Why Xiaomi’s smartphone goes black and white at night?
Many Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners experience a sudden shift to monochrome after dark, not a system failure but a Night Mode (or Read) feature that automatically activates the black and white filter to reduce eye strain. However, not everyone likes this visual restriction, especially if it interferes with the perception of colors in photos, videos or games.
Depending on the MIUI firmware version (12, 13 or 14) and the device model (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12, POCO X5), the settings for this mode may vary, and in some cases, the black and white filter is turned on not because of the night mode, but because of the activation of energy saving mode or special features for people with visual impairments, let’s see how to accurately determine the cause and return colors to the screen.
Importantly, on devices with MIUI 14 and later, black and white can be turned on automatically when the battery is low (less than 15%) – this is part of the optimization of power consumption, in which case turning off the filter will require either recharging or manual intervention in settings.
Method 1: Disconnect via “Screen settings”
The most direct way is to deactivate the black and white filter in the display menu, which works on most Xiaomi devices regardless of the MIUI version, but the location of the items can vary slightly.
Instructions:
- Open the Settings app (cog icon).
- Go to the Screen section.
- Select Night Mode or Read Mode (depending on the model).
- Turn off the slider Automatic turn on or Enable on schedule.
- If the screen is already monochrome, tap the slider Enable Now to deactivate the mode.
On some devices (e.g., POCO F4), instead of Night Mode, there may be a separate Color Filter option, which you also need to turn off, and if you do that, the screen remains black and white, there may be another function that's going to be the reason, and we'll talk about that later.
Is Settings open?
Is the screen section found?
Have you checked Night Mode and Reading Mode?
Are automatic triggers disabled?
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Method 2: Quickly shut down via notification panel
If you need to return colors to the screen without digging into the settings, use the notification bar. This method only works if the black and white mode was turned on via Read Mode or Night Light (not to be confused with the system dark mode!).
How to do this:
- Swipe your finger down to open the notification panel.
- Find the icon Read Mode (book with a magnifying glass) or Night Mode (crescent).
- Slap it once - if it is active (lit), it will turn off the filter.
If the icon is not on the main panel, try to expand it completely (swipe down twice) or click Edit (pencil in the upper right corner) to add the desired icon.
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On some models (such as the Xiaomi 12T), the Read Mode icon is hidden by default. To add it, hold your finger on the blank spot of the notification bar and select Add → Read Mode.
Method 3: Checking the energy saving mode
On devices with MIUI 13/14, the black and white screen may appear due to the activation of Super Power Saving Mode, which not only limits background processes, but also puts the display in monochrome mode to save charge.
How to turn it off:
- 🔋 Go to Settings. → Battery and productivity → Energy saving regime.
- 🔄 Make sure Balanced or Performance Mode (not Supermode) is active).
- ⚡ If the battery is under 15%, connect the charger – in some firmware, the filter is automatically reset.
If after turning off the energy saving screen remains black and white, check whether the mode for the visually impaired is activated (more about this in the next section).
Constantly.
Only at low charge.
Never turn it on.
I don't know what that is.
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Method 4: Disabling Special Opportunities
MIUI has a Color Correction feature designed for color-impaired users, and if activated accidentally (for example, by triple pressing the power button), the screen can turn black and white or acquire other shades.
To turn it off:
- Open the Settings. → Special facilities.
- Choose Color Correction or Color Correction.
- Set the switch to the off position.
- If there is a option Triple press on the power button, check if it is not tied to this function.
On some devices (e.g. Redmi K50), color correction can be hidden deeper: Settings → Screen → Additional screen settings → Color mode. Make sure you choose Standard or Saturated, not Shades of Grey.
What to do if color correction is not turned off?
Method 5: Reset screen settings to factory
If none of these methods worked, it's possible that the screen settings have been changed at the system level, in which case resetting the display settings will help, which will return all color profiles, brightness and filters to factory values.
How to perform the reset:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Screen.
- 🔍 Scroll down and find Reset Screen Settings (or Restore Default Settings).
- ✅ Confirm the action – it will not affect your data, only display parameters.
After reset, check to see if the black and white mode is back on. If so, the problem may be in the firmware - consider updating MIUI or contact the service center.
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Resetting screen settings doesn’t delete photos, apps, or accounts; it only returns brightness, color temperature, resolutions, and filters to factory values.
Table: Causes of black and white screen and solutions
| Reason. | How it manifests | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Night Mode / Reading Mode | The screen becomes monochrome in the evening or at low brightness. | Turn off the settings → Screen → Night mode |
| Super-Energy Saving Mode | Black and white screen + charge saving notification | Disconnect to Settings → Battery → Energy saving mode |
| Color correction (special opportunities) | Screen gray or with distorted colors at any time | Disable in Settings → Special features → Color correction |
| Firmware failure | The filter is not turned off by any means. | Update MIUI or reset screen settings |
| Triple press of the power button | The screen turns black and white after 3 clicks on the button | Untie the function in Settings → Special features → Quick access |
What do you do if nothing helps?
If you’ve tried all of these, but the screen is still black and white, the problem may be:
- 🤖 Work failure MIUI — Try restarting the device in Safe Mode (hold the power button) → «Safe Mode Reboot. If it comes back in colors, it's the third-party app's fault.
- 📦 Application conflict – some programs (such as Twilight or Night Shift) may overlay their own filters.
- 🔧 Hardware malfunction - if the smartphone fell or came into contact with water, the problem may be in the plume of the display.
If you suspect a firmware failure, try updating MIUI through Settings → About Phone → System Update. In extreme cases, you can reset to factory settings (don’t forget to back up!).
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Before resetting to factory settings, save data via Settings → About Phone → Backup or use Mi Cloud. This will save your photos, contacts and messages.
FAQ: Frequent questions about black and white on Xiaomi
Can you turn off black and white forever?
Why does black and white go on on on its own?
How to return colors to Xiaomi if the screen is black and white after the update?
Is there a difference between “Night Mode” and “Read Mode”?
Can you set up automatic black and white for individual applications only?
⚠️ Note: On devices with unlocked bootloader and custom firmware (such as LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the black and white settings may differ. In such cases, look for Monochrome display or Grayscale in the developer menu (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — tap 7 times).
⚠️ Note: If the black and white mode appeared after a fall of the smartphone or moisture, do not try to solve the problem software. This may be a sign of damage to the plume of the display or matrix – contact the Xiaomi service center.