Dark mode in TikTok not only reduces the load on the eyes during evening scrolling, but also saves battery power on the body. AMOLED-However, many users are faced with the fact that the application ignores the system settings of the theme or offers to enable dark mode only through a paid subscription. There are at least 4 working ways to force night mode to be activated – and most don’t require root rights or a premium account.
In this article, we will discuss all available methods for enabling dark theme in TikTok on Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10/11 and other models with the MIUI 12-14 shell. Particular attention will be paid to the hidden MIUI settings that allow you to forcibly repaint the application even without support from developers, and you will learn why dark mode can suddenly turn off and how to fix it.
Why does TikTok not have a dark theme button?
Officially, TikTok only offers dark mode to users with a TikTok Pro subscription (formerly TikTok Plus), but even without a paid account, you can force the app to use the night palette thanks to the features of the MIUI and Android shell. Here are the key reasons why theme switching buttons may not be:
- 📱 Application version: In older builds (up to 28.5.0), the dark mode was hidden for most regions.
- 🌍 Regional restrictions: in some countries (e.g. India, Pakistan) the feature is available free of charge, while in Europe/US it is only by subscription.
- 🔄 Resetting settings: after updating MIUI or TikTok theme settings can be reset.
- 🖥️ Systemic conflicts: if in MIUI enabled Read Mode or Vision Protection, they can block dark mode in applications.
It's important to understand that TikTok uses dynamic theme definition -- the app checks not only Android settings, but also its own servers -- so even if you've turned on system-level dark mode, TikTok can ignore it, and we'll look at the solutions to this problem below.
Method 1: Enable via TikTok settings (official method)
If you're lucky enough to have a dark theme unlocked in your region, try turning it directly into the app. This method works on 50-60% of devices (depending on TikTok version and country).
- Open TikTok and tap the profile icon (bottom right).
- Press on. ⚙️ Settings and privacy (three lines at the top).
- Go to Content and Activity Settings → Dark Mode.
- Select Enable or Follow the system settings.
If there is no Dark Mode, then the feature is blocked for your account, in which case, move on to the following ways.
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Before changing your settings, close TikTok through the latest app menu (swipe up) – this will reset the cache and increase the chances of using a dark theme.
Method 2: Forced Enablement through MIUI settings
The MIUI shell allows you to force any application to darken even if it doesn't officially support this feature, and works on all Xiaomi Redmi devices with MIUI 12 and later.
- Open the Settings → Screen.
- Slip on Dark Mode.
- Activate the switch at the top and select Enable for all applications.
- Scroll down the list, find TikTok and turn on a dark topic for it.
If the TikTok interface is still light after these steps, try:
- 🔄 Restart the application (remove from the list of the latest ones).
- 📱 Reboot your smartphone.
- 🗑️ Clear TikTok cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management → TikTok → Clear the cache.
Update MIUI last-minute|Update TikTok to Google Play|Clear the app's cache|Reboot your smartphone-->
Method 3: Using Developer Mode (Hidden Method)
If the previous methods didn't work, you can try to force a dark theme to be enabled through the developer menu, which requires activation of hidden Android settings, but does not require root rights.
- Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version (you will be notified "You are a developer").
Settings
Additionally.
For developers
Forced to turn on the dark mode
Override force-dark
TikTok
⚠️ Note: This method may cause some interface elements to be displayed incorrectly (e.g. white text on a light background.
| Method | Root is required. | It's working at MIUI 12/13/14. | Possible bugs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official settings of TikTok | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | It does not work in most regions. |
| Compulsory regime at MIUI | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | There may be light elements left. |
| Developer Mode (Override Force-Dark) | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | Color distortion in some menus |
| ADB-command (see Method 4) | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | Resets after MIUI update |
Method 4: ADB-command for forced dark theme (advanced)
If you're ready to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can hard-wire TikTok's dark theme at the system level, and it works even where others are powerless.
- 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
- 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → For developers → Debugging by USB).
- 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
Step-by-step:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
- Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the adb folder.
- Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices (should display the serial number of your device).
- Execute the command to force the inclusion of dark theme: adb shell cmd uimode night yes
- For TikTok, additionally type in: adb shell am start -n com.zhiliaoapp.musically/com.zhiliaoapp.musically.activity.SplashActivity --es "theme" "dark"
- Restart the app.
⚠️ Attention: After update MIUI If you reset your settings, you'll have to redo it, and it might also conflict with some of the shell customizations (e.g., dark wallpaper in the wallpaper). MIUI 14).
What if the ADB can’t see the device?
Problem Solving: Why the Dark Theme Doesn't Work or Is Reset
Even after successful inclusion, TikTok’s dark mode can be unstable, spontaneously turning off, showing light elements, or returning to the standard theme altogether, and here are the main reasons and ways to eliminate them:
- 🔄 App update: TikTok can reset after the update, so the solution is to re-enable the dark theme in any of the ways described.
- 🌓 Automatic time switching: if in MIUI The dark theme schedule is enabled (e.g. 22:00 to 7:00), TikTok will follow it. → Screen. → Dark mode. → Schedule.
- 📱 Conflict with other settings: Vision Protection or Reading modes MIUI They can block dark theme. Turn them off in Settings. → Screen.
- 🗑️ Application cache: sometimes it is enough to clear the TikTok cache (Settings) → Annexes → TikTok → Clear the cache).
- 🔧 Resetting settings MIUI: If nothing helps, try resetting the theme settings to standard (Settings) → Screen. → Dark mode. → Drop it).
If the dark theme doesn’t work properly (for example, some elements remain light), try a combination of methods:
- Enable Forced Dark Mode in MIUI (Method 2).
- Activate Override Force-Dark in the Developer Settings (Method 3).
- Do it. ADB-team (Method 4).
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On devices with AMOLED-screens (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro)+, Redmi K50) Dark theme further saves up to 15-20% of battery life with long-term use of TikTok.
Alternative solutions: third-party applications and workarounds
If none of these methods worked, you can try workarounds, which are less reliable, but sometimes they help.
- 📱 Use of dark wallpaper: in MIUI 14 has a Super Wallpaper feature that automatically adjusts the color of the interface. Set the dark wallpaper in Settings → Wallpaper. → Super wallpaper.
- 🔍 Modified versions of TikTok: you can find it online APK with an unlocked dark theme (such as TikTok Mod), but it is not safe – the risk of blocking an account or data leakage.
- 🌙 Color inversion apps: Utilities like Dark Mode Enforcer or Night Mode can force colors to be inverted in TikTok, but this often breaks the video display.
- 📲 Web version of TikTok: open the mobile version of the site in the Chrome browser with the dark mode enabled (⋮ → Settings → Topics → Dark).
⚠️ Attention: Use of modified APK (TikTok Mod is a service-breaking tool that can lead to a ban on your account, and it often contains malicious code, so if you do that, download files only from trusted sources (such as APKMirror) and use antivirus.