Grey screen on Xiaomi when charging: reasons and ways to disconnect

You plugged a Xiaomi smartphone into charging, but instead of your usual lock screen or desktop, you saw a dull gray canvas? This problem is familiar to many owners of the brand's devices, from budget Redmi to flagship Mi and POCO. The gray screen (or "backlit black screen") appears due to the features of the energy-saving MIUI mode, but it can be turned off.

In this article, we’ll look at why the gray screen appears on Xiaomi when charging, which models are most susceptible to this feature, and most importantly, how to remove it once and for all. We’ve tested all methods on devices with MIUI 12-14 (including global and Chinese versions of firmware), so the instructions are relevant for 90% of modern smartphones of the brand. If you have questions after reading, check the FAQ at the end of the article.

Why does Xiaomi have a gray screen while charging?

The gray canvas on the screen is not a system failure, but a planned MIUI function designed to save battery life, and it activates on three occasions:

• 🔋 Low battery power (usually below 15-20%).The system automatically goes into ultra-low power mode, turning off the display, except for the minimum backlight.
• 🔌 Xiaomi recognizes “non-native” adapters and cables as potentially dangerous, limiting the functionality of the screen.
• ⚡ Active Super Power Saving (some firmware called Ultra Battery Saver) – In this mode, the screen goes out 5-10 seconds after you connect to charging.

Interestingly, on older models (for example, Redmi Note 4/5), the gray screen appeared only at a critical charge level (less than 5%), and in new firmware (MIUI 13+), the threshold of operation was raised to 15-20%.

⚠️ Note: If the gray screen appears even at 100% charge or does not disappear after disconnection from the network, this may indicate a hardware malfunction (damage to the display plume or power controller.

Which Xiaomi models are affected by the problem?

The gray screen function when charging is found on most Xiaomi devices, but most users complain about the following models:

On flagship models (such as the Xiaomi 12/13 series or Mix 4/Fold), the problem is less common due to more flexible power saving settings, while budget smartphones (Redmi A-series, POCO M-series) often suffer from gray screen due to simplified firmware.

💡 Lifehack: To check if the problem is firmware or hardware related, connect the device to the original Xiaomi charger (e.g., from the Redmi Note 11 Pro).If the gray screen is gone, the cable/adapter is to blame, if not, look for the reason in the settings or hardware.

Method 1: Disconnection through battery settings

The easiest method is to deactivate the function in the energy saving menu. MIUI 12–14:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance.
2. Go to Battery Settings (or Energy Saving on some models).
3. Find the item Display the screen when charging (may be called Show the screen while charging or Screen when connecting to charging).
4. Activate the switch (if it is turned off) or select the Always On option.

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI 13 for POCO F3) If you don't have one, try the next one.

When you change your settings, restart your device. If the gray screen keeps popping up, check if the developer mode is activated, sometimes blocking the standard power saving settings.

Used original Xiaomi | Charger supports Quick Charge| Battery level above 20%| Super Power Saving mode disabled

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Method 2: Changing parameters through the developer mode

If the standard settings don't work, you'll have to use the hidden MIUI settings.

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version (you will be notified "You're a developer!").

Settings

Additionally.

For developers

USB debugging

MIUI Services

Battery settings

Optimizing screen charging

Energy saving screen when charging

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 for Redmi Note 12), this item is called “Background Limitation when charging” – it also needs to be deactivated.

After the changes, restart your smartphone. If the gray screen is gone, the problem is solved. If not, move on to the next method.

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Before changing the developer settings, back up your data through Settings → Memory → Backup. In rare cases, incorrect settings can cause a system failure.

Method 3: Resetting battery settings

If previous methods didn't work, try resetting your power settings, which will return the battery to factory values, but will not affect personal data.

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance.
2. Stick to three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Reset Battery settings.
3. Confirm the action (a password may be required).

After discharge:

• 🔄 Connect your smartphone to charging and check if a gray screen appears.
• 📱 If the problem persists, go to Battery Settings and manually disable all options related to screen energy saving.
• ⚡ Make sure that there are no unnecessary programs in the High Power Applications section (they may conflict with system settings).

⚠️ Warning: Resetting the battery settings can temporarily increase the charge consumption in the first 1-2 days until the system recalibrates the parameters.

Method 4: Update the firmware or roll back the MIUI version

Sometimes the gray screen when charging is a bug of a particular version of MIUI. For example, MIUI 13.0.4 for the Redmi Note 10 Pro was an error that caused the screen to go out even at 100% charge, in which cases update or roll back the firmware helps.

How to update MIUI:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click Check Updates and install the latest version (if available).
3. After the update, reset the battery settings (see Method 3).

How to roll back MIUI (if the problem has appeared after the update):

• 📥 Download the old firmware version from the official Xiaomi website (choose stable, not developer).
• 🔧 Rename the file to update.zip And put it in the root directory of the phone's memory.
• 🔄 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points (⋮) → Select a firmware file.
• 📲 Confirm the rollback and wait for the reboot.

🔹 Important: Firmware rollback will reset all settings to factory settings, but will not delete personal data (photos, contacts, etc.

Method 5: Hardware Methods (If Nothing Helps)

If the software solutions fail, the problem may be in the hardware.

• 🔌 Charging port and cable: Check the connector USB-C Try another cable (preferably the original Xiaomi Quick Charge-enabled one) and connect your smartphone to another charger (e.g. from a laptop or power bank).
• 🔋 Battery: If the phone is older than 2-3 years, the battery may have lost capacity. → Battery → Battery condition: In case of severe wear (more than 500 charging cycles), it is recommended to replace the battery.
• 📱 Display or plume: A gray screen when charging may indicate damage to the display plume (especially if the phone is falling). Check if the picture changes when you press the screen - if so, the problem is contacts.

💰 Cost of repair (example):

⚠️ WARNING: If you're unsure of your skills, don't disassemble your smartphone yourself! Xiaomi uses brittle plumes and adhesive mounts - careless repairs can make the problem worse.

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Before visiting the service center, be sure to back up your data via Mi Cloud or your computer. In some cases, a complete device reset is required for repair.

FAQ: Frequent questions about gray screen on Xiaomi