Did you turn on a Xiaomi smartphone and instead of the usual bright desktop, you saw a dull, grayish screen? Or after the MIUI update, all the icons became as if covered with dark film? This is a common problem that users of Redmi, POCO and Mi devices face — from the budget Redmi Note 10 to the flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra. In 80% of cases, the screen darkening is not due to physical damage to the matrix, but is caused by software settings or shell features.
In this article, we will discuss all possible causes of the gray filter on the screen - from the reading mode turned on to the hardware limitations of the processor, as well as give step-by-step instructions for eliminating them. MIUI (12, 13, 14) and models with AMOLED-If you've tried to reboot your phone before and it didn't work, don't rush it to the service center. 95% Incidents of blackout are removed for 2-3 minutes through the settings menu.
1. Reading regime and vision protection: the most common cause
In 7 out of 10 cases, screen dimming on Xiaomi is caused by Reading Mode or Eye Comfort, which automatically add a yellowish or gray filter to reduce eye strain, but many users turn on them accidentally – for example, through the Quick Settings Panel or a timer.
To turn off reading mode:
- 📱 Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
- 🔍 Find the Read Mode icon and tap it. If there's no icon, click on your pencil and add it to the panel.
- ⚙️ To completely disable, go to Settings → Screen. → Reading mode and deactivate slider.
For the Eye Comfort function:
- 🌓 Open the Settings. → Screen. → Protection of vision.
- 🔄 Turn off the slider or set the schedule if the filter is turned on automatically by time.
- 🎨 Check the filter intensity – sometimes it is enough to reduce it to the level of the filter. 20-30%, The screen will stop looking dirty".
Important! On some models (e.g. POCO F3 or Redmi K40), the read mode can be activated automatically when the battery is low (less than 15%) – this is a feature of energy saving. Check the battery settings in Settings → Battery → Power saving mode.
2. Energy saving regimes and productivity limitations
If the dimming occurs after a MIUI update or when the battery is dead, the Ultra Battery Saver mode may be to blame, in which the system not only limits the background activity of applications, but also forcibly reduces the brightness of the screen by adding a gray filter to save charge.
How to turn it off:
- Open the Settings. → Battery.
- Put it on "Energy Saving Mode."
- Select "Switch off" or switch to "Balanced" mode.
- If the option is not available, plug in the charger: on some models (Redmi 9A, POCO M3), the super-saving mode is blocked at a charge level below 10%.
Super-savings mode is disabled
The brightness of the screen is set to maximum
Automatic brightness control is disabled
Power of the processor is not limited (in the developer settings)-->
On devices with Snapdragon 4xx/6xx processors (such as the Redmi Note 11 or POCO X3 Pro), dimming can occur due to thermal throttling - when the system forcibly reduces performance and brightness when overheated. Check the temperature of the phone through the CPU Monitor app or the built-in Settings menu → About the phone → System Status.
How to check the temperature of the processor without third-party applications?
3. Dark theme and contrast settings
MIUI It offers a number of dark theme options, and some of them can create a cloudy screen effect. AMOLED-Xiaomi 12 Pro, Redmi K50), where black is displayed as deep, but gray shades may look blurry.
To return the normal display:
- 🌑 Go to Settings. → Screen. → Dark subject matter.
- 🔄 Try switching between options: "Dark" is a classic black background; "AMOLED" — Optimized for organic screens; "contrast" - enhanced blackness (can give a gray hue).
- 🎨 In the same menu, check the settings "Color scheme" - sometimes choosing the option "Saturated" instead of "Standard" removes the gray plaque.
In the models with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T or Redmi K60) The darkening may be related to the function DC Dimming, which reduces screen flicker at low brightness, turns off in Settings. → Screen. → Brightness adjustment → DC Dimming.
| Xiaomi model | Screen type | Possible cause of blackout | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ | AMOLED, 120Hz | DC Dimming or Reading Mode | Disable in screen settings |
| POCO X5 Pro | AMOLED, 90 Hz. | Dark subject "Contrast" | Change to "AMOLED" |
| Redmi 10C | IPS LCD, 60 Hz | Energy saving regime | Disable in battery settings |
| Xiaomi 13 Ultra | AMOLED, 120Hz | Automatic Color Temperature | Put "Cold" in the display settings |
4. Reset screen settings to factory
If the dimming remains even after all filters are turned off, try resetting the screen settings.This will return factory brightness, color temperature and contrast without losing personal data.
Instructions:
- Open the Settings → Screen.
- Scroll down and select Reset Screen Settings (on some models, the option is called Reset Default Settings).
- Confirm action. The phone will reboot automatically.
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If the dimming disappeared after reset, but then returned, check the automatic schedules in the Reading and Vision Protection settings. Sometimes they are turned on by time (for example, from 22:00 to 7:00).
On devices with root rights or custom firmware (such as Xiaomi.EU), the dimming may be caused by incorrect kernel settings.
- 🔧 Installation of a standard core through TWRP;
- 📱 Resetting all settings to factory (Settings) → Additionally. → Recovery and discharge);
- 🔄 Phone flashing via Mi Flash Tool (power users only!).
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Resetting screen settings is the safest way to return factory color reproduction without the risk of data loss.If it didn't work, the problem could be hardware (e.g., detachment of the display plume).
5. Hardware causes: when the "iron" is to blame
If the software methods do not work, the screen dimming may be caused by physical malfunctions:
⚠️ Attention! If the screen becomes dim after a phone drops or moisture gets in, don't try to disassemble the device yourself - this can cause the display to fail completely.
Common hardware causes:
- 🔌 Display plume detachment is a common problem after changing the screen or falling.Symptoms: dimming occurs when the phone is tilted or pressed on the body.
- 💡 Backlight failure: The screen remains visible under bright light, but dims in the dark. IPS-matrix 2-3 service.
- 🔋 Screen power controller malfunction - dimming is accompanied by flickering or stripes. Requires replacement of motherboard.
For diagnosis:
- Connect your phone to your computer and check if the blackout is displayed on the screen recordings (via Scrcpy or the built-in Screen Recording feature).
- Try to start your phone in Safe Mode (hold the power button → “Reboot Safe Mode”). If the dimming is left, it’s a hardware problem.
6. MIUI Update and firmware: if a bug is in the system
Some versions of MIUI (especially 13.0.4–13.0.6) had a bug that left the screen gray after locking or rebooting. Xiaomi fixed the issue in subsequent updates, but if your phone hasn't updated in a long time, that could be the reason.
How to update firmware:
- 🔄 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system.
- 📥 If you have an update, download it and install it. MIUI 14.0.3 and higher.
- 🔧 If the update doesn’t help, try to roll back to the previous version via the Mi Flash Tool (instructions are available on the forum). 4PDA).
For devices with unlocked bootloader:
- 📦 Download the latest fastboot firmware for your model from Xiaomi Firmware.
- 🖥️ Install Mi Flash Tool on PC and run your phone clean all.
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Before you firmware, back up your data via Settings → Additional → Backup or Mi Cloud. Updating through Recovery (without data cleanup) is safer than through Fastboot.