Xiaomi's smartphone screen is too dim even at maximum settings? Or does automatic brightness control work incorrectly, causing you to squint in the sun? The problem is familiar to many owners of devices on MIUI - from budget Redmi to flagship Xiaomi 13/14. In this article, we will analyze not only basic methods of increasing brightness, but also little-known tricks that the manufacturer does not advertise.
It's important to understand that screen brightness is not only affected by software settings, but also by hardware constraints, AMOLED-displays in Xiaomi 12 Pro models or POCO F5 Physically capable of producing up to 1500 nits of brightness, while the budget Redmi Note 11 with IPS-It's rarely more than 500 nits, but even within these constraints, you can optimize the display.
1. Standard brightness setting in MIUI
To start with the obvious, check if you missed the basics. In MIUI 14 (and newer versions), the path to brightness settings has changed, and it's now hidden deeper than in the old firmware. Here's how to get there:
- Quick access: swipe down from top to bottom to open the notification bar. Find the brightness slider (usually to the right of the flashlight icon). If it's not there, tap the icon "⚙️" (gear) in the upper right corner of the panel and add the element manually.
- Through settings, go to Settings → Display → Brightness. You can adjust both manual adjustment and adaptive brightness.
Pay attention to two key parameters:
- 🔄 Adaptive brightness: if it's on, the system adjusts the lighting itself to the lighting. Sometimes the curve is running, turn it off for the test.
- 🌞 Maximum brightness in sunny weather: option available on models with AMOLED (for example, Xiaomi 13T). Increases peak brightness to 1000+ thread.
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If the slider is locked at a minimum, check if Reading or Eye Comfort is on in the display settings, which force the backlight to be reduced.
2. Hidden brightness settings through the engineering menu
For advanced users, MIUI has a hidden engineering menu where you can fine-tune display settings, including real maximum brightness that is above standard values in the interface, which works on most models, but requires caution.
Instructions for entry:
- Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##36446337###
- Select Hardware Testing → Display → Brightness.
- In the Max Brightness field, set the value 255 (often 204 or 191) by default.
⚠️ Note: Not all models support this option. on some devices (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) the engineering menu may be missing or blocked, and it is not recommended to set a value above 255, which may cause the matrix to overheat.
What to do if the engineering menu is not opened?
3. Optimization through display modes
MIUI offers several preset display profiles that affect not only color reproduction but also perceived brightness, such as Live Colors visually makes the picture "juicier", which subjectively increases contrast.
How to set up:
- Go to Settings → Display → Color mode.
- Choose one of the options: 🎨 Living colors - maximum saturation (suitable for AMOLED). ☀️ Standard – Balance between brightness and realism. 🌙 For reading, it reduces brightness and blue light (not suitable for our task).
In the models with AMOLED-displays (e.g., Xiaomi) 12S Ultra) is also available in Dolby Vision, which dynamically adjusts brightness depending on the content. → Display. → Dolby Vision.
4. Problems with the illumination sensor and their solution
If the brightness spontaneously changes or the screen remains dim despite manual settings, the light sensor may be to blame. It is located next to the front camera and often gets polluted or fails.
How to diagnose and correct:
- 🧹 Clean the sensor: wipe the area around the front chamber with an alcohol tampon. Dust and greasy marks interfere with proper operation.
- 🔧 Sensor calibration: Enter in the phone app: ##6484## Select Manual Test → Compare current values with reference values (for example, in bright light should be >10,000 lux).
Disabling adaptive brightness
⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) The light sensor is physically absent, and in this case, the adaptive brightness is running on a time-of-day algorithm, which often fails.
5. Software methods of increasing brightness
If you've run out of hardware, you can use third-party utilities that don't increase the physical brightness of the array, but they improve the perceived contrast by processing the image.
Top.-3 apps:
| Annex | Functional | Suitable for | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lux Auto Brightness | Fine adjustment of the adaptive brightness curve, manual control of backlighting | All models on MIUI | Requires root for full functionality |
| Screen Filter | Expose a dark/light filter, increasing contrast | Budget models with dim screens | Deteriorating color reproduction |
| Night Light | Color temperature adjustment (can visually "lighten" the screen) | Models without AMOLED | The subjective effect |
⚠️ Note: Apps like Lux Auto Brightness may conflict with system services MIUI, Before installation, create a restore point in Settings. → The phone. → Backup.
Backup display settings | Check compatibility reviews with your Xiaomi | Turn off adaptive brightness in MIUI| Install the app from an official source (Google Play)
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6. Hardware restrictions: when nothing helps
If you’ve tried all the techniques but the screen is still dim, the problem may lie in:
- 🔋 Wear of illumination: in IPS-LEDs degrade over time, typical for devices older than 3 years.
- 🛠️ Display plume malfunctions: after falls or repairs, contacts may oxidize.
- 📉 Firmware limitations: some global versions MIUI artificially lower the maximum brightness (for example, to comply with European standards).
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On AMOLED models (Xiaomi 12/13/14, POCO F4/F5), screen dimness is often associated with degradation of organic LEDs, in which case only a replacement of the matrix will help - no software methods will return the original brightness.
7. Specific settings for gamers and photographers
If you use Xiaomi for games or shooting, standard brightness settings may not be enough, for example, in games like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile, not only brightness is important, but local lighting (for AMOLED) is also important.
Optimization for games:
- 🎮 Game Turbo Mode: Included in Settings → Special facilities → Game Turbo. Among the options are to improve the brightness in games.
- 🔍 Setting up HDR: in certain games (for example, PUBG Mobile can be manually enabled HDR-rendering that visually increases contrast.
For photographers:
- 📸 Viewfinder Brightness: In the Camera app, go to Settings → Additionally. → Brightness of the screen when shooting and set the maximum value.
- 🌅 Sunlight mode: available on flagships (Xiaomi 13 Ultra) and increases the brightness of the screen to 1900 nits when shooting outdoors.