How to remove the night theme on Xiaomi: all ways for MIUI 12, 13, 14 and 15

Dark mode on Xiaomi smartphones has become standard with the release of MIUI 10, but not all users like it. Some complain about eye fatigue from a black background, some uncomfortable reading text on dark wallpaper, and some simply prefer the classic light interface. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to turn off the night theme, from basic settings to hidden developer settings.

It’s important to understand that MIUI offers two types of dark mode: system mode (affects menus and native apps) and applications (works on Google Chrome, Telegram and other programs).We’ll show you how to deactivate both options. We’ll also look at cases where a night theme is automatically turned on on on a schedule or due to a glitch in settings – this requires a separate approach.

If you recently updated your firmware and notice that the interface has gone dark without your consent, don’t panic. Most likely, the problem is with new power saving or adaptive lighting. All the solutions in this article work on Redmi Note 10/11/12, Poco X3/X4/X5, Mi 11/12/13 and other devices with MIUI 12-15.

1. Standard Disconnection through theme settings

The easiest way to bring back the light interface is to use the built-in MIUI settings, which works on 90% of Xiaomi devices and does not require superuser rights.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to Screen → Dark Theme (or Dark Theme Mode in newer versions).
3. Move the slider to the off position. or select Light in the list of options.
4. Confirm the changes by clicking Ready or Apply.

If after this action, some apps (like Google Chrome or YouTube) remain dark, it’s normal, they use their own theme settings, which you’ll have to disable separately (we’ll talk about this in the next section).

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI 14+ Dark theme option may be hidden in Settings → Additionally. → Special facilities → Color and contrast. If you don't find a section in the Screen menu, check this path.

For the Poco F3/F4/F5 and Redmi K40/K50 models with custom firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu), an additional step may be required: once the theme is turned off, reboot the device by holding the power button and selecting Reboot (not shut down!).

2. disable dark mode in individual applications

Even after the system night theme is deactivated, some programs can still keep a black background, because Android 10+ allows apps to ignore global settings and use their own settings.

• 🌐 Google Chrome: Open the menu (three dots) → Settings → Topics → Choose Light or Default.
• 📺 YouTube: Slip on the avatar → Settings → General. → Appearance → Bright topic.
• 💬 Telegram: Settings (three lines) → Appearance → Choose a day or create your own theme.
• 📱 Mi Fit/Zepp: Profile → Settings → Interface. → Take the box off the dark topic.

For apps where there is no explicit opt-out option (like TikTok or Instagram), try the following trick:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose the appropriate app (such as Instagram).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. Restart the program – sometimes it resets the theme to factory settings.

💡

If the app persists in dark, check to see if it is power-saving, and some programs (like Facebook) automatically switch to night theme when battery optimizations are activated.

3. Automatic turn on schedule: how to cancel

One of the common reasons for spontaneously turning on a dark topic is an automatic schedule that is activated by time of day or level of light, to fix this:

1. Go to Settings → Screen → Dark theme.
2. Slip on the schedule (or Automatic turn on).
3. Choose No or Off.
4. If you have an option Adaptive lighting, turn it off.

On some devices (such as Xiaomi 12T or Redmi Note 11 Pro+), the schedule may be hidden behind additional settings.

Settings → Additional → Special features → Color and contrast → Automatic theme

Also check the Google Assistant settings – it sometimes override MIUI settings:

• Open the Google app.
• Tap the avatar. → Settings → Google Assistant.
• Select Devices → Your Smartphone → Personalization.
• Turn off the option Adaptive Theme.

⚠️ Warning: If the theme is still turned on at night after the schedule is turned off, check the Mi Home app (if installed).It can sync settings with other Xiaomi devices in the ecosystem (for example, with Yeelight lamps), which leads to a conflict of parameters.

4. Reset theme settings to factory

If previous methods didn’t work, there may have been a failure in the MIUI configuration files, in which case resetting the theme settings without losing data will help:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find All Options or Additional (you may need to tap 5-7 times on the MIUI version to unlock hidden options).
3. Select Resetting → Resetting interface settings.
4. Confirm the action (password or pattern lock may be required).

This procedure will return to the factory settings:

• 🎨 Color scheme of the interface (including dark theme).
• 📱 Wallpaper and icon style.
• 🔊 Sound circuits and vibrations.

Application data, photos and files will remain intact. After reset, we recommend that you immediately go to Settings → Screen and manually select a Light Theme to avoid re-enabled automatically.

5. Advanced Methods: ADB and Developer Parameters

If standard methods don't work, we can use tools for developers, which requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and basic knowledge of working with ADB.

First, activate the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version (you will be notified "You became a developer").
3. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional → for developers.

Now connect your phone to your PC and execute the commands:

adb shell settings put secure ui_night_mode 1 # Includes light theme (1 = light, 2 = dark)


adb shell settings put secure ui_night_mode_custom_time 0 # Disables schedule

For models with MIUI 14+, an additional command may be required:

adb shell cmd uimode night no

💡

If the theme has not changed after completing the commands, restart the device manually, and check if the antivirus (e.g. Mi Security) blocks changes in system settings.

An alternative method is available for root-right users via file editing /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db. However, this method is risky and can cause system malfunctions, so we do not recommend it without an urgent need.

6. Features for different versions of MIUI

The interface and location of dark theme settings may vary depending on the firmware version.

• 📱 MIUI 12: Dark Theme Settings are in Settings → Screen. → Dark theme. You can set schedules and exceptions for individual applications here.
• 🔄 MIUI 13: Added the option Adaptive backlight, which automatically adjusts the theme depending on the lighting.
• 🆕 MIUI 14: Theme settings moved to Settings → Additionally. → Special facilities → Color and contrast. There's a color filter that can mimic a dark theme.
• 🛠️ MIUI 15 (Beta): In test builds, a dark theme may be forced to turn on due to errors in the energy saving algorithm, in which case only a rollback to a stable version will help.

For HyperOS devices (the new shell from Xiaomi, which replaced MIUI in 2026), the process of turning off the dark theme is similar, but the menu can be called Settings → Personalization → Themes. HyperOS also has an Adaptive Color feature that should be turned off along with the night theme.

💡

On devices with MIUI 14+, check the "Special Features" section before turning off the dark theme, and here you can activate "Color Filter" or "Color Inversion" that mimic night mode.

⚠️ Note: Some of the firmware for Poco F4 GT redmi K50 Gaming dark theme can be tightly tied to Game Turbo's game mode. To turn it off, go to Settings. → Special facilities → Game Turbo → Visual effects and deactivate the Dark Theme option in games.

7.If nothing helps: radical measures

In rare cases, a dark theme can be embedded in firmware at the system application level.

• 📦 Preliminary assemblies MIUI (For example, Developer ROM).
• 🔧 Custom firmware (such as LineageOS or Pixel Experience).
• 📱 Devices with damaged partitions /system or /vendor.

In such situations, only a complete reset to factory settings or flashing the device will help.

1. Back up your data via Mi Cloud or TWRP.
2. Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
3. Use the Mi Flash Tool for clean installation (select the Clean All option).

For users who don’t want to lose data, an alternative is to install a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair), which allows you to redefine the system theme and force the light interface to be installed.

FAQ: Frequent questions