The sudden change in color rendering of the display of Xiaomi smartphone to monochrome often takes users by surprise. The screen becomes gray, losing the usual brightness and saturation of colors, which is not only unusual for the eye, but can also indicate an accidental activation of a hidden function or a malfunction of the system. Most often the cause of this phenomenon is the included option “Digital balance” or “Sleep Mode”, which are designed to reduce dependence on the gadget, but can be activated by mistake.
Understanding why the screen turned black and white is the first step to solving the problem. In MIUI and the new HyperOS, different settings modules are responsible for this, and finding the right switch can take time if you do not know the exact path. In this article, we will detail all possible causes, from software constraints to hardware malfunctions, and provide step-by-step instructions for restoring normal color reproduction.
When the device is in grayscale mode, it can be caused by both system availability settings and third-party applications. It is important not to panic, because in most cases this is not a sign of a matrix breakdown. In 95% of cases, the problem is solved by simply switching one switch to the settings menu, which returns the device to its previous appearance in seconds.
Digital Balance: The Main Reason
The most likely culprit behind the disappearance of colors on your Xiaomi is the Digital Wellbeing feature, which is developed by Google and embedded in the MIUI shell to help users control screen time, and when activated, the system forces the interface to become monochrome, making smartphone use less attractive and sticky.
To check the status of this feature, you need to go to the main settings of the device. Find a section that can be called Digital Balance or Digital Well-being. Inside this menu, you often display app usage statistics, as well as a switch that is responsible for Shades of Grey or Sleep Mode. If the switch is active, you need to deactivate it.
Sometimes users accidentally turn on this mode through a quick access panel or widgets on the desktop. The digital detox feature can be programmed to turn on on on a schedule, for example, at night. So if the screen turns black and white only in the evening, check the schedule settings inside the digital balance menu.
⚠️ Note: If you use Do Not Disturb mode in conjunction with your digital balance, the screen may turn gray when you receive notifications or calls, even if the main mode is turned off.
To manually disable the mode, do the following: open Settings, find Digital Balance. From the menu that opens, select Sleep Mode or Grey Shades Mode and turn the slider to Off. This action should instantly return the colors to the display.
Setting up special features and accessibility
The second common reason for monochrome images is settings for people with visual impairments or cognitive disabilities. In the Accessibility section of Xiaomi smartphone, there is a function called “Delete colors” or “Inversion of colors.” Accidental keystrokes or activation through menus can turn on these parameters.
To rule out this option, go to Settings → Additional → Special Features. Here you should carefully examine the list of active services. Pay special attention to items related to color correction, readability improvement or vision. If you see the activated option Remove colors, it should be turned off.
- 🔍 Check the “Improving Visibility” section in the accessibility settings.
- 🎨 Make sure that the “High-Contrast Text” or “Inversion” mode is not activated».
- 📱 Look at special floating windows that can control color.
It's also worth checking the theme settings. Some third-party themes for MIUI may have built-in color limits or bugs that can cause a similar effect. Changing the theme to a standard one often helps diagnose a problem. If you've returned to the color after changing the theme, it's the design files.
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If you use accessibility features frequently, set up the hotkeys to turn them on and off quickly to avoid accidental activation.
In some versions of the firmware, color settings can be hidden in the depths of the Advanced Settings menu.Look for items related to Color Correction or Read Mode. While the read mode usually adds yellowness, when combined with other filters, it can give a faded or gray screen effect.
Reading regime and vision protection
Reading Mode on Xiaomi devices is designed to reduce eye strain during long-term reading by filtering the blue spectrum of radiation, making the image warmer, yellowish. However, at maximum settings or in Full Day mode, the screen can appear pale and almost black and white, especially on the screen. AMOLED-matrix.
To control this mode, go to Settings → Screen → Read Mode. Here you will see the activation switch. If it is on, try turning it off or changing settings. There is the possibility of setting the schedule, for example, turning on only at certain hours or when you start reading apps.
It is important to distinguish between reading and gray: the first changes color temperature (makes the screen yellow), the second removes saturation (makes the screen gray), but users often confuse these concepts, because visual results when improperly calibrated can be similar - dull and unnatural.
☑️ Checking screen settings
If you use third-party book-reading apps, they may also have their own "ink" or monochrome mode settings that override system settings. Check the settings of apps like Google Play Books or MI Reader.
Energy savings and processor modes
Aggressive energy saving settings are another factor that affects color reproduction: When the battery power drops to a critical level (usually below 10-15%), the Xiaomi smartphone can automatically go into Ultra-Saving mode, in which the system limits background processes, reduces brightness and often puts the interface in black and white mode to minimize power consumption.
To get out of this mode, just plug the charger in or manually turn off the savings mode. The way to settings is: Settings → Battery (or Advanced Settings → Battery). Here you can see the active energy saving profile. If you select Ultra or Economy, switch it to Balanced or Performance.
| Mode of work | Screen impact | Impact on productivity | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced | Normal colors. | Standard. | For daily use |
| Savings | Decrease in brightness | Limited. | Low charge. |
| Ultra-savings | Black and white mode | Very limited. | Only in emergency cases. |
| Productive | Maximum brightness | Maximum | For games and heavy tasks |
Also, some use cases in the Security app may contain presets that change color reproduction. Check the Security → Battery section and make sure that no automatic rules are set that include monochrome mode under certain conditions.
Third-party applications and launchers
Don't discount the impact of the apps you've installed. Various launchers, weather widgets, sleep modes from third-party developers can take over the display. For example, sleep apps like Twilight or analogs can have settings that make the screen gray at night.
If the problem occurs immediately after you install a new app, try to remove it or disable it. Pay particular attention to programs that have permission to Overlay Other Windows or access special features, these permissions allow applications to change what you see on the screen.
⚠️ Note: Applications from unknown sources (APK-files) may contain malicious code that forcibly alters the display settings for advertising or mining.
To diagnose, run your smartphone in Safe Mode, which only downloads system applications. If the screen is colored in Safe Mode, then the problem is exactly in third-party software. To enter Safe Mode on Xiaomi, you usually need to press the off button and then hold your finger on the "Switch off" item on the screen for a long time until the suggestion to go to Safe Mode appears.
How to get into Safe Mode on Xiaomi?
Hardware problems and resetting settings
If none of the software methods worked, and the question of "how to turn off black and white mode on Xiaomi" remains relevant, it may be a hardware failure or damage to the display plume. However, most often a complete reset or firmware update helps. Before radical measures, try just restarting the device.
Updating the system can fix software bugs causing display drivers to malfunction. Go to Settings → About the phone and check for updates. If you have a MIUI or HyperOS beta installed, consider rolling back to a stable version, as test builds often contain errors.
As a last resort, if the problem is not solved, it may require a factory reset.This will delete all data, so be sure to back up. Once reset, the phone will return to the "out of the box" state and any software conflicts will be eliminated.
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If the black and white mode is maintained even after resetting to factory settings and in safe mode, there is a high probability of physical malfunction of the matrix or the display plume.