Dark screenshots on Xiaomi: causes and solutions

You took a screenshot on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO, but instead of a clear image, you got a dark, blurred or darkened frame? This problem is common among many users, and it can be caused by both system settings and hardware features of the device. Unlike conventional photos, where dimming is often associated with poor lighting, dark screenshots are almost always a software glitch or a setting conflict.

In this article, we’ll look at 7 main reasons why screenshots on Xiaomi can go dark, including rare cases that aren’t even reported on official forums. You'll learn how to diagnose a problem in 30 seconds, which settings to check first, and what to do if standard methods don't work. AMOLED-We have prepared a separate section with screens - such displays often behave unpredictably when creating screenshots.

1. Dark theme or energy saving mode is enabled

The most common reason for darkened screenshots is an active dark theme or energy saving mode, because MIUI captures not only the image on the screen, but also the current display settings when you create a screenshot, and if you have a dark theme enabled (Settings → Display → Dark theme), the screenshot will be saved with this filter in mind, even if the screen actually looks normal.

Similarly, the power saving mode (Settings → Battery → Power saving mode) works. In some versions of MIUI, it automatically reduces the brightness of the screen and puts a dark filter on the interface, which affects the screenshots, and the problem can manifest itself selectively, for example, only in some applications or at a certain level of battery power.

• 🌓 Dark theme: check if it's included in the display settings. Try taking a screenshot of the theme off.
• 🔋 Energy saving: Turn off the mode and try again. Pay attention to the settings "Ultra-power saving mode" - it most aggressively darkens the screen.
• ⚡ Adaptive brightness: In some firmware, it conflicts with screenshots. Try temporarily turning it off in Settings. → Display. → Adaptive brightness.

⚠️ Warning: If you use third-party dark theme apps (like Dark Mode Enabler), they can add additional filters that don’t turn off by standard means.

2. Conflict with screen settings (AMOLED vs LCD)

Xiaomi devices with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi) K60, POCO F5 Pros are often affected by dark screenshots because of the way the display works. AMOLED-The panels use individual pixel lighting, and when you take a screenshot, the system may misinterpret brightness levels, and as a result, the light areas turn gray and the dark areas turn almost black.

Nana LCD-screens (e.g. Redmi Note 12, POCO X5) The problem is usually related to the color profile settings. → Display. → The color mode is either saturated or standard shade, and screenshots can be darker than the screen actually is, because the system uses color correction after capturing the image.

Important: On devices with AMOLED-screen-and-firm MIUI 14+ The problem may be related to the function "Adaptive Synchronization" (Settings) → Display. → Update frequency. Try to temporarily turn it off and take the screenshot again.

3. Work failures MIUI Screen Recorder

In MIUI, the system application MIUI Screen Recorder is responsible for screen capture. If it does not work correctly (for example, due to an update or conflict with other services), screenshots can be saved with distorted colors or darkening, most often after a firmware update, when old settings conflict with new image processing algorithms.

Another possible reason is the app's cache, which accumulates errors over time that affect the quality of screenshots, and the problem may be with permissions: if MIUI Screen Recorder does not have access to storage or the camera (yes, screenshots sometimes require camera permissions!), the image is saved with artifacts.

Clear the app cache in Settings → Applications → Application management → MIUI Screen Recorder

Check the permissions (storage, camera, microphone)

Reset the device

Update the app via Google Play (if available)

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If cleaning the cache didn’t work, try resetting the app settings (in the same app management menu) to return all settings to factory settings, but won’t delete the saved screenshots. In extreme cases, you can remove updates to MIUI Screen Recorder (if it was updated through the Play Market) to return a stable version.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T) screenshots are not made through MIUI Screen Recorder, and through the system service media.projection. If the problem persists, try using a third-party app for screenshots (for example, Screenshot Easy) - this will help to localize the problem.

4.Influence of HDR and Extended Dynamic Range

Modern Xiaomi smartphones (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi) K70 Pros support technology HDR10+, It's a dynamic range extension that should, in theory, improve the image quality, but in practice, it's a very good idea. HDR It often conflicts with screenshots, because the system tries to compress the extended brightness range into a standard format. JPEG or PNG, This causes loss of detail in light and dark areas.

The problem is compounded when the camera or display settings include options like Auto-HDR or Dynamic Contrast, which optimize the image for viewing on the screen, but don't take into account that the screenshot will be saved in a different format, and you get a darkened image where the dark areas merge into a single spot.

• 🎞️ Turn it off. HDR For screenshots: go to Settings → Display. → HDR and temporarily deactivate this function.
• 📸 Check your camera settings: Even if you’re not taking pictures, some settings (like “Contrast Optimization”) can affect screenshots.
• 🔄 Change the format of the save: try to save the screenshot in PNG instead JPEG (Third-party applications can be used for this).

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If your device supports Dolby Vision, try turning it off before you create a screenshot, which is a technology that distorts colors even more when you capture the screen.

5. Problems with firmware or updates

One of the most insidious causes of dark screenshots is a firmware bug, for example, in MIUI 13, there was a common bug that caused screenshots to be saved with reduced brightness if the device was in Do Not Disturb mode. In MIUI 14, a similar problem occurred after an update via OTA if the user interrupted the installation process.

To check if the problem is related to the firmware, follow the following steps:

1. Make sure your device has the latest stable version of MIUI installed. Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update.
2. If there is no update, check the official MIUI website – it is possible that a newer firmware is available for your model than OTA offers.
3. Try to take a screenshot in Safe Mode (press the power button → Safe Mode) If the problem disappears, one of the installed applications is to blame.

If dark screenshots have appeared after the update, try to roll back to the previous version of the firmware.

1. Download the archive with the desired version of MIUI for your model.
2. Rename it to update.zip and place it in the root folder of the storage.
3. Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update → Menu (three dots) → Select an update file.

⚠️ Attention: Firmware rollback may result in data loss or device lock if done incorrectly.Before the procedure, make a backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Hardware problems: light sensor and plumes

If all the software methods have been tried, but the screenshots are still dark, the problem may be in the hardware, most often the fault is:

• 💡 Light Sensor: If it is contaminated or damaged, the system may mistakenly assume that the screen is in a dark room and automatically darken screenshots.
• 🔌 Display plume: on devices with a collapsible design (for example, POCO X3 Pro) the plume may be poorly connected after repair, resulting in signal distortion.
• 🔋 Screen power controller: if it malfunctions, it may not adjust brightness correctly, which is reflected in screenshots.

To check the light sensor:

1. Close the sensor (usually located next to the front camera) with your finger.
2. If the screen gets darker, the sensor works. If it doesn't, it's faulty.
3. Try to take a screenshot with the sensor closed, and if it gets darker, that's the problem.

If you're not sure about your skills, you should go to a service center. AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra plumes are more fragile and damage can result in complete image loss.

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If dark screenshots only appear at a certain screen angle, it’s almost certainly a problem with the plume or display contacts.

7 Third-party applications and permission conflicts

Many users install third-party screenshot apps (such as Screenshot Touch, Super Screenshot) to get additional features like scrolling or editing, but such programs often conflict with MIUI system services, especially if:

• 📱 The app does not have permissions to capture the screen or read data from the display.
• 🔄 The application uses outdated API to create screenshots (relevant to Android 12)+).
• 🛠️ The system includes restrictions for third-party applications (Settings) → Special facilities → Annexes with special permits).

To check if the third-party app is to blame:

1. Remove all screenshot programs except the standard one.
2. Take a screenshot in the standard way (Power buttons + Volume down).
3. If the problem has gone away, install another app (like Screenshot Easy) and check it out.

Also worth looking at are apps that run on top of other windows (like Blue Light Filter or Lux Auto Brightness) that can overlay filters that are captured in screenshots. Try to temporarily disable all of these programs.

FAQ: Frequent questions about dark screenshots on Xiaomi