How to turn off black and white mode on Xiaomi Redmi: the complete guide

The sudden transformation of a MIUI or HyperOS color interface into a dark black and white palette can take anyone by surprise, most often due to the accidental activation of one of the accessibility features designed for people with visual impairments, but sometimes due to software failures or experiments with reading modes. Understanding exactly where this switch is hiding will allow you to return bright colors to the screen in seconds.

In this article, we will go into detail all possible scenarios leading to a monochrome image, from standard system settings to hidden engineering menus. Recovery of color is not a difficult process, but requires care, since menu items may vary slightly depending on the firmware version. We will look at solutions for most popular models, including the Redmi Note and Xiaomi series.

Before we get into action, it's worth noting that in some cases, the color gamut changes are caused by energy-saving algorithms or specific screen profiles. The hardware part of the display has nothing to do with it, unless the device has suffered physical damage, so software fixing is almost always effective. Let's go through all the methods of solving this problem consistently.

Disabling the electronic ink mode through settings

The most common reason for black and white images on Xiaomi and Redmi is the activation of the E-ink function, which mimics the appearance of electronic paper, reducing eye strain and reducing energy consumption, but makes the use of multimedia content impossible. To turn it off, you need to go to the settings menu where the options are special features.

Find Settings in the main menu and scroll through the list to the "Additional Settings" section, or immediately select "Special Features" (sometimes called "Advanced Settings"). Inside this menu, you're interested in the section related to image correction or vision, and that's where the switch is located, which forcibly puts the display into monochrome mode.

⚠️ Note: If you can’t find the item you want, use the search bar at the top of the settings menu by typing in the query “Electronic ink” or “Color correction».

Once you find the electronic ink switch, just turn it to the off position. The changes should take effect instantly. If the screen is black and white, you may have activated color correction for color blinds, which can also be found in the same menu section called Color Correction.

For more accurate diagnosis, use the following action checklist:

Control through the Control Center and the side panel

Modern MIUI 12, 13, 14 and the new HyperOS can put frequently used functions into the notification curtain or sidebar. Often users accidentally activate black and white mode, trying to quickly turn on the read mode or night light. Check the top of the screen: swipe down from the upper right corner to open the Control Center.

In the drop-down icon menu, find a button called Read Mode or an icon that resembles a piece of paper. If it's illuminated, click on it to deactivate. In some versions of the firmware, if you press this icon long enough, you open an extended menu where you can choose the mode type: Classic (warm shade) or Text (which makes the screen black and white).

It's also worth checking the app sidebar, and if you swipe it from the edge of the screen, you might have activated the "Read Mode" shortcut, delete that shortcut or change its settings to avoid accidental inclusions in the future, which is especially true for owners of Redmi Note models, where sensitivity to the edges of the screen sometimes leads to false positives.

Keep in mind that vision protection modes can have their own profiles. If you set up automatic black and white on a schedule (e.g., at night), the system will return these settings over and over again. Check the Schedule section in the read mode settings and turn off automation if you don't need one.

Color profile setting and screen calibration

If standard switches didn’t help, the problem could be in the wrong color profile. AMOLED and IPS displays used in Xiaomi smartphones have multiple color presets. A random choice of a minimum brightness “Saturated” profile or a specific low-temperature “Standard” profile can visually render the image fade and almost monochrome.

Go to Settings → Screen → Color Scheme, and here you will be offered a few options: “Saturated”, “Standard”, “Contrast”. Try switching to “Saturated” or “Bright” to see if the colors will return. Also, this menu often has a slider “Color Temperature” on it. Move it to the right (towards warm colors) or to the left (cold colors) – sometimes a shift to the extreme position will desaturate the colors.

Importantly, some custom themes downloaded from Themes store may have their own display settings. If you've recently changed the theme, try returning the standard "Classic" or "Default" theme. Third-party themes often take precedence over system color settings.

Use of engineering menus and hidden codes

For advanced users who have not found a solution in the standard menu, there is access to the engineering menu through the USSD-This method allows you to check the state of the matrix and reset some hardware settings of the display. Be careful: changing unknown parameters in the engineering menu can lead to unstable operation of the system.

Open the phone app and dial the code ##64663##. CIT-menu (CIT — In the list of tests, find the item associated with the display (usually called “Display”, “Screen” or “Color Bar”). Running this test will repaint the screen in different colors, which will help to understand whether the matrix is working correctly.

If the test shows that the colors are displayed correctly, but in the system they are black and white, you can try resetting the display settings through the developer menu.

• 📱 Go to Settings. → About the phone and 7 times click on the "Version" MIUI», to become a developer.
• 🔧 Go to the Advanced Settings → For developers.
• 🎨 Find the section associated with the simulation (e.g., “Simulation of anomaly” or “Color correction”) and make sure it has the “Disabled” value».

⚠️ Warning: Do not change the values in the "Show layout bounds" or "Show surface bounds" section unless you are sure of your actions.

In some cases, resetting your settings via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) helps if you have access to your computer.The command to reset your accessibility settings looks like this:

adb shell settings put secure accessibility_enabled 0

Fulfilling this command will force all accessibility services, including those responsible for inversion and monochrome, to be turned off, but this is an extreme measure, and it is worth trying softer methods before applying it.

Impact of Third-Party Apps and Themes

The impact of installed software should not be discounted: Book reading, news, or battery saving apps can have their own overlays that override system settings, such as Read at Night or Eye Care, which can force a filter to be placed on top of the entire screen.

Check the list of newly installed apps. If a problem occurs immediately after installing a program, try removing it or disabling the "Above Other Windows" option in the app settings, especially when you are looking at apps that require extensive screen permissions.

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Use Safe Mode to check. Press the off button, then press and hold the Turn Off icon on the screen until you prompt to go to Safe Mode. If the colors are normal in this mode, the third-party app is to blame.

The themes can also contain errors. There are thousands of free and paid skins in the Xiaomi theme store. If you use a third-party theme, go to the Themes app, click on the profile avatar and select My Themes. Go back to the standard Classic theme and check the result. Often, it is in the theme configuration files that the desaturation option is prescribed.

What to do if the mode does not turn off (Reset and repair)

There are situations when a software failure blocks the ability to change settings, or the touch screen does not work correctly in certain areas, not allowing you to press the desired switch. If the software methods do not help, you need to perform a full reset or contact the service.

A full Hard Reset will return the phone to factory status. Before that, be sure to back up the data to the Xiaomi Cloud or your computer. Reset can be done via the Recovery Mode menu: turn off the phone, then press the power and volume button "up" before the logo appears.

From the Recovery menu, select the language (English), then Wipe Data → Wipe All Data. This will delete all user data and settings, including erroneous display settings. If the screen remains black and white after reset, there is a high probability of hardware failure of the plume or display controller.

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If the factory reset did not eliminate the black and white mode, the problem is hardware in nature and requires replacing the display module or plume in the service center.

The table below gives the main symptoms and probable causes:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)