Modern smartphones feature high-resolution displays that can cause eye fatigue when used for extended periods, especially in low-light environments where the bright white background of the interface creates strong contrast, which is why the dark theme feature has become the de facto standard for mobile operating systems, including the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS.
Activating black mode not only reduces the load on vision, but also significantly saves battery power on devices with AMOLED arrays. In such screens, each pixel is individually illuminated, and when displaying black it simply turns off. This makes the transition to a dark interface not just an aesthetic choice, but a practical necessity to extend the autonomy of your Xiaomi.
In this article, we will discuss all the available activation methods, including hidden settings for forcing the theme to be used in applications that do not officially support it, and learn how to configure automatic mode switching and solve common problems with incorrect display of interface elements.
Basic activation through the settings menu
The easiest and most reliable way to switch the interface to a darker fret is to use the regular menu of the system. Xiaomi developers have provided convenient access to this feature so that the user can change the appearance in a few seconds. First, you need to open the main menu Settings of your device.
Next, you'll find a section that might be called Screen or Wallpaper and Personalization in different versions of the firmware. In older versions of MIUI, this item is often left alone, whereas in HyperOS, it's integrated into the general visual style settings. Find the Dark Theme switch and activate it.
⚠️ Warning: After turning on a dark theme, some third-party apps may not display correctly if their developers do not provide support for dark mode, in which case menu items may become unreadable or merge with the background.
If you want to fine-tune your system behavior, click on the gear icon or arrow next to the theme switch, and you can have an extended menu where you can choose the time of on, like Schedule or Sunset until dawn, which will allow your smartphone to automatically adapt to the time of day without you being involved.
Advanced settings and customization
The MIUI shell is famous for its customization capabilities, and the dark theme is no exception. In advanced settings, you can not only turn on the black background, but also change its shade. The system offers several options for dimming, from classic black to deep gray, which is especially true for users who want to reduce contrast, but are not ready for a completely black screen.
In Settings → Screen → Dark Theme → Settings (the path may vary slightly depending on the Android version), you will find an intensity slider. By moving it, you can adjust the saturation of the dimming in supported applications. This is useful if the standard black color seems too sharp or, conversely, insufficient.
- 🌑 Element adaptation: the system automatically repaints icons and sliders into appropriate tones.
- 🎨 Accent colors: In some themes, you can change the color of the allocation of the active element even in dark mode.
- ⏰ Timer: the ability to set the exact time to turn the theme on and off manually.
Also worth noting is the Adaptive Screen feature, which often works in conjunction with a dark theme, which analyzes the content on the screen and adjusts the color temperature to minimize the harm of blue light, the combination of these two features provides maximum comfort when reading text from the smartphone screen at night.
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Use the "Enlarged Text" feature along with a dark topic for maximum readability if you have vision problems, which reduces eye strain more effectively than just a night mode.
Forced inclusion in applications (Developer Mode)
Often, when the system theme is turned on, a particular application, such as a messenger or a bank client, continues to glow white, this is because the app developers did not add support for dark design, and the solution to this problem is through the hidden capabilities of Android.
To access the necessary settings, you will need to activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and find the MIUI Version (or OS Version). You must quickly click on this item 7 times in a row until you notice that you have become a developer.
Then, in the main settings menu, in the Additional section, a new Developers item will appear. Once you enter it, scroll down to the Hardware Rendering Acceleration or Additional Features block. Find the option Force Dark Mode and activate the switch.
Path to Hidden Option: Settings -> For Developers -> Forced to Use a Dark ThemeOnce this feature is enabled, the system will force the invert colors in apps that do not support the dark mode natively, but be careful: forced use can lead to artifacts such as white stripes on a black background or unreadable text on dark buttons.
What if after the developer mode is turned on, the phone starts to work slower?
Use of themes in the annex “Themes”
Another effective way to globally change the look of the interface is to use third-party themes from the official Theme Store. Unlike the system switch, the themes change not only the background of settings, but also the design of the notification curtain, the power menu, the calendar and even icons.
Open the Themes app on your Xiaomi. Search for "Dark", "Black" or "Amores" and you'll see thousands of design options. Special attention should be paid to themes labeled Deep Dark or AMOLED, as they guarantee the use of real black (#000000000), which is critical for energy savings.
| Type of topic | Impact on the system | Battery savings | Design complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systemic dark theme | Only settings and supported apps | Medium | Minimum |
| Theme from the store (Dark) | Complete customization of the interface | Tall (on AMOLED) | Tall. |
| Compulsory regime | Color inversion in all apps | Depends on apps. | Low (possible bugs) |
When installing a theme from the store, make sure that the theme components have marked System, Screen Lock and Control. After applying the theme, restart the device so that all changes take effect correctly, which is especially important for desktop widgets that may not update instantly.
☑️ Checking after the theme is installed
Specifics of work on AMOLED and OLED displays
Owners of flagship and mid-budget Xiaomi models, such as the Mi series, Xiaomi 13/14 Or Redmi Note with AMOLED-And on these screens, black is achieved by completely turning off the pixels, which means that using a black theme actually saves energy, unlike using a black theme. IPS-screens where the lights are constantly burning.
Studies show that when using dark interfaces, the AMOLED-The power consumption may be reduced by 30-60% However, if you use a theme with a dark gray tint instead of pure black, the pixels will still consume energy, although less than with a white background.
For maximum effect, it is recommended to use pure black wallpaper and static widgets. Live wallpaper, even dark, makes the processor and graphics chip work more actively, which negates the savings from a dark theme.
⚠️ Attention: On screens of type IPS (Often found in budget models Redmi black will look like a dark gray due to the presence of background lighting. In this case, the energy savings from the dark theme will be minimal, but the benefit to the eyes will remain.
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Nana AMOLED-In the screens, black means the pixel is off, which gives a real saving of charge, while on the screen, the color is black. IPS-The dark theme screens serve only to reduce the load on vision.
Solving and eliminating errors
Despite the debugging of MIUI and HyperOS, users may experience problems, such as the theme settings may get lost after updating the firmware, or text will become invisible in some applications, most often by simply restarting the device or resetting the theme settings.
If you notice that fonts in dark mode have become too pale or too bright, check the contrast settings in the section Special features → Improve readability. Here you can adjust the font boldness and color inversion, which often helps with rendering bugs.
- 🔄 Cache reset: Clear the cache of the "Themes" and "System" application UI" via memory settings.
- 📱 App Update: Make sure that the problem programs are updated to the latest version in Google Play.
- 🛠 Change theme: Try temporarily switching to a standard theme and then turning on the dark one again to update the configuration files.
In rare cases, the problem may lie in a specific system update. If a bug interferes with normal smartphone use, it makes sense to wait for a patch from the developers or roll back to the previous version of the firmware if you have the necessary skills.
Automation and use cases
Modern Xiaomi smartphones allow you to create complex automation scenarios. You can set the phone so that the dark theme is turned on not only in time, but also when you run certain applications or when you lower your battery power below a certain level.
To do this, use the built-in Auto Tasks (or Scenarios) app. Create a new script, select the "Start App" condition and the "Enable Dark Theme" action. This is convenient, for example, for apps to read or watch videos at night, when you want to instantly switch to comfortable mode.
You can also set up a dark theme when you activate the Do Not Disturb mode, which creates the perfect environment for using your smartphone before bed, blocking unnecessary notifications and removing the bright light of the screen. Xiaomi's flexibility allows you to adapt the device to any user's habits.