How to Make a Dark Theme on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide

The inclusion of night mode interface is not just a tribute to fashion, but a real need to reduce the load on the eyes, especially in the evening. POCO They often find that the standard light interface is too bright and causes discomfort during prolonged use of the device in poor light conditions. OLED-In the case of the screens, which are equipped with the flagship and mid-budget models of the company, the use of a dark background allows you to significantly save battery power, since the black pixels in such matrixes are simply turned off.

The question of how to make a dark theme on Xiaomi in 2026 has increased with the transition of many devices to the new HyperOS operating system, which, although based on Android, has its own unique menu features and logic. Unlike older versions of MIUI firmware, navigation paths have changed, and additional customization options have appeared, allowing not only to invert colors, but also to fine-tune the shade of black or gray. Understanding these differences is critical for users who have recently updated and can not find the usual switches.

This guide covers all possible ways to activate dark mode, from standard system settings to advanced methods through engineering menus and third-party utilities. We will discuss why some applications ignore system settings, how to make them work correctly, and what hidden features exist for deep customization of the interface.

Standard Enablement through the Settings Menu

The easiest and safest way to activate night mode is to use the built-in operating system features. Xiaomi developers have provided convenient access to this option, which is almost identical on most modern models, regardless of whether the device is based on MIUI 14 or the new HyperOS. First, you need to unlock the screen and find the Settings application, which usually has a gear icon.

In the menu that opens, you should scroll down to the Screen (or Display) section, and that's where the basic parameters for managing brightness, refresh rate, and color reproduction are concentrated. In some firmware versions, this item may be called "Screen and brightness." Inside this section, you need to find a Dark Mode switch. Once activated, the interface will instantly change the color scheme to dark.

However, simply turning on mode is not enough for comfortable use. The system offers flexible schedule settings that allow you to automate the process. You can choose the option "Schedule On", where two scenarios are available: "Downset to Dawn" (uses geolocation) or "At a predetermined time" (for example, 21:00 to 07:00), which eliminates the need to manually switch the topic every evening.

• 🌙 Automation: Set up the sunrise and sunset time switch on for maximum convenience.
• 🎨 Application adaptation: Make sure the App adapt slider is active so that third-party software also changes colors.
• 👁️ Eye protection: Dark theme reduces blue spectrum radiation, reducing eye fatigue.
• 🔋 Energy savings: On AMOLED-Black does not consume energy, prolongs autonomy.

It is worth noting that new versions of the shell have a feature called Ultra Dark Mode (in some regions), which makes the background not just dark gray, but absolutely black (#000000). This is especially true for owners of smartphones Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13 Pro and later, where energy optimization is at the forefront. If you do not see such an option right away, check for system updates or the theme of the design, as some skins can block this mode.

Features of the dark theme in HyperOS and MIUI 14

The transition to the HyperOS shell brought not only visual changes, but also a reworked logic of working with themes. Unlike the classic MIUI 14, where settings were often scattered across different subsections, in the new system Xiaomi is striving for unification. Now the management of the theme is closely integrated with the Theme application and display system settings. It is important to understand that old methods of activating through hidden codes may not work on fresh firmware.

One of the key features of the new system is the deeper integration of dark theme with widgets and controls. While some volume sliders or switches remained white in older versions, HyperOS developers tried to make the inversion complete. However, there are nuances of compatibility. Some system applications, such as Explorer or Manager, may require a separate activation of dark mode within their own settings, even if the global theme has already changed.

Users who have switched from iOS or pure Android may notice a difference in shades of gray. Xiaomi uses its own palette, which can seem more contrasting or, conversely, softer depending on the chosen theme. For fine-tuning, you should go to the Settings menu → Screen → Colors and Textures (the path can vary).

💡

If after turning on a dark theme icons become poorly read, try changing the font in the menu "Additional" or update the theme design standard.

Also worth mentioning is the Enhanced Dark Mode feature, which is available in beta versions of firmware, which forcefully inverts colors even in apps that don't officially support night mode, and you can activate it through the developer menu or special ADB commands, which we'll talk about in the next sections, but in the meantime, we'll look at how to manage schedules more efficiently.

Scheduling and automation

Manually switching between light and dark subjects quickly becomes uncomfortable, so the system offers powerful automation tools. Competent schedule setting allows the smartphone to adapt to light conditions on its own. This is not only convenient, but also beneficial for health, as the abrupt transition from a bright screen to the dark of a room can cause stress for the eyes.

To set up automatic power, go to Settings → Screen → Dark Mode. Here you will see the option "Schedule on." When you choose this option, the system will offer two main scenarios. The first one is from dusk to dawn. It requires you to allow access to geolocation so that the phone can accurately determine the day and night change time at your location. This is ideal for those who often travel or change time zones.

The second option is by time, and here you manually specify the hours of beginning and ending of a dark topic, for example, from 20:00 to 08:00, which is preferable for people with irregular schedules or for those who do not want to expend charge. GPS-Also available in some firmware versions is the "Switch on at low battery charge" option, which can save the situation if there is no charger at hand.

• ⏰ Exact time: Set the switch 30 minutes before bedtime to prepare your body.
• 🌍 Geolocation: Use Sunset/Dawn mode on vacation to automatically change time zone.
• 🔋 Energy saving: Activate a dark theme with less than 20% charge to extend the work.
• 📵 Do Not Disturb: Link the inclusion of a dark topic to a sleep mode for complete peace.

For example, instant messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp often have their own Night Theme switch, which is more important than the system one, so you need to check the settings of each frequently used application separately to achieve the perfect result.

Forced Enablement for All Applications

Often, users are faced with a situation where the system is put into dark mode, but individual applications (such as bank clients, older versions of social networks or specific utilities) remain bright white. This is because the developers of these applications did not add support for dark theme to their code. However, on Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones there is a way to circumvent this limitation and force the interface to go dark forcibly.

This uses a feature hidden in the developer menu, and to activate it, you first need to open the hidden menu. Go to Settings → About your phone and find the MIUI Version (or OS Version) bar. You need to quickly click on this line 7-10 times in a row until the notification "You became a developer" appears.

Inside the developer menu, you need to scroll down to the bottom of the list, to the "Hardware Speed Up" or "Graphics" section, and there's the option "Force Dark Mode," and activating this switch causes the system to invert the interface colors even in applications that don't support it. Be careful: this feature can cause some elements to be misrepresented, such as black text that can turn black on a black background, making it unreadable.

⚠️ Attention: The forced dark theme function is experimental. In some applications (especially those with complex design or video content), colors may invert incorrectly (e.g., photos will become negative). If you notice strange interface behavior, immediately disable this option.

An alternative method that works more stable but requires additional software installation is the use of wrapping applications or theme modifiers such as DarQ (requires root rights or ADB) or specialized themes from the Themes store that have a forced black background. However, for most users, the developer system feature described above is enough to achieve the desired result in 90% of cases.

Using themes from the store and customization

A standard dark theme is good, but the Xiaomi theme store offers thousands of design options that can drastically change the look of the system. Many users are unaware that third-party themes often have their own, deeper implementations of dark mode than the system. Some themes automatically activate True Black mode, even if the system settings choose just dark gray.

To find a suitable theme, open the Themes app and search for queries like "Dark", "Black", "AMOLED" or "Night." Pay attention to the preview: Themes marked "AMOLED" are usually optimized for energy savings and have a purely black background. When installing such a theme, the system will suggest using it completely or selectively (wallpaper only, icons only, system interface only).

An important aspect of customization is component compatibility. Some themes can change icons beautifully but leave the settings menu light. Always check the screenshots in the description of the theme. Also, popular designers often release "Dark versions" of their popular light themes. If you like a particular set of icons, look for its counterpart with the prefix "Dark".

• 🎨 Search by tags: Use tags #AMOLED #Black to find the darkest topics.
• 📱 Components: Make sure the theme changes system applications (Phone, Messages, Contacts).
• 🔄 Updates: Keep an eye out for theme updates as developers often fix display bugs.
• ⭐ Ranking: Choose high-rated themes and high downloads for stability.

It is also worth mentioning the possibility of creating your own theme with the help of the tool. MIUI Theme Editor on PC, which allows you to manually specify colors for each interface element, creating the perfect dark mode that is not possible with standard means. XML-file.

💡

Third-party themes from the official store are the easiest way to get a unique design and deep black without the need to get root rights or use complex commands.

Problem Solving and Frequently Asked Questions

Despite the ease of customization, users may face various problems: the theme does not turn on, resets after a reboot or does not apply to specific applications. Often the reason lies in an application version conflict or system cache. If standard methods do not help, try clearing the cache of the Themes application and the System interface through the application management menu.

Another common problem is de-synchronization of turn-on time. If the phone does not go dark on a schedule, check if the device is in an extreme mode that can block the background processes responsible for changing the theme. Also make sure that the Settings and System Framework application has all the necessary permissions.

In rare cases, especially on custom firmware or after unlocking the bootloader, the theme system files can be corrupted, such as resetting the theme settings to factory ones or re-installing system updates. Remember that using informal system modifications can lead to unstable dark theme operation.

⚠️ Warning: If after installing a third-party theme, the screen has gone out or the phone has stopped responding to touch, try restarting the device by pressing the power and volume button (the combination depends on the model).If this does not help, you may need to flash through the Fastboot.

Below are answers to the most popular questions that will help resolve the remaining ambiguities about the operation of dark mode on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices.