Modern Xiaomi smartphones, working on the basis of shells MIUI Or the new HyperOS, which is often the default, and it's not just for aesthetics, but it's actually a dark interface that actually saves battery life. AMOLED-It's not easy for all users to work with black backgrounds, because in bright daylight, text contrast can decrease and colors may appear faded.
If you prefer a classic light interface or are faced with a situation where the system “hangs” in dark mode and does not want to switch back, you will need a clear instruction. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to turn off dark mode on Xiaomi, including standard settings, hidden developer options and forced change of parameters for individual applications.
It is worth noting that the algorithms of the theme work can vary depending on the version of the Android operating system and the specific modification of the shell. Sometimes a simple change of the switch in the menu does not give an instant result in all programs, which requires a deeper intervention in the display settings.
Standard shutdown via the settings menu
The most obvious and safe way to bring back a bright theme is to use the system’s regular menu. Xiaomi developers have put the design control in a prominent place so that the user can quickly adapt the interface to their preferences. First, you need to unlock the device screen and find the Settings icon, which usually looks like a gear.
Once you log in, you scroll down to the look section, and it can be called differently in different versions of the firmware, but the logic remains the same, and you need to find the Topic or Design item, where the main color scheme switches are located.
- 📱 Open the Settings app on the main screen.
- 🎨 Find the Topics section (in some versions it is called the Designing section).
- 🌗 Click on the Dark Mode switch to deactivate it.
- ✅ Select the Normal or Light Theme option from the list offered.
It's important to understand that once you've chosen a light theme, changes may not be immediately applicable to all running applications. Some programs require complete closure and re-run in order for the new design style to take effect. If you use third-party launchers, they may ignore system settings and require a separate configuration.
Scheduling and automation
Often users don't want to remove a dark theme forever, but only for a certain time of day. MIUI and HyperOS have a flexible toolkit to automate this process. You can set your smartphone to switch to light mode in the morning and return to dark evening, focusing on the time of sunset and sunrise.
To control this functionality, you need to go to the same theme settings, and you'll find a Schedule option, and when you activate it, you'll be able to set specific hours for dark backgrounds to be turned on and off, which is especially convenient for those who read from their phone before bed, but prefer bright colors during the day.
⚠️ Warning: If you have Power Savings mode on, the system can force a dark theme to activate regardless of your schedule settings. Check battery settings if the theme switch is behaving unpredictably.
And you also have to look at the light sensor, and some Xiaomi smartphones can tie the theme to the level of ambient light, so if you're in a dark room, the screen will turn black to keep your eyes off the radar, and when you go outside, the interface will be light for better readability.
💡
Use Automatic Time to allow dark theme to turn on after 20:00, saving the battery at night, but not disturbing during the day.
Managing a dark theme in individual applications
Sometimes there is a situation when a global theme is set to light, but a specific application (such as Telegram, WhatsApp or YouTube) continues to display a black background. This is because many modern programs have their own internal design settings that take precedence over the system.
To fix this, you need to go to the settings of the most problematic application, which is usually in the profile menu or in the Settings section inside the program, and look for the section related to Chats, General or Appearance.
Inside, you'll find a theme switch. If it's a default or a system-like setting, try changing it to Light, which will force the app to ignore system commands and display a white background.
☑️ Checking the application settings
Also worth remembering is the existence of special versions of applications, such as YouTube Go or Facebook Lite, which can have a simplified interface without supporting a dark theme, or, conversely, always work in it, in such cases, only finding an alternative client or updating the program to the latest version can help.
Special Opportunities and Color Inversion
There are cases where a user accidentally activates features for people with visual impairments, and the entire screen of the smartphone inverts or becomes black and white. This is not a theme, but a special feature mode, which is often confused with dark mode.
To solve this problem, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Special Features. Here you should carefully examine the list of active services. Often the culprit is the function Color Inversion or High Contrast Text.
If you find an active switch in this menu, just turn it off. The screen should immediately return normal colors. In some cases, hot clicks on the power or volume button are assigned to quickly access these functions, which leads to accidental activation.
| Function | Where to find out. | Screen impact |
|---|---|---|
| Dark subject matter | Settings → Themes | Change the background of applications to black |
| Color inversion | Special Opportunities → Vision | Changes colors to opposite colors (negative) |
| Reading mode | Settings → Screen | Makes the screen yellow (warm) |
| Monochrome regime | Special opportunities | Remove all colors, leaving only shades of gray |
Hidden codes for verification
Forced Disconnection through the Developer Menu
For advanced users who have encountered display bugs, it is possible to control a dark theme through the developer menu, which allows you to force the dark mode to be turned on or off even in applications that do not officially support it, or, conversely, block it.
To get to this menu, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the build number 7 times (MIUI Version). After the notification “You became a developer” appears, go back to the main settings menu, select Additional → For developers.
Inside the hidden settings list, look for the Design Topic (or Darken System UI) option, where you can choose to force on, turn off, or auto-mode, and the changes will take effect after the device is restarted.
⚠️ Warning: Do not change other options in the developer menu unless you are sure of their purpose.This can lead to system instability or data loss.
This is especially true for older versions of Android, where native support for dark theme didn’t work properly, but on modern versions of HyperOS, it’s better to use standard tools, because the system algorithms are already smart enough.
💡
The developer menu is a powerful tool, but only use it if the standard settings don’t help solve a dark topic problem.
Solving problems with third-party themes
If you've installed themes from GetThemes, they may have their own color-switching rules. Some author themes ignore the Light/Dark system switch and impose their own design.
In this case, you need to go back to the Themes app, go to the profile (human icon) and select My Themes, find a standard Classic or Default theme there and apply it, which will reset all the visual changes made by the third-party design.
Also check if you have a third-party launcher (desktop shell) that has its own dark theme.Programs like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher are managed independently of the system.
After returning to the standard theme, it is recommended to clear the cache of the Themes app. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Find Themes → Clear → Clear the cache. This will help eliminate possible display errors.