Why Xiaomi is darkening screenshots: 7 reasons and ways to solve the problem

A screenshot on Xiaomi that turned dark as if it were shot through dirty glass is a problem familiar to many owners of the brand’s smartphones, from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Screenshots can be darkened in different ways, from a light gray haze to an almost black image with barely distinguishable content, most often not hardware defects, but software settings or features of MIUI firmware.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible reasons why Xiaomi spoils screenshots, from commonplace user errors to hidden system features, how to diagnose a problem, what settings to check first, and what to do if dimming only appears in certain applications, and how to take screenshots of perfect quality even on older smartphone models.

1. Cause. №1: Dark Subject or Reading Mode Enabled»

The most obvious reason for screenshots to be dark is an active dark theme in the system settings or in a particular application. MIUI automatically adapts the screen colors to the selected mode, and the screenshot captures exactly what you see. For example, if you take a screenshot in Settings → Display → Dark theme, the result will be dark by definition.

But there's a caveat: some apps (like Chrome or Telegram) have their own theme settings that don't depend on the system settings, and if the app is dark, the screenshot will also be dark -- even if the system has a light theme.

• 🌓 Check the system theme: Settings → Display. → Dark theme (turn off if active).
• 📱 App settings: Open a problem app (like YouTube) and find the “Look” or “Themes” option in its menu».
• 🔄 Reading mode: in MIUI There is a function of settings → Display. → Reading mode, which adds a yellowish tint, also affects screenshots.

If after turning off the dark theme screenshots remain dark – the problem lies deeper.

2. Color profile settings: why screen and screenshots look different

Xiaomi offers several color profiles for the screen, and some of them can distort the colors on screenshots, for example, the Saturated profile or the Cinema adds dark tones that are captured when you create a screenshot, while on the screen itself the picture may look normal due to automatic brightness correction.

To check this point:

1. Go to Settings → Display → Color mode.
2. Select the Standard Profile (the most neutral one).
3. Take a test shot and compare it to the previous ones.

Important: On some models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi K60), color profiles are tied to Dolby Vision mode, and if it is enabled, screenshots can appear dark even with a standard profile.

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If the color profile changes, try to manually calibrate the screen to Settings → Display → Color Temperature. Move the slider to 6500K (neutral white).

3. Problems with HDR and automatic brightness

Xiaomi HDR-enabled smartphones (such as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra or POCO F5 Pro) can darken screenshots due to incorrect dynamic range processing, because HDR content (video, games, some apps) is displayed on the screen with increased brightness, but when you create a screenshot, the system “compresses” it to a standard range (SDR), which makes the dark areas even darker.

How to check it out:

• 🎮 Games: If the screenshot is only darkened in games (like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile), try turning it off. HDR play-time.
• 📺 Video: When viewed HDR-YouTube or Netflix content screenshots will be dark – this is normal as apps block capture HDR-staff.
• ☀️ Autobrightness: Turn off Settings → Display. → Autobrightness and manually set the brightness on 70-80%. Sometimes the autobrightness algorithm understates the contrast before taking a screenshot.

Decision HDR-Content: If you need to take a screenshot from a game or video, use screen recording (in the video). MIUI This is the Notification Panel. → Screen recording), and then extract the footage from the video using the editor.

4. Application restrictions: why some programs block normal screenshots

Some apps (banking, instant messengers, streaming services) intentionally darken or block screenshots for security reasons, such as:

• SberBank Online, Tinkoff, VTB Online – screenshots will be black or with a gray veil.
• Netflix, Disney+, OKKO – instead of a video frame, you get a black rectangle.
• Telegram (in secret chats) – screenshots are prohibited at the API level.
• 1Password, Cryptopro – any attempts to take a screenshot lead to dimming.

It's not a bug, it's a feature: developers protect sensitive data from leakage, and you can only get around this limitation with an external camera (picture the screen with another phone) or mirroring the screen on your PC through the Mi PC Suite.

⚠️ Note: If you use adb shell screencap to take screenshots through your computer, some apps will still block screen capture at the Android kernel level. DRM-secure content.

5. Software bugs: When MIUI firmware is to blame

Sometimes screenshot dimming is a bug of a particular version of MIUI. For example, MIUI 14.0.3 for the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ had a bug that kept all screenshots green and reduced brightness. In MIUI 15, some Xiaomi 13T users complained about the gray haze in the screenshots.

How to understand that the problem is in the firmware:

1. Check if dimming appears in all applications (even standard ones, such as the Calculator).
2. Compare screenshots before and after the last update (if updated).
3. Look for bug information on forums (such as 4PDA or Mi Community) for “[smartphone model] darkens screenshots.”

Decisions:

• 🔄 Reset the graphics settings: Settings → The phone. → All parameters. → Resetting the schedule settings.
• 📥 Update. MIUI: Check for updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🛠️ Recoil to the previous version: if the bug appeared after the update, you can roll back through Fastboot (instructions are on XiaomiUI).

Hardware problems: when the screen or matrix is to blame

If all software methods have been tried, but the screenshots are still dark, the problem may lie in the hardware:

• 🔋 Wearing matrix: over time OLED-screens lose brightness, especially if the smartphone has been used at maximum brightness for years.
• 💥 Trail damage: After falling or repairing, the display plume could be damaged, which leads to distortion of color reproduction.
• 🌡️ Overheating: If the smartphone overheats, the screen controller can artificially lower the brightness, which is reflected in the screenshots.

How to diagnose:

1. Compare the screenshots to the pictures taken on another phone, and if the screenshots are normal and the screenshots are dark, it's a software problem.
2. Check if artifacts (strips, flickers) appear on the screen when the brightness changes.
3. Run the display test through the engineering menu: dial in the phone app ##6484## (for some models) or use the Screen Test app.

⚠️ Note: if screenshots are only darkened in a certain part of the screen (for example, on top or at the edges), this may indicate that the matrix is detached or the backlight is damaged.

7. Alternative ways to take a quality screenshot on Xiaomi

If standard methods don’t work, try these options:

Method 1: Use Google Assistant

Google’s voice assistant can take screenshots without dimming:

1. Activate Google Assistant (hold the Home button or say “OK, Google”).
2. Say, "Take a screenshot."
3. Check the result in the gallery.

Method 2: Screenshot applications

Some third-party utilities bypass the limitations of MIUI:

• Screenshot Touch – allows you to customize the quality and format of the save.
• Screen Master – supports scrolling long pages.
• Super Screenshot saves screenshots in high resolution.

Method 3: ADB-Teams for Advanced Users

If you are ready to work with ADB, you can take a screenshot through your computer:

adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png

This method bypasses some of the limitations of MIUI, but it does not work with DRM-protected content.

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If screenshots are only darkened in individual apps, the problem is most likely their settings or security policy. For system dimming, check for color profiles and MIUI updates.

Comparison of methods for solving the problem of dimming screenshots

FAQ: Frequent questions about blacking out screenshots on Xiaomi