Dark screenshots on Xiaomi: why this happens and how to fix

You took a screenshot on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO, but instead of a bright image, you got a dark, blurry or almost black image? This problem is more common than it seems — and the reasons can lie in both the software settings and hardware features of the device. Unlike classic camera errors, dark screenshots are often associated with the operation of the GPU, screen drivers or even energy-saving modes.

In this article, we will not just list the possible causes, but analyze them from a technical point of view: from basic brightness settings to deep parameters of the MIUI system. You will learn how to diagnose a problem in 30 seconds, what settings affect the quality of screenshots, and when to contact the service center. And also why some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra or POCO F5) dark screenshots appear more often than others.

1. Automatic brightness control is the main reason for dark screenshots

The most common reason is the light sensor and the automatic brightness function, so when you take a screenshot, the system captures the current brightness of the screen, not the maximum brightness, and if the screen was dimmed at that point (for example, in a dark room), the picture will turn dark.

The problem is exacerbated on devices with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi) K50), And even if you think the screen is bright, the sensor could reduce the brightness to save battery power.

• 🔍 How to check: Take a screenshot with the automatic brightness turned off (manually set 100%). If the picture is normal, the reason is found.
• ⚙️ How to fix: Turn off automatic brightness in Settings → Display. → Automatic brightness or set a minimum brightness threshold above 50%.
• 📱 Exceptions: POCO X3 Pro and some other models, even with manual brightness settings, screenshots can be darker than the real screen due to the features of the firmware.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14+ There's a hidden function called Adaptive Brightness that can override manual settings. To turn it off, go to Settings. → Additionally. → Special facilities → Adaptive brightness.

2. Energy saving modes and their impact on screenshots

Battery or Super Power Saving modes in MIUI not only limit background processes, but also reduce GPU performance, which can cause the system to “not have time” to properly process the screenshot, especially if heavy applications (games, video editors) are running at this point.

For example, on Xiaomi Black Shark 5 in power saving mode, screenshots from games (Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile) often turn dark due to the forced decline of FPS and screen brightness.

Disable the Battery mode in Settings → Battery

Make sure the app is not on the restricted list

Reboot the device after changes

Take a test screenshot-->

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI Global 13.0.4) Even after the power-savings are turned off, the effect is maintained until the device restarts. If the screenshots remain dark, restart your smartphone.

3. Problems with screen drivers and graphics processor

If dark screenshots appear regardless of brightness and power saving settings, the problem may be with display drivers or GPUs, which is especially true after MIUI updates, when new firmware versions conflict with older drivers.

Typical symptoms:

• 🖥️ Screenshots are dark only in certain apps (e.g. Chrome or Instagram).
• 🎮 In games, the pictures are normal, and in the interface of the system – dark.
• 🔄 After the reboot, the problem temporarily disappears.

On devices with Qualcomm Snapdragon processors (for example, Xiaomi 11T Pro, POCO F4 GT), the problem is often solved by resetting the GPU settings:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.
2. Click on the MIUI version 7 times to activate the developer mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find Reset the GPU driver and confirm the action.

⚠️ Note: On devices with MediaTek processors (e.g. Redmi Note 12) reset GPU After the procedure, restart your smartphone and check the screen for 5 minutes.

4. Features of MIUI firmware and system bugs

MIUI is known for its features, but some of them don't work properly. For example, the "Vision Protection" feature can affect the color reproduction of screenshots, making them darker and yellowish. And some firmware versions (such as MIUI 12.5 Enhanced) have a bug that saves screenshots with the wrong color profile.

Other common bugs:

• 📸 "Dark corners in screenshots – the problem occurs on Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 11 due to incorrect processing of rounded corners of the screen.
• 🎨 Color distortion – screenshots are green or reddish (typical for the screenshots) POCO X3 NFC).
• 🖼️ Black stripes – appear when taking screenshots in an album or gallery.

Decisions:

1. Turn off vision protection in Settings → Display → Reading Mode.
2. Update your firmware to the latest stable version (check in Settings → System Update).
3. Reset the settings of the Gallery app to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery → Storage → Clear the data.

💡

If screenshots have gone dark after the MIUI update, try rolling back to the previous firmware version via Fastboot. For instructions for your model, look for the XDA Developers or 4PDA forum.

5 Hardware problems: matrix, plume or screen controller

If all the software methods have been tried, but the screenshots are still dark, the problem could be hardware.

• 🔧 Damaged display plume – even microcracks can cause signal distortion when taking screenshots.
• 💡 Matrix burnout (on AMOLED-screens) – individual pixels lose brightness, and this is recorded in the screenshot.
• 🖥️ Screen controller malfunction – images can be dark or horizontal.

⚠️ How to Diagnose a Hardware Problem:

1. Take a screenshot at maximum brightness in a fully white application (e.g. Google Docs with an empty document), if the picture is gray or dark, the problem is in the matrix.
2. Connect your smartphone to an external monitor via USB-C → HDMI. If the screenshots on the external screen are normal, the plume or display controller is to blame.
3. Check whether artifacts (shimmering, stripes) appear on the screen when you press the case - this is a sign of a departing plume.

On the Xiaomi Mi 9 and Mi 9T, a plume defect is common, in which screenshots only turn dark when the device is tilted at a 45° angle. If you notice such a dependence, bring the phone to the service.

6 Third-party apps and their impact on screenshots

Some applications can intercept and modify the process of creating screenshots, such as:

• 🔒 Privacy protection applications (e.g. AppLock) – can overlay a dark filter on screenshots of protected applications.
• 🎨 Themes and launchers (e.g. Nova Launcher or custom themes) MIUI) — Sometimes conflict with the system mechanism of screen shooting.
• 📱 Screen recording applications (e.g, AZ Screen Recorder – can block the correct saving of screenshots.

⚠️ How to find the culprit:

1. Launch your smartphone in safe mode (press the power button → “Safe mode”).
2. Take a screenshot – if it’s normal, the problem is in one of the installed apps.
3. Remove suspicious programs to check the results.

💡

If dark screenshots only appear in a particular app (like Telegram or VK), try clearing the cache or reinstalling it, often solved by updating the app.

7. Alternative ways to take a screenshot if the standard one doesn't work

If the standard method (Power button + Volume down) gives dark pictures, try alternative methods:

• 🖐️ Three-finger gesture (swipe down the screen with three fingers) To enable: Settings → Additionally. → Gestures → Screenshot.
• 🤖 Voice command (e.g., via Google Assistant: "Take a screenshot").
• 🔧 ADB-Command (for advanced users): Adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png
• 📱 Screenshot applications (such as Screenshot Touch or Screen Master).

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro), the three-finger gesture may conflict with other features (e.g. super wallpaper.

FAQ: Frequent questions about dark screenshots on Xiaomi