Xiaomi Night Mode: How to Set Up to Protect Your Vision and Improve Your Sleep

Modern Xiaomi smartphones feature a night mode feature that not only reduces eye strain in the dark, but also helps to normalize sleep by reducing blue radiation. However, many users either do not know about the full capabilities of this feature or face problems when setting it up. In this article, we will discuss how to properly activate and customize the night mode on devices with the shell MIUI (versions 12-14), including Redmi, Poco and Black Shark models, and also reveal nuances that are not written in the standard instructions.

It’s important to understand that night mode on Xiaomi works not only as a blue light filter, but also as a tool to adapt color temperature to the time of day. While the settings may vary depending on the device model and firmware version. For example, flagship devices (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Black Shark 5 Pro) offer advanced calibration options, while budget Redmi Notes can have a simplified interface. We will look at universal methods and hidden chips that will allow you to use this feature most effectively.

What is Night Mode and Why is It Important for Health

Night mode (or reading mode, as it is sometimes called in MIUI) is a software filter that reduces the amount of blue light emitted by the screen. Studies show that blue radiation suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone responsible for sleep. Regular use of a smartphone before bedtime without protection can lead to insomnia, eye fatigue and even headaches.

On Xiaomi devices, night mode is implemented through two main mechanisms:

• 🌙 Automatic activation on schedule – is enabled at a specified time (for example, from 22:00 to 7:00).
• 🔄 Manual control – the user turns on / off the mode through the notification panel or settings.
• 🎨 Intensity setting – the ability to adjust the level of blue light filtering (from weak to maximum).

Interestingly, MIUI 14 introduced the Adaptive Night Mode feature, which automatically adjusts the color temperature to the lighting in the room (only works on devices with ambient light sensor), which is especially useful for those who often move from dark to bright rooms and back.

How to turn on the night mode on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

There are several ways to activate the night mode, and consider the most versatile method that works on most Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices:

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Screen section (or additionally → Screen on some models).
3. Select Night Mode (in some firmwares it may be called Read Mode or Blue Light Filter).
4. Activate the slider Enable the night mode.

For quick access, you can add a night mode switch to the notification panel:

• 📱 Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
• 🔧 Click on the pencil icon (Edit) in the lower right corner.
• 🌓 Find the Night Mode icon and drag it to the active area.

Some devices (such as the Xiaomi 12T or Poco F4) have an option called Automatic Scheduled Turn on to configure it:

1. In the Night Mode menu, select the Schedule.
2. Enter the start and end times (recommended from 21:00 to 7:00).
3. Activate the option to automatically turn on.

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If the night mode does not turn on automatically, check if the background processes for the Settings application are turned off in the Battery → Battery Optimization section.

Advanced settings: Color temperature calibration

The standard night mode in MIUI offers three pre-filtering levels: Weak, Medium and Strong. However, some devices (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro or Black Shark 4) have manual color temperature settings ranging from 1900K to 7000K. This allows you to more accurately adjust the screen to your individual preferences.

To adjust the temperature manually:

1. Go to Settings → Screen → Night mode.
2. Choose the Color Temperature (or Color Setting).
3. Move the slider to get a comfortable hue. The optimal range for evening time is 2700K-3500K.

On devices with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra or Redmi K50 Pro) night mode may be more aggressive, as the pixels on such displays emit light on their own, in which case it is recommended to use a medium level of filtering to avoid excessive yellowness.

Night Mode vs. Reading Mode: What's the Difference?

Many users confuse night mode and reading mode in MIUI. Although both functions reduce eye strain, they work differently:

• 🌃 Night mode: filters blue light at the system level, works in all applications.
• 📖 Read Mode: Converts the screen to black and white (or sepia) to simulate electronic ink, usually only used in certain applications (e.g., Reading or Books.

On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi Pad 5), you can turn on the reading mode globally via Settings → Special features → Color filter. This is useful for people with photophobia or those who work a lot with text.

⚠️ Note: If you use the read mode as your primary mode, note that it can distort colors in photos and videos. For example, when watching movies on Netflix or YouTube, the picture will be monochrome.

Xiaomi Night Mode Problems and Their Solutions

Sometimes nighttime may not work properly, and consider the typical problems and ways to fix them:

If after updating MIUI night mode disappeared from the menu, try resetting the screen settings to factory:

Settings → Screen → Triple (⋮) → Reset screen settings

On devices with MIUI 14 and later, night mode may conflict with Super Wallpapers. If the screen starts to flicker when the mode is activated, turn off wallpaper animation in Settings → Wallpaper → Dynamic Wallpaper.

Night mode on smart watches and fitness bracelets Xiaomi

The blue light filter feature is available not only on smartphones, but also on Xiaomi wearable devices such as the Mi Band 7, Xiaomi Watch S2 or Redmi Watch 3.

For Mi Band and Redmi Watch:

1. Open the Mi Fitness app (or Zepp Life for new models).
2. Select your device. → Screen settings.
3. Activate the Night Mode option and set a schedule.

On the Xiaomi Watch S2 and other smartwatches with Wear OS:

1. Swipe your finger down the watch screen.
2. Find the icon Night mode (crescent).
3. Tap it for activation or hold it for settings.

⚠️ Note: On wearables, night mode can automatically turn off when high activity is involved (e.g. during exercise) to ensure that the screen remains well readable in bright light.

Hidden chips: how to make the night mode more efficient

In addition to the standard settings, MIUI has several hidden features that will help improve the night mode:

• 🔍 Adaptive brightness + Night mode: Include Adaptive Brightness in Settings → Screen. → Brightness. Combined with night mode, this will allow the screen to automatically adjust to the lighting, saving battery life.
• 🌓 Dark subject. + Night mode: Activate Dark Theme in Settings → Screen. → Combined with night mode, this will reduce eye strain by up to 40% (According to Xiaomi research).
• ⏰ Quick turn on via voice assistant: Say “OK Google, turn on night mode” or “Hi Siri, activate the blue light filter” (if you use Google Assistant).

For advanced users, there is a way to enable night mode via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) if it is missing after the update:

adb shell settings put secure night_display_activated 1


adb shell settings put secure night_display_auto_mode 2

These commands force the mode to activate and set an automatic schedule.

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The combination of dark theme, adaptive brightness and nighttime provides maximum eye protection and increases battery life by 10-15%.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the night mode on Xiaomi