Xiaomi’s modern smartphones have bright and rich displays that are certainly pleasing to the eye when viewing content, but prolonged interaction with such an abundance of colors can tire your eyes. Many users face the need to reduce eye strain, especially in the evening or when reading a large amount of text, and for this, monochrome display mode is ideal. Translating the screen into black and white mode is not just an aesthetic solution, but also an effective way of digital detoxification, which reduces dependence on bright notifications.
MIUI and its new version of HyperOS have built-in functionality that allows you to change color reproduction without installing third-party applications. This solution works at the system level, ensuring stable operation of the interface, settings menu and all installed programs. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to make a phone black and white Xiaomi using the standard tools available to each owner of the device.
Why to Transform Xiaomi’s Screen to Black and White
The main reason for switching to monochrome gamut is eye health, because blue and high color saturation cause fatigue, and when you remove color, your brain stops responding to bright social media icons as stimuli that require immediate attention, which helps reduce stress and focus on content rather than the form of information.
In addition, some users note that on screens like AMOLED with black and white mode enabled, there are savings in battery life, although it is not dramatic.The lack of bright color transitions makes the interface more strict and minimalist, which is especially appreciated in the work environment. It is important to understand that digital balance is a tool that helps control the time spent on a smartphone.
The use of monochrome mode is also recommended for people with increased sensitivity to light or certain visual impairments. In such cases, standard brightness settings may not be sufficient and a deeper change in color reproduction is required. Xiaomi system provides flexible settings to adapt the device to the individual needs of the user.
Activation of the shade mode through screen settings
The easiest and fastest way to change the color scheme of the display is in the standard system settings menu. First, you need to unlock the device and find the Settings application, which is usually located on the home screen or in the folder with system utilities.
In the menu that opens, you'll find the Screen or Display item, where you'll find all the brightness, refresh rate, and color temperature options. Inside this section, look for an option that might be called Shades Mode, Color Scheme, or Read Mode depending on the firmware version. This is where the switch between the standard is made. RGB-monochrome-representation.
☑️ Check before changing the settings
Once the switch is activated, the screen will instantly turn black (or yellow) white, which can initially cause an unusual sensation.The system will prompt you to choose the intensity of the effect or the type of filter if such an option is available in your version of MIUI. Don't be afraid to experiment with sliders, since all changes are applied in real time and do not require rebooting the device.
⚠️ Note: After you turn on the shade mode, some photos or videos may be displayed incorrectly, losing their color gamut, so it is better to temporarily turn off the setting to view media content.
Using Read Mode for Monochrome Display
An alternative and often more convenient way to make Xiaomi’s screen black and white is to use a dedicated read mode, which was originally designed to comfortably consume text content, but can be adapted for continuous use throughout the system. Unlike the global color scheme change, this method often offers softer transitions and additional filters.
To activate this feature, go to Settings and select Screen, then look for Read Mode, and you will be asked to turn on the feature and adjust its parameters, such as contrast level and color temperature, you can choose the option that makes the image completely black and white, or leave a light sepia shade, which is less tedious for the eyes.
One of the key features of this mode is the ability to customize applications for which it will be activated automatically. You can add browsers, e-books and news aggregators to the list, leaving messengers and gallery in color mode, which provides a balance between reading comfort and full use of multimedia capabilities of the smartphone.
Secret read mode settings
It is important to note that reading mode can affect performance when switching between applications, as the system requires a resource to process the color filter on the fly. On older Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, this can lead to micro-latency when scrolling pages. If you notice a significant drop in performance, it is recommended to return to standard display mode.
Setup through the Developer Menu
For users who are looking for deeper control of the system, there are hidden features in the developer menu.This section is designed to debug applications, but contains a number of useful features for fine-tuning the interface, including simulating color blindness. Activating this mode allows you to make the screen completely monochrome at the hardware level.
To access these settings, you must first unlock the developer menu by going to Settings → About Phone and quickly clicking 7 times on the MIUI Version or OS Version. After a successful activation message appears, go back to the main settings menu, open Advanced Settings and select For Developers. In the long list of options, find the section related to hardware acceleration or rendering.
Inside the developer menu, you should find the option Simulation of color space anomalies (or a similar name, for example, Simulate color space). By default, it is the value Unplugged, but clicking will open a list of options where you need to choose Monochrome or Grayscale. The screen will immediately turn black.--This change will affect all interface elements without exception.
| Setup parameter | Standard regimen | Developer mode | Reading mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impact on the battery | Basic | Minimum | Medium (filtration) |
| Quality of flowers | Complete (RGB) | Missing (Grayscale) | Depends on the filter. |
| Difficulty activating | Low. | Tall. | Medium |
| Reboot. | Not required | Not required | Not required |
Using a color space simulation through a developer menu is the most radical method that guarantees 100% monochrome image, but it’s worth considering that resetting the phone to factory settings can return this setting to its original state, and the procedure will have to be repeated, a reliable way for those who want to completely eliminate color from their digital experience.
Automation and regime planning
MIUI provides powerful automation tools that allow you to switch between color and black and white on a schedule, especially if you want to use a monochrome screen only at certain hours, such as at night or while you are working.
To implement this feature, you can use the built-in Security application or the standard Task Planner tool. In the reading or screen settings, the Schedule option is often found, where you can specify the start and end times of the monochrome filter. You can set the settings for setting the mode with sunset or at a fixed time, for example, from 22:00 to 07:00.
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Use automation scenarios to enable black and white mode simultaneously with Do Not Disturb mode to create ideal sleep and rest conditions.
There is also the option of creating scripts through the Google Assistant app or third-party automation utilities if Xiaomi's built-in functionality isn't enough. You can set up a trigger that will switch the shade mode when you run certain apps or when the light level determined by the light sensor decreases, which makes smartphone use more intelligent and adaptive.
⚠️ Warning: When setting up automatic on, make sure the alarm and important notifications don’t become less noticeable due to loss of color indication, which can lead to missing important events.
Possible problems and solutions
Despite the ease of customization, users may encounter a number of problems when switching Xiaomi phones to black and white. One common situation is that gradients are not displayed correctly or artifacts appear on the screen, often due to the peculiarities of the application, which does not have time to adapt to the changing color scheme of the system.
If you notice that after the mode is turned on, the phone starts to run slower or heat up, try turning off hardware acceleration in the developer settings or reduce the graphics quality in heavy applications. In some cases, the problem is solved by updating the system to the current version of MIUI or HyperOS, where color profiles are optimized. Rebooting the device also often helps to reset temporary rendering errors.
Another problem may be the inability to distinguish between certain interface elements that differed only in color mode, in such cases it is recommended to temporarily increase contrast or enable color inversion if such an option is available in the special features section, which will help to maintain the availability of the interface even in monochrome display conditions.
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If black and white is causing discomfort or performance issues, you can always roll back changes quickly through the same menu where they were activated.
Effects on eye health and productivity
Switching to a black-and-white interface isn't just a technical experiment, it's a conscious step toward digital minimalism. Research shows that the lack of bright colors reduces the brain's dopamine response to notifications, making smartphone use less addictive, and you stop flipping through the tape aimlessly because it no longer looks attractive and bright.
Also, the decrease in brightness and color saturation has a positive effect on circadian rhythms, especially if you use your phone before bedtime. Eyes are less tired, and the process of falling asleep is faster and easier. For people who spend a lot of time reading documents or books on Xiaomi, this is an escape from headaches and eye pain.
But remember that the complete absence of color can make it difficult to work with some types of content, such as maps or photos, so the most sensible approach is to use the flexible modes: turn on monochrome for text and social networks, and return to color mode for multimedia, which allows you to maintain productivity without sacrificing the functionality of the device.