How to turn off shades of gray on Xiaomi: all ways for smartphones and TVs

The gray mode on Xiaomi devices is an accessibility feature that converts the entire screen to black and white, designed for people with visual impairments or who want to reduce eye strain, but many users turn it on accidentally through hotkeys or special features settings, after which they can not return the usual colors. The problem is compounded by the fact that in different versions of MIUI and HyperOS the path to turning off this mode changed, and on Xiaomi TVs the algorithm is completely different from smartphones.

If your screen suddenly turns black and white, don’t panic: it’s not a matrix breakdown, it’s a software setup. In 95% of cases, it can be deactivated in 1-2 minutes without resetting to factory settings. In this article, we’ll discuss all the current ways to turn off gray shades for smartphones (including models on HyperOS), tablets and Xiaomi TVs, and also explain how to prevent accidental turn on in the future.

Note that if you use Xiaomi with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the standard instructions may not work, in which case you will need to manually edit system files via ADB, which we will also describe at the end of the article.

1.The method for Xiaomi smartphones on MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS

On most modern Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T and newer), shades of gray are turned on through the special features menu.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the desktop).

2. Go to the Special Features section (HyperOS may be called Universal Access).

3. Find the submenu Color and Motion or Color Correction (depending on the firmware version).

4. Move the slider "Shades of gray" in the position "Off".

If this item is not on the menu, try an alternative path:

1. Press the power button to call the off menu.
2. Press and hold the Power Saving Mode icon (if it is active).
3. In the window that opens, uncheck the box from “Shades of Grey”.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) The gray shades are tied to the read mode. → Display. → Reading mode and turn it off if it is active.

If the screen is black and white after this action, the cause may be the activated developer mode with forced grayscale.

Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Simulate the color space → Disable

Is the energy saving mode off?

Have you checked the special features settings?

Is the developer mode deactivated?

Reload your phone after the changes?-->

2. disable shades of gray on Xiaomi TV (all models)

On Xiaomi TVs (Mi TV A2 series, Xiaomi TV Q2, Redmi Smart TV, etc.), black and white mode is enabled either through accessibility settings or through the visually impaired mode. Instructions for Android TV 9-12**:

1. On the remote, press the button "Settings" (cogs) or "Home" → "Settings".

2. Go to Universal Access (or Special Options on older models).

3. Select "Color Correction" or "Color Filters".

4. disable the option "Shades of Grey" or "Monochrome mode".

If the item is not on the menu, try resetting the availability settings:

1. In the menu that appears, select “Reset availability settings”.

On TVs with Google TV (e.g. Xiaomi TV P1 2023), the path is different:

⚠️ Warning: If the colors are not back after the shutdown, check if the movie mode or night mode is activated in the image settings.

3. Hot keys and gestures for quick shutdown

On Xiaomi smartphones, shades of gray can be turned on/off via a combination of buttons or accessibility gestures. If the mode is activated accidentally, try these combinations:

• 🔄 Triple press of the power button: On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 11), this combination switches availability modes.
• 👆 Swipe up three fingers gesture: Activates special features menu where you can turn off shades of gray.
• 🔘 Volume buttons tightening: On POCO-Devices press Volume Up + Volume Down for 3 seconds.
• 📱 Double tap to wake: If Double tap to wake is enabled, it may conflict with color settings.

To turn off the hot keys for shades of gray:

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Keyboard Combinations.
2. Find the item "Shades of gray" and uncheck it.

On Xiaomi TVs, the gray-shaped hotkeys only work on models with Bluetooth remotes (such as the Xiaomi TV Stick). To reset them, press the Home + Back buttons for 10 seconds.

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If the screen remains black and white after turning off the mode, try temporarily turning on and off the power saving mode again - this will reset the graphics driver cache.

4.Reset availability settings (if standard methods don't work)

If the shades of gray are not turned off through the menu, the cause may be damage to the configuration files, in which case only resetting special features settings (without data loss) will help:

For smartphones:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Reset Settings.
3. Select “Reset the settings of special features”.

For Xiaomi TV:

1. Go to Settings → Device → Reset settings.
2. Select Reset Availability Settings (not a full reset!).
3. Confirm the action with a password from Mi Account (if tied).

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi TVs with firmware below Android 10, resetting availability settings can cause the interface language to reset. → Language.

If the reset doesn't work, you'll have to reset to the factory settings, and you'll have to:

• 📱 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
• 🔐 Make sure to remember the Mi Account password (required to unlock after resetting).
• 📡 Turn off tethered devices (such as Mi Band) to avoid synchronization issues.

5. Disconnection via ADB (for power users)

If all previous methods fail, manual disabling via Android Debug Bridge (ADB) remains, which is suitable for devices with unlocked bootloader or enabled USB debugging.

Step-by-step:

For Xiaomi TVs, the team will be different:

adb shell settings put global accessibility_color_correction_mode 0

On devices with HyperOS, an additional command may be required to reset the graphics driver cache: adb shell cmd surface flinger force-hw-vsync off.

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Use ADB only if you are confident in your actions. Incorrect commands can cause system failure or data loss.

6. Problems after turning off shades of gray and their solutions

In some cases, after the black and white mode is deactivated, side effects occur, and here are the most common ways to eliminate them:

If after turning off the shades of gray, the interface elements are displayed incorrectly (for example, the icons turned green or red), this may be due to activated color correction for colorblind people.

1. Go to Settings → Special Options → Color correction.
2. Select “No” in the “Type of Correction” section.
3. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (such as Black Shark 5) have gray shades tied to Shark Space's game mode. Check the settings of the game space if standard methods don't work.

7.How to prevent the accidental inclusion of shades of gray

To avoid reactivating black and white, follow the following steps:

• 🔧 Turn off the hot keys: Go to Settings → Special facilities → Keyboard combinations and remove the binding for shades of gray.
• 👤 Set up a user profile: Create a separate profile without the right to change special features (relevant for family use).
• 🛡️ Block availability settings: Use AppLock to protect the Special Password Features section.
• 📱 Update firmware: Latest versions of HyperOS add protection against accidental inclusion of grayscales through double confirmation.

For Xiaomi TVs, it is recommended to:

1. Disable voice control (if it accidentally activates availability modes).
2. Set up parental controls through Settings → Security → Parental controls.
3. Update the firmware through Settings → About TV → System Update.

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If you have children in your family, create a separate profile on your limited-edition TV to prevent system settings, including color modes, from changing.

8. Frequent Questions (FAQ)