Did you plug Xiaomi into charging and the screen suddenly went black and white? this feature called "Charge Savings" (or Battery Saver Mode in the U.S.) MIUI) It is automatically activated on many models of the brand - from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 13. On the one hand, the monochrome mode reduces the load on the battery and prolongs its life. On the other hand, it interferes with the comfortable use of the smartphone, especially if you are used to juicy colors. AMOLED-display.
In this article, we’ll look at all the ways to turn off black and white, from standard MIUI settings to hidden developer settings. You’ll learn why the feature turns on on itself, how to deactivate it permanently, and what to do if the settings are reset after the update, and also find out which Xiaomi models are most susceptible to this feature and how to circumvent the restrictions on older versions of the firmware.
Why Xiaomi is going black and white when charging?
The monochrome screen is not a system failure, but a planned power saving feature, which was introduced in MIUI 12 and is used extensively in newer versions (up to MIUI 15).
- 🔋 Low battery charge (usually below 15-20%) The system is forced to go into saving mode to prolong autonomy.
- ⚡ Use of a non-original charger. MIUI can recognize left-hand adapters and limit functionality.
- 📱 The Active Super Savings option in the battery settings includes monochrome mode even at 50% charge.
- 🔄 Resets after the update. Often users complain that after the upgrade MIUI function returns.
Interestingly, on some models (such as the POCO F3 or Redmi K40), black and white only activates when charging slowly (up to 10 watts). If you use the original 33-120 watt adapter, the problem can disappear by itself, this is due to the MIUI algorithms that recognize the type of charging by current.
Method 1: Disconnect via battery settings (standard method)
The easiest way to remove monochrome mode is to deactivate the “charge savings” in the battery menu.The instructions are suitable for all smartphones on MIUI 12-15, including Xiaomi 11/12/13, Redmi Note 10/11/12 and POCO X3/X4/X5.
Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Charge Savings. Here you are interested in two parameters:
- Turn off the charge saving slider (if it is active).
- Click on Charge Saving Settings and uncheck the box from the item "Monochrome mode".
If your MIUI version doesn’t have a separate Monochrome Mode option, look for the option to Limit Background Processes or Battery Optimization – sometimes the feature is hidden there.
Open “Settings” → “Battery”
Deactivate the "charge savings"
Remove the tick from the "Monochrome mode"
Reboot your smartphone-->
⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI 13 for Redmi Note 11 Pro) after the monochrome mode is turned off, a notification may appear: "Energy saving is turned off. This can reduce battery life.
Method 2: Configure the developer settings (for power users)
If the standard shutdown didn't work, you'll have to dig deeper, and there's additional parameters in the developer menu that affect the color rendering of the screen, and to get there, you'll have to go.
- Go to Settings. → The phone.
- Click on the MIUI version 7 times in a row until the message “You are a developer!” appears.
- Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
Find the following options (they may vary depending on the model):
- 🎨 Turn off animation. → Set the value of animation disabled 0.5x (sometimes affect color reproduction).
- 🔄 Background processes → Choose Without Limitations.
- 🖥️ Simulation of the flower space → Set it down.
- 🔋 Background restriction in economy mode → turn off.
After the changes, restart your smartphone. If the monochrome mode is gone, the problem is solved. If not, move on to the next method.
What to do if there is no item "Simulation of the space of flowers"?
Method 3: Reset screen settings to factory
Sometimes monochrome mode gets stuck due to a failure in the display settings, in which case it will help to reset the screen parameters, which does not affect personal data.
- Open the Settings → Display.
- Scroll down and select Reset Screen Settings (or Restore Default Settings).
- Confirm the action.
After reset, check to see if the black and white mode has disappeared. If so, the problem was in the conflict of color reproduction settings (for example, after installing third-party themes from Mi Themes).
| Xiaomi model | Probability of screen failure | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 10/11 | High (frequent complaints) | Reset screen settings + disable savings |
| POCO X3/X4 | Medium | Verification of developer parameters |
| Xiaomi 12/13 | Low. | Update MIUI to the latest version |
| Redmi 9/9A | Very high. | Reset to factory + flashing |
⚠️ Attention: Redmi 9 and Redmi 9A Resetting the screen settings may cause color calibration to be lost. If the image fades after the procedure, go to Settings. → Display. → Screen Colors and Select a Saturated Profile.
Method 4: Use ADB-Teams (for advanced users)
If none of the previous methods worked, you'll have to manually shut down through ADB. This requires a computer and basic command line knowledge.
- Download and install Platform Tools (includes adb).
- Activate debugging by USB on your smartphone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (7 taps) → For developers → Debugging by USB.
- Connect the phone to the PC and type in the command line:
adb shell settings put global low_power_mode 0
adb shell settings put global force_monochrome_display 0The first command turns off the saving mode, the second command forcibly deactivates the monochrome display.
adb shell settings put global battery_saver_constants "low_power_mode_trigger_level=5"
This will raise the activation threshold of saving up to 5% of the charge (instead of the standard 15-20%).-->
To check the current settings, enter:
adb shell settings get global low_power_mode
adb shell settings get global force_monochrome_displayIf both commands return 0, then the monochrome mode is disabled at the system level.
Method 5: Update or reflash MIUI
On some models, especially the Redmi 8/9 and POCO M2) The black and white charging mode is a firmware bug that can only be fixed with an update. MIUI:
- Open Settings → About the phone → System update.
- If a new version is available, install it.
- After the update, reset the settings (see method 3).
If there are no official updates, you can try the manual firmware through the Mi Flash Tool.
- 📥 Download the latest stable firmware for your model.
- 🔧 Install the Mi Flash Tool on PC.
- 📱 Transfer the smartphone to Fastboot mode (clip the power supply) + Loudness down).
- 🖱️ Connect to your PC and run the file through Mi Flash (select Clean All).
⚠️ Note: Fastboot Flashback deletes all data from the device, including photos and apps. pre-backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
💡
Before you run the firmware, check the file compatibility with your model! Installing firmware from another version of Xiaomi (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro instead of Redmi Note 10) will lead to a blink (breakdown) of the device.
What do you do if nothing helps?
If you’ve tried all the ways, but the monochrome mode still appears when charging, the reason may be:
- 🔌 Faulty charger or cable.Try Xiaomi's original 18-33W adapter.
- 🔋 Battery worn out, battery degradation below 70% MIUI forcefully activates savings.
- 🛠️ Hardware damage to the display. AMOLED-screens (Xiaomi 12 Pro, POCO F4) Matrix failure can simulate monochrome mode.
- 📴 If you use custom firmware (e.g. xiaomi.eu), try going back to stockware. MIUI.
To diagnose the battery, enter the dialer code:
##4636##Go to Battery Information and check the Wear Level. If it exceeds 30%, the battery needs to be replaced.
If you suspect a hardware malfunction, contact the service center. AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 11T Pro) self-repair without experience may cause damage to the matrix.