Flash Morganing when calling Xiaomi: how to turn on and configure

Have you ever missed an important call because your phone was in your bag or in another room? Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) have a useful feature — flashing when an incoming call is made, which visually alerts you to calls, especially for hearing-impaired users or in noisy rooms where the beep may not be heard.

In this article, we will discuss in detail how to activate a flash when calling on any Xiaomi device – from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Mi and POCO F. You will learn not only the standard way to enable through settings, but also alternative methods for older versions of MIUI, as well as solving common problems when the flash does not work. Plus – bonus tips for adjusting the blink frequency and combining with vibration.

Why flash calls are useful: 5 reasons to use

The camera blinking function when you make an incoming call seems like a trifle, but in practice it solves a lot of household problems. Here are the key situations where it is indispensable:

• 🔇 Noisy places: at concerts, in workshops or on construction, the sound of a bell is lost in the general range, and a bright flash will attract attention.
• 👂 Hearing loss: For people with hearing impairments, visual alerting becomes the main way to avoid missing a call.
• 🎒 Phone in a bag / pocket: if the smartphone is lying down, the vibration can not be felt, and the flash will illuminate the fabric.
• 🚗 Driving: In some countries, the use of audible signals in the car is prohibited – flash will become a legal alternative.
• 💤 Night calls: bright lights will wake you up even if your phone is silent.

Interestingly, Xiaomi does not only use this feature for calls, but also for SMS/notifications (if you turn it on in settings), and some models, such as the POCO X3 Pro, even support color indications: blue light for calls, green for messages.

Standard method: enable flash through MIUI settings

On most modern Xiaomi smartphones (with MIUI 12 and later), the function is enabled in a few steps. Importantly, the path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the general logic remains.

Follow the instructions:

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the desktop).
2. Go to the Special Features section (on some models – Additional settings → Special features).
3. Find the item "Hearing" and tap it.
4. Activate the slider opposite the Flash at notifications or Flash Blink at call.
5. (Optional) In the same menu, you can configure the Blinking Frequency (fast/slow) and enable the option for SMS and other notifications.

Once activated, check the function: ask a friend to call you or use a second phone, and the flash should flash at the selected frequency until the call is accepted or rejected.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A) function may not be present in the standard settings, in which case use alternative methods in the following section.

Alternative methods: if the standard method does not work

If your version of MIUI doesn’t have a built-in flash option, or it doesn’t work, try these workarounds:

Method 1: Using Flash Alerts 2

It's a third-party app from Google Play that emulates the flash blink feature, and it supports color, frequency, and even background settings.

• 📱 Install Flash Alerts 2 from the App Store.
• 🔧 Provide all necessary permissions (access to camera, notifications, calls).
• ⚡ Enable the Flash on Call option in the app settings.
• 🎨 (Optionally) Customize flash color and flash frequency.

Method 2: Configure through Developer Mode

Some firmware has a feature hidden in the developer menu to activate it:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.


2. tap on the MIUI version 7 times until the notification "You became a developer!" appears.




3. Go back to the main Settings menu and open the new Developer section.




4. Find the option "Blink flash at notifications" and activate it.

This method works on Xiaomi Mi 10, POCO F3 and other models with MIUI 11-12.

Blinking frequency and color setting (for supported models)

On smartphones Xiaomi with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Mi 11, POCO F4 GT) double LED-You can adjust the frequency, you can adjust the color of the flash with the light:

To change these parameters:

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Hearing → Flash at Notifications.
2. Slip on the Additional settings (or Blinking settings).
3. Select the desired parameters and save the changes.

⚠️ Note: Color setting is only available on models with RGB-If you don't have a color selection option on the menu, your device doesn't support it.

💡

If you want to save battery power, set a minimum blinking frequency and limit the duration to 10 seconds, which will reduce power consumption by 15-20% compared to the constant operation of the flash.

Solving problems: flash does not blink when ringing

If you have enabled the function but the flash does not work, check these points:

Problem 1: The flash does not work in silent mode

On some Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 8 Pro), flashing automatically turns off if the phone is switched to silent mode via a physical button.

• 🔈 Turn your phone to Vibration or Sound mode via the volume button.
• 📱 Or activate the option to Always Blink in the Special Options settings (if available).

Problem 2: Conflict with other applications

Some programs (such as Battery Saver or Greenify) can block the flash to fix:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find a battery-saving app and turn it off.
3. Reboot the phone.

Problem 3: Hardware malfunction

If the flash doesn’t work even in photo mode, the problem may be:

• 💡 Burned LED (requires a replacement camera module).
• 🔌 Oxidized contacts of the camera plume (cleaning or replacing the plume).
• 📱 Software failure (will help reset to factory settings).

For diagnostics, try taking a photo of a flash, and if it doesn't work, it's a hardware problem.

💡

Before you visit the service center, check the flash in manual camera mode, if it does not blink even when shooting, it is about the hardware, not the settings.

Combination with vibration and sound: optimal settings

For maximum visibility, it is recommended to combine flash, vibration and sound signal. Here is the optimal configuration for different scenarios:

To set the vibration:

1. Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Vibration when calling.
2. Choose a vibration pattern (e.g., Standard or Heartbeat).
3. Adjust the intensity of vibration with a slider.

To tune the sound:

• 🎵 Select a melody in Settings → Sound and vibration → The ringing melody.
• 🔊 Adjust the volume with volume buttons or in the same menu.
• 🔔 Turn on the option to gradually increase the volume so that the call starts quietly and amplifies.

Safety: When not to use flash

Despite the usefulness of the function, there are situations when it is better to turn it off:

• 🚗 Driving at night: A bright flash can blind the driver or distract from the road.
• 🎭 In the theater/movie: blinking can interfere with other viewers.
• 🛌 In the bedroom: if you sleep sensitively, sudden light can wake you up.
• 🔋 Low battery power: heavy use of flash drains the battery on 5-10% faster.
• 🌧️ In the rain: moisture can damage the camera module with frequent blinking.

To quickly disable the function:

1. Open the notification panel with the swipe down.
2. Hold your finger on the flash icon (if any).
3. Turn off the option when calling.

You can also create a quick tiles to control the flash:

1. Swipe down twice to open the full notification bar.
2. Slip on the pencil icon (Edit).
3. Find the Flash tiles and drag them to the active area.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the flash when calling Xiaomi