How to remove a dark theme on the Xiaomi phone: all the ways and nuances

Why a dark topic can get in the way, and when to turn it off

Dark mode on Xiaomi smartphones has become a standard feature with the release of MIUI 10, but not all users like it.Some prefer the classic light interface because of habit, some complain of eye fatigue with prolonged use, and some dark theme simply automatically turns on at night and knocks down the settings of the application. This is especially true for owners of models Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or Xiaomi 13, where MIUI aggressively imposes dark mode on the schedule.

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to disable a dark theme, from basic settings to hidden developer settings, and how to prevent applications from ignoring system settings (for example, YouTube or Telegram often switch on their own) and what to do if after updating MIUI The theme is reset. We'll focus on the nuances for older models. 9A, Mi A3) and custom-built devices.

Before you start, check the MIUI version: go to Settings → About → About Phone → MIUI version. This depends on the availability of certain features. For example, MIUI 14+ has a separate dark theme switch in the Quick Settings panel, but MIUI 12 does not.

Method 1: Disconnecting through the basic settings of the phone

The easiest method is to use the standard settings menu, which is suitable for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models on MIUI 12 and later.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Screen section (or Display on some firmware).
3. Tapping on Dark Theme (in MIUI 15 it can be called Dark Theme Mode).
4. Move the slider to the off position. or select the Light option.

If you have MIUI 13/14, you can set up automatic schedule switching or link the theme to sunset/dawn time to completely disable automatic change:

• 🔄 In the same menu, click the Schedule.
• 🚫 Select No or turn off the option automatically.
• ⏰ If you need to leave a schedule but adjust the time, set fixed hours (for example, from 22:00 to 7:00).

After this, MIUI and the system theme-supporting apps (like Google Chrome or Gallery) should switch to light mode. If the changes don't apply immediately, restart your phone.

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On some models (e.g. POCO F4), a separate dark theme switch has been added to the Quick Settings panel, swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Dark Theme icon to quickly turn it on/off.

Method 2: Configure through the control panel (MIUI 14+)

In the latest versions of MIUI, developers have added a handy switch right into the notification bar, which allows you to change the theme in two taps without going into the settings.

1. Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Swipe down again to deploy the full Quick Settings panel.
3. Find the Dark Theme icon (usually a crescent or dark half circle).
4. Slap it once - the topic will change to bright.

If the icon is not in the main panel:

• 🔧 Click on the pencil icon (or Edit) in the upper right corner of the panel.
• 🔍 Scroll through the list of available tiles and find a dark theme.
• 📍 Drag it to the active area (usually the top of the screen).

This is especially useful if you often switch themes based on lighting, for example, you can use a light theme during the day and a dark theme in the evening without going into the settings.

Method 3: Disabling a dark theme for individual applications

Even after disabling a dark theme at the system level, some applications can ignore the settings and remain dark, because MIUI allows applications to use their own theme settings to force them to light mode:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose an app that doesn’t change the topic (like YouTube or Telegram).
3. Slip on the item Dark theme (or display style).
4. Choose Light or As in the system.

If there is no such item, then the application does not support forced change of the topic through MIUI.

• 🔎 Check the settings of the application itself (usually in the Design or Appearance section).
• 📱 Remove the app cache: Settings → Annexes → [Name of name] → Memory. → Clear the cache.
• 🔄 Reinstall the app (sometimes helps reset the theme settings).

Especially often problems arise with Google applications (for example, Gmail or Google Play Store), as they monitor the system settings of Android, not MIUI.

1. Open Google Settings (in the list of all apps).
2. Go to Dark Theme.
3. Select Unplugged.

Method 4: Reset theme settings to factory (if nothing helps)

If the dark theme persists or resets after the reboot, there may have been a failure in the MIUI settings, in which case resetting the theme to factory settings will help, and this will not delete your data, but will return all visual settings to default.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode (if not already activated).
3. Return to the main settings menu and select Additional → For developers.
4. Scroll down and find Reset theme settings (or Reset theme settings).
5. Confirm the reset.

After that, the phone will reboot and all the theme settings (including fonts, wallpaper and color schemes) will return to standard, which helps in 90% of cases when a dark theme is stuck due to software errors.

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Resetting the theme settings does not affect personal data (photos, contacts, messages), but will return wallpaper, icon style and system sounds to default.

If that doesn’t work, the last option is a complete reset (but this is an extreme measure, since all data is deleted).Be sure to back up through Settings → Additional → Backup before doing so.

Problem Solving: The Dark Theme Includes on Its Own

One of the most common complaints of Xiaomi users is that the dark theme is automatically turned on despite manual shutdown.

If the problem persists, check to see if the phone has third-party themes installed from the MIUI Theme Store. Some themes have built-in dark mode settings that conflict with the system ones.

1. Open the Themes app (brush icon on the home screen).
2. Go to My subjects.
3. Find an active theme and click Delete.
4. Go back to the standard MIUI theme.

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If the interface becomes ugly after removing the theme (for example, the icons have changed color), reboot the phone - MIUI will restore the standard styles.

Features for older models (MIUI 11 and below)

On devices with MIUI 11 and older (e.g. Redmi Note 8, Mi 9), the dark theme settings interface may be different. There is no separate switch in the notification bar, and some features are hidden deeper in the menu.

1. Open the settings → Screen → Brightness.
2. At the bottom of the screen, look for Dark Theme (may be called Night Mode).
3. Turn off the slider or select Off.

On some of the firmware for Xiaomi 2019-2020 release, the dark theme is tied to read mode to completely disable it:

• 📖 Go to Settings. → Screen. → Reading mode.
• 🔄 Turn off the option to automatically turn on in the dark.
• 🌓 Make sure that in the settings → Battery and productivity → Saving charge not activated mode Dark theme while saving.

If you have Xiaomi with Android One (like Mi A3), then the dark theme is customized through the standard Android settings:

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Choose Dark Theme.
3. Turn it off or set up a schedule.

Additional Advice and Warnings

When working with the dark theme settings on Xiaomi, you should consider several important nuances to avoid unexpected problems:

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO X3, Redmi Note 10 forced dark theme to be turned off ADB (Developer tool) can cause a failure in the work MIUI Do not use the adb shell commands to change themes unless you are confident in your actions.

If you are actively using the charge saving mode, check its settings:

• 🔋 B Settings → Battery and productivity → Saving charge can be the option Dark theme, which is turned on automatically at low charge.
• 📉 Turn it off if you don’t want the theme to change when the battery is low.

For owners of Xiaomi with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi 12, Redmi) K50) Remember that dark theme on these displays saves battery life. If autonomy is critical for you, you might want to leave the dark mode and adjust it to suit you (for example, reduce brightness or turn it off for individual applications).

⚠️ Attention: After update MIUI Dark theme settings may reset. Always check them after installing a new firmware, especially if you use beta versions.

If you often experience dark theme issues, consider installing an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair) that allows you to flexibly customize your design regardless of the system settings of MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off dark themes on Xiaomi