Black and white screen on Xiaomi Poco: how to turn off gray gradation mode in 2 minutes

You turned on Xiaomi Poco, and instead of the usual bright colors you saw a monochrome image? Don't panic - this is not a break in the display, but an activated gray gradation mode (black and white filter), this mode can turn on accidentally through special settings, after updating MIUI or through the fault of third-party applications. In 90% of cases, the problem is solved in a few clicks, but there are hidden nuances that are not written in the standard instructions.

In this article, we will look at all the possible causes of black and white screen on the Poco X3/X4/X5/F3/F4/F5 and other models of the series, as well as give step-by-step instructions for returning color display. Particular attention will be paid to rare cases when the mode does not turn off through the menu, for example, due to a system file failure or conflict with the MIUI shell. If you have already tried standard methods and they did not work, click on the section on hidden developer settings and reset via Fastboot.

Why the screen turned black and white: 6 main reasons

Grayscale mode is a feature that converts all screen colors to shades of gray. It is useful for people with color impairments or to reduce eye strain, but often switches on by accident. Here is a full list of reasons why your Xiaomi Poco may display a picture in monochrome:

• 🎛️ Random Including Through Settings → Special facilities → Color correction (most often when handing the phone to a child or while cleaning the screen).
• 🔄 Resetting settings to factory – after that, some special features parameters return to default values.
• 📱 Conflict with the shell MIUI After the update (especially relevant to Poco) F3/F4 on MIUI 13/14).
• 🛠️ Failure of system files responsible for processing graphics (for example, after an interrupted update or incorrect root access).
• 🤖 Third-party apps that force-activate color-restricted energy saving mode (e.g., Digital Wellbeing or Battery Guru).
• 🔧 Activation of the developer mode with the colorblind simulator enabled (occurring in users testing software).

The Poco X3 Pro and Poco F3 GT also have a problem where black and white is activated after connecting to an external monitor via HDMI (if a USB-C to HDMI adapter is used). In this case, the failure is associated with the image output drivers, and the usual ways to disable will not work - you will need to reboot with the adapter disabled.

⚠️ Note: If the black and white screen appears after a phone drop or moisture hits, the problem may be hardware (damage to the display plume or matrix). In this case, first check the sensor and the presence of artifacts on the screen – if they are, do not waste time on software methods, and contact the service.

Method 1: Disconnecting through special features settings (90% of cases)

The easiest and most effective method is to deactivate the gray gradation mode in the special features menu. It works on all Xiaomi Poco models regardless of the MIUI version (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS).

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the desktop).
2. Scroll down and select the Special Opportunities section.
3. Slip on Color Correction (in some firmware it may be called Color filters or Color Settings).
4. Switch the tumbler Gradation of gray to the position Off. (gray → blue).
5. Confirm the changes if a pop-up window appears.

If color correction is not in the main menu of special features, try:

• 🔍 Enter the phrase “gray gradation” in the search for settings – the system will show a direct path to the parameter.
• 📱 On Poco. X5 Pro and new models go to special. opportunities → Visual corrections → Color filter.

Make sure the screen brightness is not at a minimum.

Try restarting your phone (sometimes temporary)

Turn off the power saving mode (it can block changes)

Check if the night mode is on (it doesn’t give a monochrome, but darkens the colors)-->

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 12.5 Enhanced), the gray gradations are not immediately returned after turning off, but after restarting the device. If the screen is left in black and white, perform a forced reboot: press the power button for 10-15 seconds until the phone turns off and turns on again.

Method 2: Use the Quick Settings Panel (if there is an icon)

On Xiaomi Poco with MIUI 13/14, gray gradation mode can be turned on/off right from the notification panel if the appropriate tile is added to the quick settings.

1. Swipe your finger down to open the notification panel.
2. Swipe down again to turn the full panel around.
3. Find a tile called Gray Gradation or icon 🌓 (If you don't have one, you can tap the icon. ⚙️ (Edit) and add to the active.
4. Touch the tile once – if it lights up in blue, the mode is on; if it turns gray, it is off.

If the tiles are not available, your version of MIUI does not support fast gray grading management, in which case use Method 1 or Method 3.

Every day.

Sometimes.

Nearby

I don't know what it is.-->

Method 3: Resetting special features settings (if the mode does not turn off)

If the gray gradation switch is inactive or the screen remains monochrome after it is turned off, the problem may lie in a failure of special features settings, in which case a partial reset will help, it will return all the parameters of availability to the factory without affecting personal data.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → Special facilities.
2. In the upper right corner, tap three points (⋮) and select Resetting Settings.
3. Confirm the action by entering the unlock password (if requested).
4. Reboot the phone.

After you reboot, check if the colors are back. If not, go to Method 4, where we'll look at the deeper settings.

⚠️ Attention: On Poco F4 GT POCO X4 Pro 5G And when you reset the special features, the adaptive brightness setting can go off. To get it back, go to Settings. → Display. → Adaptive brightness and turn on the tumbler.

Method 4: Disconnect via Developer Modes (for power users)

If standard methods don't work, the reason may lie in the developer settings, for example, on Xiaomi Poco with an unlocked bootloader or root rights, a colorblind simulator is sometimes activated, which blocks the usual gray gradation, to turn it off:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI until the notification “You’ve become a developer!” appears.

For developers

Hardware acceleration of rendering

• To simulate the space of flowers - set off.
• To simulate color blindness - choose No.
• Reboot the phone.

On MIUI 14 and HyperOS, the path may be slightly different: look for settings in Debugging → Graphics Settings. If the screen is left black and white after this action, the problem lies deeper - system files responsible for processing graphics may be damaged.

Method 5: Hard Recovery or Fastboot Reset (extremely)

If all previous methods fail, there are two options: Recovery (saves data but resets settings) or Fastboot (full reset) and only use them if:

• 🔧 Black and white screens have been updated MIUI.
• 📱 Phone does not respond to touch (but buttons work).
• 🔄 Gray gradation mode is turned on itself after each reboot.

Reset via Recovery:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up for 10 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe data → Wipe All Data (manage by volume buttons, confirmation by power button).
4. After reset, select Reboot → Reboot to System.

Firmware via Fastboot (requires PC):

1. Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
2. Unpack the archive and launch the script flash_all.bat (for Windows or flash_all.sh (for macOS/Linux).
3. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode (clip Power + Volume down when the device is off).
4. Wait for the firmware to be completed (the phone will reboot automatically).

⚠️ Attention: On Poco F5 POCO X5 Pro after firmware through Fastboot can fly IMEI (If you have unofficial firmware, save it before you use it. IMEI via appendix MTK Engineering Mode (for MediaTek processors) or Qualcomm QPST (for Snapdragon).

Method 6: Verifying Third-Party Applications and Conflicts

Sometimes the black and white screen is not caused by system settings, but by third-party applications that force the activation of energy saving modes or color filters.

• 🔋 Battery Guru, AccuBattery – can limit the color range for “charge saving».
• 👁️ Digital Wellbeing, StayFree – Include monochrome mode to reduce usage time.
• 🎮 Game Turbo – on some firmware activates the gray gradation in games.
• 🛡️ Antiviruses (Avast, 360 Security) – block system settings as “suspicious».

To find the culprit:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort the list by installation date (new → old).
3. Remove suspicious apps (especially those that have requested permissions to Overlay on top of other windows or Change System Settings).
4. Reboot the phone.

If you are not sure which app is to blame, start the phone in Safe Mode:

1. Press the power button until the shutdown menu appears.
2. Slip and hold the "Switch off" item until the prompt to go to safe mode appears.
3. Confirm and wait for the reboot.

Only system applications are running in Safe Mode, and if the colors are back, one of the apps you installed is to blame.

adb shell dumpsys power | find "mColorMode"

If you see the answer GRAYSCALE, This means that the system is activated at the system level.-->

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you try to turn off black and white, you often make mistakes that make things even more complicated.

• 🔨 Reset settings with ##4636## – this engineering code does not affect gray gradation, but can knock down network settings.

Many people confuse black and white with other problems:

💡

If the screen is black and white after all the manipulations and the phone is not responsive to resets, the problem may be partition /system damage, in which case only the full formatting Mi Flash Tool (clean all option) will help.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions

If the sensor is not working due to mechanical damage, after turning off the mode, check the display for cracks or plume detachments.