How to turn on the backlight of the touch buttons. Xiaomi key backlight - How to turn backlight on, pros and cons of backlight

When I once again got a smartphone with hardkey navigation keys, without any possibility of customizing them or activating on-screen keys in the style of Nexus, I decided that something had to be done about it. After digging for a couple of hours in the guts of Android, I turned off the annoying backlight, swapped the Back and Browse keys, and then turned on the on-screen buttons and found peace.

Intro

I'll make a reservation right away: I'm a big fan of the idea of ​​on-screen navigation keys. All these houses, arrows and squares drawn right at the bottom of the screen. Yes, they take up some space (which, however, in most cases is not really needed), yes, they may spoil the appearance of applications, but, damn it, they are dynamic.

On-screen navigation buttons rotate with the screen, disappear when not needed, change color, and seamlessly integrate into the home screen interface. If we discard the very idea of ​​the uselessness of the existence of three buttons at once (in the end, Yabloko people get by with one and do not feel disadvantaged) and rather convenient navigation systems like PIE or the MIUI navigation bubble, then on-screen buttons are the best that was invented before so far.

So that's it. For some reason, my wonderful, wonderful idea that there is nothing better than on-screen buttons is not shared by many smartphone manufacturers. And they do not even just do not share, but do not share in a completely monstrous way, forcing to use a smartphone with touch buttons (AAA!), Equipped with dynamic backlight (AAA-2!) And a "Back" button on the right side of the screen (AAA-3: decisive blow ).

The situation is extremely unacceptable, and given that the kind firmware developer did not provide any settings for activating the on-screen keys and settings for controlling the touch buttons, I had to do it on my own. There were two options for further action:

• bring the touch buttons to the desired state, namely, turn off the backlight and move the "Back" key to the left side (even if it looks like a "square", it is even more interesting);
• disable the touch buttons completely and activate the on-screen buttons.

I don't like third-party tools, so the decision to do everything with my own hands came by itself.

Method number one. Configuring touch buttons

First, let's try to turn off the button illumination. For this we need root, a terminal emulator and a directory / sys at the root of the filesystem. This is exactly the combination. We are dealing with the Linux kernel, and in systems based on it, all the important information about the hardware, as well as the "toggle switches" that control it, are usually located in the sysfs file system, connected to the directory / sys.

Actually, sysfs is not even a file system, more precisely, it is a file system, but operates on so-called synthetic files. And they are not stored on the disk, this is a kind of interface for communicating with the drivers: I read the file - I received data about the piece of hardware, wrote it down - changed some setting. And for recording, you just need root rights.

So, we get root, start the terminal emulator (or better). And we write the following:

# su # cd / sys

# find -name \ * button \ * ./leds/button-backlight

Bingo! This is a directory / sys / class / leds / button-backlight... We go into it and see what's inside:

# cd / sys / class / leds / button-backlight # ls brightness device max_brightness power subsystem trigger uevent

I bet my Nokia 3310 on that file brightness is the current brightness of the buttons, and max_brightness- maximum. Let's check the guess by writing the value 100 to the first file (well, like 100%, although what scale is there is unknown):

# echo 100> brightness

Great, the buttons are on and are not even going to go out.

The moment of truth - write the value 0 to the max_brightness file:

# echo 0> max_brightness

The buttons went out, forever, like the light in my stairwell last night.

But just like a light bulb, they can turn on again if you reboot. That is, the command is valid only in the current session. Fortunately, this does not matter, we will put our command in a script on the memory card:

# mkdir / sdcard / boot # echo "echo 0> / sys / class / leds / button-backlight / max_brightness"> / sdcard / boot

And, in turn, we will put it into autoload with the help of. We launch the application, select the first three checkboxes, use the Select folder option to select the boot directory on the memory card.

Half of the task is completed, it remains to swap the "Back" and "Browse" buttons. To do this, you need to change the layout of the buttons. In Android, it lies in several directory files / system / usr / keylayout /... There are quite a few of them, but if you discard files like Vendor_2378_Product_100a.kl and qwerty.kl(they store the layouts of full-fledged Qwerty keyboards that Android supports out of the box), then there will be only five pieces left.

We just need one of them. Often smartphones use the file ft5x06_ts.kl specific for the FT5x06 touchscreen controller (the buttons are touch-sensitive, right?), but in my case it turned out to be a file Vendor_2378_Product_100a.kl.

If you open this file, you can see the three lines you are looking for:

Key 158 BACK VIRTUAL key 139 MENU VIRTUAL key 102 HOME VIRTUAL

All that remains is to swap the numbers 158 and 139 (any file manager with root rights support is suitable for this). After a reboot, the new layout will take effect.

Method number two. Screen keys

It's even easier here. Android has a special debug variable qemu.hw.mainkeys which allows you to control the visibility of the onscreen navigation keys. If it has a value of 0, the keys will be shown on the screen, 1 - the opposite effect.

We write the variable with the desired value to the file /system/build.prop, and that is all:

# su # mount -o remount, rw / system # cp /system/build.prop /system/build.prop.bak # echo qemu.hw.mainkeys = 0> /system/build.prop

conclusions

Sometimes you have to take such criminal steps to make your smartphone a little more convenient. As for me, I settled on the third option: "turned off" the buttons plus installed LMT Launcher. It seems to me that this is the most convenient way to control.

Often, users of touchscreen phones resort to the idea that they do not see the keys at all either in sunny weather or at night, which makes their use not so convenient. Fortunately, modern smartphones avoid such situations by having features such as backlighting keys on the internal keyboard, that is, the buttons "Menu", "Home" and "Back".

Xiaomi manufacturers also took care of their consumers and began to add key illumination function to new models of their smartphones.

If this option is very important for the buyer, you should immediately inquire about its availability, since it is not available on all phones. Manufacturers do not consider it necessary to indicate this point on the packaging and in the main characteristics, so you should contact a consultant directly or check in the store yourself by visiting the settings.

What is indicator light

The light indicator (LED) is an LED built into the smartphone, which, depending on the settings for any "event" (notifications, calls, SMS) or standard functions, blinks in a certain color, even when the screen is off, notifying the user about something.

The most commonly used indicator light colors are:

• Yellow color - shows the operation of the power saving mode, which manifests itself during synchronization, background application processes, connection to Wi-Fi, automatic updates and GPS. Also notifies about the average battery level when the phone is charging.
• Green color - shows that the battery charge is almost at the maximum level, and you can already use the phone;
• Red color - notifies that the battery charge is at a minimum level or, when the phone is turned off, it is completely absent. When the smartphone passes this minimum threshold during charging, the indicator changes color from red to yellow.

How to visually recognize if the keys are backlit or not

Visually, phones with backlit keys are no different from phones where it is absent, so it is impossible to determine its presence just by looking at the gadget.

You can immediately understand whether this function is present or not only if it is automatic or already enabled.

Lack of key illumination

In the list of models below, the backlighting of the keys is absolutely absent due to the fact that the brand simply decided not to add this option.

Phones with no key backlighting:

• Xiaomi Redmi 3S- an inexpensive smartphone with a powerful battery, which is no longer in the top of the presented models;
• Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro- a more popular model of Xiaomi phones, in which such chips as Touch ID on the front panel, AMOLED display are beginning to appear, but nevertheless the manufacturer decided to skip the key backlight function;
• Xiaomi Redmi 4A- a convenient gadget from a number of budget smartphones, but endowed with a number of useful Xiaomi functions, with the exception of the backlight we need;
• Xiaomi Redmi 4- "balanced" phone, showing a good price-quality ratio;
• Xiaomi Redmi 4x- inexpensive, but interesting model, also not equipped with a backlight function;
• Xiaomi Redmi 5a- again, a good price-quality ratio, but the status of "state employees" makes it clear that you shouldn't expect much;
• Xiaomi smartphone models released even earlier.

Backlight function

And the models presented in this list are convenient and comfortable to use in any light.

Phones with key illumination:

• Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro- a smartphone at an affordable price, with a beautiful design and, in addition, excellent content;
• Mi A1- a model from the line, the main feature of which is the absence of MIUI firmware, which indicates some updates and the presence of new functions;
• Mi 5- a convenient shape, good performance and, of course, the presence of a key backlight function.

The list contains not all Xiaomi phones equipped with a backlight function, so in more detail it is worth checking with the store or directly with the seller.

From the foregoing, it can be concluded that the price category does not in any way affect the presence or absence of this detail.

How to turn on the key backlight on Xiaomi smartphones

Now that we've gotten through the lists and made sure that your model has the ability to highlight keys, let's figure out how to do this.

To turn on the backlighting of the keys, you need to do the following steps:

• Go to "Settings";
• Scroll down the page and select the "Advanced" or "Advanced settings" section;
• In this section we find the line "Keys" or "Indicator light" and go;

• Move the slider next to the word "Backlight";
• If necessary, select the glow time of the keys after the last pressing, which varies from 1 to 20 seconds, or press "Always" and let the keys light up constantly.

Unfortunately, the manufacturer did not provide the option "Only at night" or "Only during the day", which could be more practical.

In the key illumination section, you can also find the "Turn on while charging" option, which, when turned on, will show whether the phone is charging and how much it has charged, which can be recognized by the color of the indicator: red - little charge, yellow - medium, green - almost charged and ready to use.

Depending on the phone model, the indicator light settings can be standard or advanced, which allows you to fine-tune this function.

How to enable / disable the indicator light for a specific application

To do this, go to "Settings", go to "All applications", select the desired application and click "Notifications". At the bottom of the page there is an option "Light signal", which can be turned on or off at will.

It is not possible to change the color in the light signal settings for a particular application.

Cons of using key backlighting

With all the convenience of using a phone with backlit keys, it wastes a lot of energy, and the smartphone is quickly discharged, which may be out of place. Therefore, it is not recommended to use the "Always" option, but it is worth turning on the glow only when necessary, and then turning it off.

Customizing the key illumination on Xiaomi smartphones - frequently asked questions

The standard color of the indicator glow is white, but in some models of Xiaomi smartphones, you can choose a different color. Options such as "Color for notifications" (social networks, applications), "Color for calls" (calls) and "Color for messages" are available.

To do this, you also need to go to the "Keys" or "Indicator light" section, select one of the three above-mentioned fields, and then select the desired color. Available colors: blue, red, yellow, green, light blue, white, purple.

Some users are not satisfied with the colors presented by the brand. In this case, the Play Market offers several applications (for example, Light Flow Legacy) that allow you to diversify this palette with new shades.

The saturation of the indicator glow can be changed in the advanced settings of the key illumination, but most models do not have this option.

The backlighting of the keys does not in any way affect the speed of the Internet and the operation of the device, with the exception of a faster decrease in the battery level, as mentioned above.

The operation of the indicator light may be disrupted due to a defect in the screen matrix or damage to the light sensor, this may be affected by sudden changes in temperature or impacts - the backlight may not work well or not turn on at all. With this question it is worth contacting the service center.

No, only the internal keyboard is highlighted.

What if the backlight won't turn on?

When the indicator glow function is enabled in the settings, but does not actually work, try to "revive" it by turning it off in the settings, and by restarting the phone. If this does not help, you need to either update the firmware or contact the service.

Articles and Life Hacks

Despite the fact that this function significantly affects the battery charge, many owners of mobile devices, especially those who do not have to think about whether they are interested in how to turn on the keyboard backlight on your phone... So, in poor lighting conditions, this is simply necessary.

Typically, this backlight is enabled by default. However, many turn it off so as not to drain the battery, and then they just can't figure out how to turn the backlight back on. In fact, this is not difficult at all to do.

Instructions for turning on the keyboard backlight on the phone

We go into the general settings of the parameters of the mobile device and look for the "Backlight settings" option there. In different phones, this item may be called differently, so we are looking for one that is somehow related to the brightness settings and the backlight function.

Let's take a look at how to turn on the backlight using a Nokia smartphone based on Symbian as an example. We go to the main menu, look for the item "Control Panel" there and select it. Next, go to the general settings and turn on the backlight in the "Light sensor" option. There you can also adjust the brightness level (of both the backlight and the device screen). Do not forget about setting the indicator light, which will flash periodically. Many Samsung smartphone owners also have trouble figuring out how to turn on the keyboard backlight. They should go to the configuration parameters and find the item responsible for setting the parameters of the appearance of the mobile device (as a rule, it is called quite traditionally - "Menu"). This is where the backlight turns on.

Other tips when turning on the keyboard backlight

Obviously, the manipulations to enable this function are quite individual and directly depend on what kind of mobile device we use.

Some manufacturers manage to "hide" this menu item so far that the owner of the phone can hardly figure it out on his own. In this case, it is recommended to carefully study the operating manual of the mobile device with which it is supplied, or to find a separate detailed instruction on how to turn on the backlight on the Internet. It will also be useful to carefully memorize the actions we performed in the correct sequence, and even better - to write them down in the form of simple algorithms on paper. This will come in handy later when we need to turn off the highlighting in the same menu item.

Most modern smartphones can also work in a special energy-saving mode. This feature allows their owners to turn on the backlight with one or two touches.

Quite often, many users need access to the keyboard at night, and the light from the screen is unable to make a large area of ​​the smartphone visible. The glow of the buttons comes to the rescue, and popular Chinese brands massively distribute this option, so the question: "How to turn on the backlighting of the keys on Xiaomi" is very relevant.

Unfortunately, this feature is not available on all Xiaomi devices. The high cost of the smartphone and its excellent quality do not guarantee that the backlight will be present, since manufacturers do not consider this touch necessary and important. In the characteristics, there is almost always no definition. The only way out is to directly ask the seller a question.

Can we identify visually? No. Regular keys are indistinguishable from backlit keys only if the backlighting is not automatic and does not turn off at all.

Some keyboards have " hazy glow", Which looked in daylight just like a dim halo, but at night they work no worse than a flashlight.

NAVIGATION

Xiaomi models without backlight

Note! In these models no backlight 100%... It can only be found on fake copies:

• Xiaomi Redmi 3s- an outdated phone that currently occupies less and less leading positions in sales. Has pretty good characteristics.
• Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro- another "Chinese titanium", a popular and high-quality model. Despite this, the manufacturer decided not to include backlighting in a number of its advantages.
• Xiaomi Redmi 4a- a budget phone, which explains, perhaps, the lack of a glow.
• Xiaomi Redmi 4- a more modern device with decent power and low price. Again, in the dark, using the keyboard is problematic.

Backlit Xiaomi models

There is some positive news as well. With these smartphones, visiting the Internet at any time of the day will become convenient and enjoyable:

• Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro;
• Xiaomi A1;
• Mi 5;
• Other.

Now let's get down to the most important thing, turning on the backlight.

1. Go to "Settings";
2. Scroll down the page that appears and see the "Additional" section;
3. Now the field "Keys" and put a checkmark opposite;
4. A mini-menu appears in which you need to define the duration of the backlight. You can choose from 1 second to 20, or "Forever". In the latter case, the keyboard will light up each time you use it.

Unfortunately, no time of day adjustment... That is, there is no possibility to turn on the glow only at night, as it was even in push-button telephones. If your keys are equipped with LEDs, then here you need to go to the item "Navigation buttons".

It happens that on some models, a weak, unobtrusive glow is automatically set, which, for example, turned on only in the evening or works all day. There are disadvantages: constant backlighting can be annoying, interfering, even if it is quite insignificant. Then this option must be disabled by the same method as we enabled it.

Another obvious drawback of "push-button lights" is a strong battery discharge. The battery is consumed several times faster. So if you need a gentle mode or long-term work with a smartphone without the ability to charge it, turn off the backlight for a while.

Video instruction

Questions and answers

Can the glow light be changed? For example, green or pink?

No, this is not possible in standard settings. The default standard light is "natural" white. Color change can be done only for notification indicator, and then, only on some models.

Is the internal keyboard illuminated, or are the external control buttons also lit?

Most models have an internal keyboard only.

What are the possible reasons for the backlight breakdown and does it even happen?