current screen lock password. Once you enter the code, you will see a list of registered fingerprints. By clicking on any of them, you can select the deletion option.

If you don’t want to give up the scanner entirely but want to reduce its activity, try turning off the “Sleeping Unlock” or “Touch Backlight” feature if such options are available in your version of MIUI. This will reduce false positives and visual noise.

Always on display and indicators

Always On Display (AOD) is often a source of pulsation in the form of flashing notification icons or a constantly burning screen with a watch, and many users confuse the function’s normal operation with a malfunction, wanting to turn it off immediately.

To control this setting, go to Settings → Lock screen (or Always on screen) and you will find a switch that allows you to fully deactivate the function, and more subtle settings are available, such as showing only 10 seconds after touching or on a schedule.

Shutdown AOD not only removes the visual “pulse” of notifications, but also significantly saves battery power, especially on the basis of the AMOLED-If you care about privacy, disabling notification preview on a locked screen is also a useful step.

💡

Use dark wallpaper for the lock screen if you can’t completely abandon Always On Display – this will reduce the flickering visibility and save energy.

Removing software interface failures

Sometimes the “pulsation” of the screen is not associated with specific sensors, but is the result of a malfunction in the graphics shell HyperOS or MIUI. Overflow of the system cache or conflict of recently installed applications can cause image artifacts, which the user interprets as a pulse.

The first step in diagnostics should be to update the system. Xiaomi developers regularly release patches that fix the display and drivers. Check for updates in the Settings menu → About Phone → MIUI version.

If the update didn’t work, try clearing the cache of running apps or resetting the screen settings. In some cases, turning on and then turning off Read or Vision Protection mode helps, which restarts color drivers.

⚠️ Warning: Resetting your settings to factory values will delete all personal data.Be sure to back up important files and contacts before doing this.

It’s also worth checking if the developer mode with activated animations is on, and speeding up window animations and transitions can create the illusion of an interface being unstable on weak processors.

Working with the proximity and illumination sensor

The light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen depending on external conditions. If this sensor is contaminated or is not working correctly, the screen can begin to change brightness dramatically, creating a strobe or "pulsation" effect.

You can use an engineering menu or a special application from the Google Play store to calibrate the sensor, but the easiest way is to manually turn off autobrightness. Go to Settings → Screen → Brightness Level and uncheck the box from Auto-Tune.

Once you turn off the autobrightness, you can set a comfortable level of backlight that will not change spontaneously, especially for users working in artificial lighting, where the sensor often behaves inadequately.

Remember to wipe the top of your smartphone screen, where the sensors are located, from grease and dust. Pollution can distort the sensor readings, making the system think that the phone is constantly moving from light to shadow.

Specificity of Redmi and POCO models

Owners of Xiaomi sub-brands such as Redmi and POCO often face software features other than the flagship lineup. Budget models more often use software brightness stabilization, which can cause visible flickering at low backlight levels.

In such devices, it is recommended not to lower the brightness slider below 30-40% if you are sensitive to PWM effect, and in some firmware for these brands, the option “Anti-Flicker” in advanced screen settings is available, which is worth activating.

If you use third-party launchers or design themes, try switching to the standard interface. Unoptimized themes can conflict with the system settings of the display, causing visual glitches.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

💡

Complete elimination of the “pulse” on Xiaomi is achieved by an integrated approach: disabling biometrics, adjusting AOD and manually adjusting the brightness of the screen.