How to turn off black and white on Xiaomi: all the ways to return the colors on the screen

The black and white mode on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones can turn on unexpectedly after a system update, accidentally pressing keyboards or activating special functions to save charge. On the surface, it looks like the screen has lost all colors: photos become monochrome, the MIUI interface turns into a retro version, and the video is played in gray gradations.

It’s important to understand that black and white isn’t always a mistake. In some models (such as the Xiaomi 12T Pro or Redmi Note 11), it’s activated as part of Read or Energy Saving to reduce eye and battery strain. However, if you haven’t consciously turned it on, the problem needs to be solved. In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to bring back colors on the screen, including hidden MIUI settings and hardware methods.

Why the screen turned black and white: the main reasons

Before you try to disable monochrome mode, you should look at its sources.

• 🔄 Update MIUI: After installing a new firmware version, some settings are reset, including color profiles. MIUI 13/14.
• 🔋 Power saving mode: When the battery is low (less than 15%), the system can automatically switch to a monochrome interface to extend the battery life.
• 👁️ Vision Protection: The display settings have a Read or Night Mode option that removes blue light but sometimes gets knocked down on a full black and white filter.
• 🎮 Random key combination: on some models (for example, POCO F4) clampdown + Power activates hidden modes.
• 🛠️ Hardware failure: damage to the display plume or color controller (rarely, but possible after falls or moisture hits).

If the problem occurs after physical exposure (impact, water), first check the performance of other functions of the screen: whether it responds to touch, whether there are artifacts (stripes, flickers), in such cases, the monochrome mode can be a symptom of a more serious malfunction.

⚠️ Warning: If the screen has turned black and white after a failed rooting or custom firmware installation, don't try to reset settings via Recovery - this may lock the device. ADB (section).

Method 1: Disconnect via display settings (MIUI 12–14)

The easiest method is to check the standard screen settings. It works on most Xiaomi devices, including the Redmi Note 10 Pro, Xiaomi 11T and new models on MIUI 14.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the Screen section (or Display in some versions).
3. Find Color Scheme, Read Mode or Blue Light Filter.
4. If Black and White or Gradation Gradations are active, switch to Standard or Auto.
5. Save the changes and restart the device.

On some firmware, the path may be different. For example, in MIUI 13 for the POCO X3 Pro, you need to go to Settings → Display → Additional → Color Mode.

Is the screen settings open?

Is the option "Black and White" or "Gradations of Grey" active?

Have you tried to restart the device after the changes?

Is the “Read” mode checked in the notification panel?

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If there is no explicit color scheme switch in the settings, try the following method.

Method 2: Deactivation of the energy saving mode

Xiaomi has two types of energy saving: conventional (limits background processes) and ultra (cuts performance and turns off colors), which may be the reason for a monochrome screen.

How to turn it off:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance.
2. Go to Energy Saving Mode.
3. If Ultra Mode or Super Energy Saving is active, choose Turn Off or Balanced.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the changes to be applied (may take up to 30 seconds).

Also check the quick settings in the notification bar: sometimes the power saving mode is switched on accidentally via swipe down.Look for a battery icon with a leaf or snowflake.

⚠️ Note: If the screen is black and white after the power-saving shutdown, check the permissions for applications. Some programs (e.g., Digital Wellbeing or Google Family Link) may force gray gradations to limit usage times.

Method 3: Use of notification panel and fast switches

In MIUI, many functions are duplicated in the notification bar, including color filters. If the display settings didn't help, try this method:

1. Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Find Reading Tile, Night Mode, or Gradations of Grey (may be hidden under Edit).
3. Press it once to deactivate it.
4. If there is no tile, tap on Edit (pencil icon) and add it to the active switches.

On some devices (such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite), the tile is called the Color Filter. After pressing, a pop-up with a choice of intensity may appear - move the slider by 0%.

Often, it's convenient |Sometimes, for quick action |Nearby, only for notifications |Never, prefer setting-->

If the tile is not available even after editing, then the function is disabled at the system level, in which case resetting the display settings (section 5) or ADB-teams (section 4).

Method 4: Disconnect Gray Grades through ADB (for Advanced)

If standard methods have failed and the screen is still monochrome, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that is suitable for users who previously included USB debugging.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-cable.
2. Activate Developer Mode (if not enabled): Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
4. On your computer, open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb shell settings put secure accessibility_display_daltonizer_enabled 0


adb shell settings put secure accessibility_display_daltonizer 0

These commands will reset the color filter settings. If the screen is black and white after execution, try the additional command:

adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 0

Important: if after the introduction ADB-When the screen flashes or artifacts appear, immediately restart the device, which means that the filter has been tied to system processes, and you need to reset the cache.

Method 5: Reset display settings or completely reset

If none of these methods work, you'll have to reset your settings. Start by resetting your screen.

1. Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings.
2. Select Reset Display settings (or Reset all settings if the first item is not available).
3. Confirm action. The device will restart.

If that doesn't return the color, you'll have to do a hard reset, and you'll be careful, it will delete all the data, including photos and apps. → Google → Backup or Mi Cloud Backup.

Instructions for hard reset:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power before the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data (use volume buttons for navigation, power for confirmation).
4. Confirm the reset and wait until it is completed.

⚠️ Note: On devices with a locked bootloader (Xiaomi blocks it by default), a Recovery reset may require you to enter a Mi Account. Make sure you remember the username and password, otherwise the device will remain locked!

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Before a complete reset, be sure to check whether the Mi Account is tied to the device. Without it, it will be impossible to unlock the smartphone after the reset!

Additional checks: hardware malfunctions

If all software methods have been tried, but the screen remains black and white, the problem may be in the hardware.

• 🔌 Display plume: After falling or disassembling, the plume contacts may have moved away. Symptoms are not only a monochrome screen, but also a broken touchscreen or flicker.
• 💧 Moisture intrusion: Even after drying, contact oxidation can occur after months. Check the moisture indicator (usually under the lid) SIM-map).
• 🔋 Display controller malfunction: rare but occurs on older models (Redmi) 4X, Xiaomi Mi A1). Requires diagnosis at the service center.
• 🔄 Firmware failure: If the screen went black and white after a failed update, try reflashing the device via Fastboot.

For self-diagnosis:

1. Connect your smartphone to your TV via HDMI (if supported), if the TV is colored, the display or plume is a problem.
2. Call the device from another phone, and if the screen is black while you're calling, but there's a sound, it's a hardware failure.
3. Try booting into Safe Mode (click Power, then hold off Power until the request appears). If the colors are back in Safe Mode, the third-party app is to blame.

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If you suspect a hardware malfunction but are not sure, take a picture of the screen on another device in bright light. Sometimes the monochrome mode is so pale that it is confused with a matrix breakdown.

FAQ: Frequent questions about black and white on Xiaomi