How to turn off reading mode on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

Many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones face a situation where the screen of the device suddenly turns yellowish or grayish, and the color reproduction becomes faded. This is not a sign of a matrix breakdown or driver failure, but indicates the work of a special feature designed to protect the user’s vision in the evening. Reading Mode filters the blue spectrum of light, making the image warmer and more comfortable for the eyes in low light.

However, when you go out or switch to photography, this feature can be a serious inconvenience, distorting real colors. In this guide, we will discuss how to quickly deactivate this mode, adjust its schedule or completely remove it from the control panel if you do not need it. We will look at the settings for the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, as the location of the items may differ slightly.

It's worth noting that sometimes users accidentally activate this option through a quick settings panel or a voice assistant without even noticing it. Understanding where these settings are hiding will allow you to instantly return the screen to its natural brightness and saturation. Below are proven methods for solving this problem.

Standard way to disable via display settings

The most reliable and complete method of controlling the vision protection function is in the back of the system menu, which is where you can not just turn off the mode, but also fine-tune its parameters or turn off automatic activation. First, unlock the screen of your device and find the Settings app icon (usually a gear).

In the system settings that open up, you need to find the visual design section, which can be simply called Screen, Display, or Brightness, depending on the firmware version, and in newer versions of HyperOS, this section is often placed at the top of the basic settings menu for quick access.

After you go to the screen menu, scroll down to the visual protection block, and you'll see a switch called Read Mode. If it's active, the slider will burn blue or orange. Click on it to put it inactive. The screen will instantly return to the standard color profile.

⚠️ Note: If the yellow hue is left after the switch is turned off, check if the “Original Color” or “Saturated Colors” mode is activated in the adjacent calibration menus, as they can visually simulate the warm spectrum.

The same menu often has a Schedule option available, so if you want to only turn on at night, not during the day, select Schedule and set time slots (e.g. 21:00 to 07:00) to save you the need to turn off the feature every morning.

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Use the Adaptive Adjustment function in the read mode menu so that the phone changes the filter intensity depending on the lighting in the room.

Quick control through the notification curtain

For those who prefer speed, Xiaomi has designed the ability to control read mode directly from the Quick Access panel, which is the most convenient way if the feature is activated accidentally and needs to be removed urgently. To get there, swipe your finger from the top edge of the screen down.

In the curtain that opens, you'll see a number of icons like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a flashlight, and you'll find an icon that looks like a piece of paper or a book (sometimes with the sun), which can be called Reading Mode or Reading Mode. If you don't see it on the first page, swipe left to open the extra tiles.

Click on the icon to deactivate the function. If it was turned on, the icon will stop burning bright and turn gray. This action is equivalent to turning off the switch in the main settings, but it is done in one touch.

• 📱 Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the control center.
• 👁️ Find an icon with a book or a piece of paper.
• 🔘 Click on it to change the state from "On" to "Off».
• ⚙️ If the icon is not available, click on the pencil (edit) and add it from the list of available icons.

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where there is a button in the curtain, but does not respond to pressing, in which case it is worth checking whether the change of settings is blocked by parental controls or special features that can intercept the control of the interface.

Scheduling and automation

Many users want to not just turn off the feature, but make it smart and unobtrusive. Android's MIUI-based system allows you to flexibly adjust activation conditions, which eliminates the need to constantly monitor the state of the screen.

In the Settings → Screen → Read mode, add schedules. You can create multiple profiles here, for example, one profile for weekdays from 22:00 to 6:00 when you read books before bedtime, and another for weekends.

There's also an option called Adaptive Adjustment, which when you turn it on, you use a light sensor to detect the time of day and the intensity of the light around you, and if it's dark, the blue filter will turn on automatically, even if you haven't set the exact time.

It's important to understand the difference between Classic Mode and Read Mode. Classic Mode just makes the screen yellow, and Read Mode can add texture to the paper and change the contrast of the fonts to simulate an e-book. Make sure you turn off the type of filtering that is bothering you at the moment.

Use of voice assistant and gestures

Today's Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with advanced voice control systems. You don't have to look for manual settings, but just ask the phone to change the screen settings. This is especially convenient when hands are busy or the phone is far away.

Activate Google Assistant or Xiao AI (depending on the region and firmware version). Say “Switch off reading mode” or “Turn off reading mode.” The system recognizes the request and immediately executes the action.

In addition to voice, you can use gestures. In some versions of the shell, you can assign an action to double tap on the back panel or to long press the power button. Check the Additional settings → Gestures and shortcuts section to see if you can associate the read mode switching to a physical action.

The use of voice commands may be limited to the interface language. If your phone is configured in Russian and you pronounce the command in English, the assistant may not understand the request if multilingual support is not configured.

Problems with the reading mode and their solution

Sometimes users encounter bugs when the read mode cannot be turned off by standard methods, or it turns on itself even after the schedule is turned off, this can be caused by a conflict of system processes or errors in updating the firmware.

One of the common causes of the function is the failure of the system application Settings or System UI>. In this case, it helps to clean the cache. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find Settings and click Clear cache. Do not confuse with cleaning the data, so as not to bring down other parameters.

Another reason is the work of third-party battery-saving or eye protection apps, which have a higher priority than system settings: Check the list of installed utilities and try to turn them off temporarily.

⚠️ Note: If the screen remains yellow even in safe mode, this may indicate physical degradation of the matrix or plume, rather than a software failure.

If the problem occurs after a system update, wait for the patch to come out or reset to factory settings (pre-backup), and newer versions of MIUI often contain minor errors that are fixed within a month of release.

The effect of reading on the battery and eyes

Whether or not to use the feature is an open question for many users, and reducing the blue component of the spectrum does help reduce eye fatigue when reading long-term text in the dark.

On the other hand, on AMOLED screens, which are used by most Xiaomi flagships, the use of warm filters can affect the operation of energy saving algorithms. Although there is no direct connection to battery discharge, the visual perception of brightness changes, and the user can instinctively twist the brightness higher, which leads to energy consumption.

For people with color impairments or those who are engaged in color correction of photos and videos, the constant use of reading mode is strongly discouraged, as it distorts the real picture, in such cases it is better to rely on a decrease in the overall brightness of the screen or the use of dark themes in applications.

• 🌙 Reduction of blue light helps to improve the production of melatonin before bedtime.
• 🎨 For designers and photographers, reading mode is contraindicated due to color distortion.
• 🔋 Direct effect on the speed of battery discharge function does not have.
• 👁️ Long-term use of warm filters can be addictive and a normal screen will seem too cold.

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Reading mode is a tool of comfort, not necessity, and use it situationally, mainly in the evening, so as not to disturb the perception of colors during the day.

So, completely disabling or properly configuring this feature depends solely on your individual habits and smartphone usage conditions.Knowing all the controls will allow you to keep the screen under full control.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)