Set up screen saturation on Xiaomi: from basic parameters to hidden features

Why screen saturation is important for Xiaomi users

A smartphone screen is not just a display, but the main interface for interacting with the device. Its color rendering depends not only on the visual perception of the content, but also on eye comfort with prolonged use. Xiaomi equips its smartphones AMOLED- and IPS-And these are matrices, each with unique color display features, AMOLED-screens on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ Xiaomi 13 Ultra is known for its deep black color and high contrast, but sometimes their factory saturation setting may seem excessive or, conversely, faded.

The problem of incorrect saturation is especially relevant in three scenarios: when viewing photos (colors can be distorted), during games (incorrect shades interfere with the perception of details), and when reading text (too bright colors tire your eyes). Fortunately, MIUI offers several ways to adjust, from standard settings to hidden engineering menus. In this article, we will examine all available methods, including those that are not written in the official instructions.

It's important to understand that saturation is not the same as brightness. Brightness regulates the overall backlight of the screen, and saturation is the same as color intensity. For example, when saturated, the green grass in the photo will look juicy but unnatural, and when it's low, it will look faded like on older monitors. The optimal balance depends on personal preferences and tasks: designers often reduce saturation for accurate color reproduction, and gamers, on the contrary, increase it for greater expressiveness.

Method 1: Standard settings in MIUI

The easiest way to change saturation is to use the built-in MIUI tools.This method works on all modern Xiaomi smartphones, starting with MIUI 12 and up, including the latest versions of HyperOS. The interface may vary slightly depending on the model, but the overall logic remains the same.

To get into the screen settings menu:

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Screen section.
3. Select Color Mode or Color Style (on some devices it may be called Color Temperature).

In this menu you will see several pre-configured profiles:

• 🌈 Saturated – the brightest colors, suitable for multimedia.
• 🎨 Standard – Balance between Realism and Expression.
• 📱 Splendid - reduced saturation for eye comfort.
• 🔄 Automatic – adapts to lighting (not available on all models).

If you don't have any of these options, you can activate manual settings.

1. In the same Color Mode menu, select Set up manually.
2. Move the saturation slider to the left (to reduce) or to the right (to increase).
3. Save the changes by pressing Ready.

Note that on some devices (such as POCO F5 or Redmi K60) the menu may be called differently – Color gamut or Color tone. If you do not find the right item, try searching by settings (the magnifying icon in the upper right corner of Settings).

Method 2: Calibration through “Reading Mode”

If you need to temporarily reduce saturation (for example, for reading books or working with documents), you don’t need to change the global settings. MIUI has a special Reading Mode that not only filters blue light, but also automatically adjusts the color reproduction to make it more neutral.

To activate this mode:

1. Go to Settings → Screen.
2. Select Reading Mode.
3. Activate the switch at the top of the screen.
4. If necessary, adjust the color temperature (warm/cold) and brightness.

Advantages of this method:

• ✅ Quickly turn on/off via the notification panel (if you add a shortcut).
• ✅ Does not affect the system saturation settings.
• ✅ Automatically disabled on schedule (you can configure in the same menu).

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If your model doesn't have a separate "Read Mode" item, try looking for one called "Vision Protection" or "Blue Light Filter." It'll be the same.

But there are limitations to this, such as Read Mode, which doesn’t work in some applications (like games or video players) because it can ignore the system’s color settings, and it’s not suitable for permanent use if you want accurate color reproduction, like photo processing.

Method 3: Hidden settings through the engineering menu

For advanced users who lack standard settings, Xiaomi has a hidden engineering menu (Engineer Mode) that allows you to fine-tune screen settings, including saturation, contrast and color temperature at the driver level. Be careful: incorrect changes to this menu can lead to display failures that only resets will fix.

To open the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##36446337## (or ##6484## on some models).
3. You will be taken to the MTK Engineer Mode menu (for MediaTek processors) or Qualcomm Engineer Mode (for Snapdragon).

Next:

1. Go to the Hardware Testing → Display section.
2. Select the Saturation option.
3. Enter a value from 0 (minimum saturation) to 255 (maximum saturation). Standard value is 128.
4. Save the changes with the Set button.

Important: Changes to the engineering menu are applied immediately and do not have the "cancellation" function. If the screen began to display colors incorrectly (for example, a greenish or reddish hue appeared), return the saturation value to 128 or reset the screen settings through Settings → System → Resetting → Screen settings Reset.

Do not change the parameters, the purpose of which you do not know.

Write down the initial values before editing

Do not use values above 200 for saturation.

Reboot the phone after changes to check-->

Method 4: Applications for screen calibration

If you don't like the built-in MIUI tools, you can use third-party apps that offer more flexible settings, including custom color profiles and sRGB or DCIP3 calibration. Below are proven Xiaomi-compatible utilities:

Before installing third-party utilities, consider:

• ⚠️ Root rights may be required for deep calibration (e.g. Screen Balance).
• ⚠️ Some applications conflict with the Reading Mode in MIUI.
• 🔄 After removing the application, the screen settings will return to factory.

If you are a photographer or designer, we recommend using sRGB calibration Color Adjustment, which will provide the most accurate color reproduction, close to professional monitors, and for everyday use, Screen Balance is suitable, which is easier to set up and does not require root rights for basic functions.

Method 5: Configure with ADB (for power users)

If you are familiar with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), you can change the saturation of the screen using the command line, which is suitable for devices where the engineering menu is blocked, or when you need to apply settings on multiple devices at once (for example, in a corporate environment).

First, make sure that:

• On your Xiaomi, USB Debugging is enabled (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers).
• The computer has ADB and Fastboot drivers installed.

Then execute the following commands:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and type in the terminal: Adb devices Make sure your device appears in the list.
2. Check the current saturation settings: adb shell settings get system screen_saturation If the command returns the empty value, your firmware does not support this option.
3. Set a new saturation value (from 0.0 before 1.0): adb shell settings put system screen_saturation 0.8 Here. 0.8 — figure (80% maximum saturation).

Once the command is applied, the changes will take effect immediately. To return the factory settings, use:

adb shell settings delete system screen_saturation

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ADB-Teams don't work on all Xiaomi firmware. If nothing changes after you type in the command, check the option support. screen_saturation in your version MIUI.

This method requires caution: incorrect commands can lead to system failures, and if you are not sure about your actions, it is better to use standard settings or third-party applications.

Problems and Solutions: What to Do When Saturation Is Still Changing

Sometimes users find that saturation settings do not apply or are reset after a reboot. Consider the typical causes and ways to eliminate them:

If neither of these methods worked, the problem could be a hardware malfunction of the screen, such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 and Redmi K40, where the color filters of the matrix were disrupted after the fall, in which case only the service center will help.

Another possible reason is adaptive brightness, which in some MIUI firmware, this feature automatically adjusts not only brightness, but also saturation depending on the lighting, to turn it off:

1. Go to Settings → Screen → Adaptive brightness.
2. Turn off the switch.
3. Manually set a fixed brightness.

FAQ: Frequent questions about saturation settings on Xiaomi