How to turn on black and white mode on Android Xiaomi

Modern smartphones, especially bright ones AMOLED-screens that are equipped with Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, The constant glow of the blue spectrum and the high contrast of color spots cause rapid eye fatigue, headache and can even disrupt circadian rhythms, interfering with normal sleep.

Turning on black and white mode (grayscale) on Xiaomi Android is not just an aesthetic experiment, but an effective tool for digital hygiene. Translating the interface into a monochrome look significantly reduces the attractiveness of applications for the brain, which helps to combat addiction to social networks and reduces the amount of time spent on a smartphone.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to activate this mode, from standard system functions to hidden engineering menus. You will learn how to configure automatic scripts and what hidden opportunities MIUI provides for comfortable use of the gadget without unnecessary colors.

Why You Need a Monochrome Mode and How It Works

The principle of grayscale is to programmatically redistribute color channels. Android compulsively turns all output images into shades of gray, completely ignoring information about saturation and color tone (hue).

The main purpose of this setup on Xiaomi devices is to reduce visual noise. Bright red notifications and yellow icons attract attention and stimulate the release of dopamine, forcing you to return to the screen again and again. By removing color, you make the interface boring for the subconscious, which contributes to a healthier attitude to the gadget.

⚠️ Note: Black and white screens can make some applications (such as navigators or photo editors) uncomfortable to use, as the color coding of routes or layers will disappear.

Also, on AMOLED-type screens, often used in Mi and Redmi Note flagships, the lack of bright white and color glow of pixels can slightly extend battery life, which is because the pixel simply turns off to display black without consuming energy.

Activation of Reading Mode in Standard Settings

The easiest and safest way to get a black and white picture on Xiaomi is to use the built-in Read Mode feature, which unlike third-party applications, is deeply integrated into the MIUI or HyperOS shell and does not require superuser rights.

To activate, you need to go to the settings menu. Find the Screen or Display section, then select Read Mode. Here the system will suggest turning on the function and adjusting its parameters. You can choose to switch to full b/b or leave light warm shades, which is also good for the eyes.

It's important to note that in modern firmware versions, the filter algorithm has become smarter, and the system can analyze the contents of the screen and apply the filter selectively, without affecting it!

However, for full grayscale, it is better to choose the classic version without warm tones.

Using Digital Well-Being to Limit Colors

Google has implemented powerful controls in its services, which are available on all Xiaomi certified smartphones.The Digital Well-Being feature allows you to enable monochrome mode on schedule or manually, which is a great alternative to standard screen settings.

To activate this option, go to Settings → Digital Well-being → Sleep Mode (or “Rest Time”), where you can set a time interval, for example, from 22:00 to 07:00, during which the screen will automatically turn black and white, which is ideal for those who want to improve sleep hygiene.

The advantage of this method is its versatility: settings are synchronized with your Google account, so when you change your device to another Android smartphone, your preferences will be preserved. In addition, this mode often takes precedence over the theme settings, forcibly discoloring the interface.

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Use the shortcut in the notification curtain to quickly switch to Rest Time to instantly switch your phone to B/B mode while working or studying.

Hidden opportunities through the menu for developers

For advanced users who want to get a real Grayscale without the warm hues and limitations of standard reading mode, there is a hidden system setting available through the developer menu, which is hidden by default for security reasons.

First, you need to activate access to advanced settings. To do this, open Settings → About your phone and find the MIUI Version (or OS Version) string. You need to quickly click on this line 7-10 times in a row until the notification “You became a developer” appears.

Then, a new option will appear in the main settings menu, Additional → For developers. Scroll down to the section “Hardware Rendering Acceleration” or “Anomaly Simulation.” Find the item Simulate color space and select Monochromia.

Using this feature ensures that everything, including videos and games, is displayed in black and white, the most radical, but also the most effective way to combat smartphone addiction.

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The color space simulation mode in the developer menu is system-based and overwrites any other color profile settings, including the themes.

Third-party applications and task automation

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools don’t seem flexible enough, the Google Play store offers a variety of color-management apps, the most popular being the Day/Night Screen app or peers that work through special permissions.

These programs allow you to create complex scenarios, such as setting up automatic black and white when you run certain applications (Instagram, TikTok) or when you lower your battery power below 20%, giving the user full control of the situation.

• 📱 Day/Night Screen: Allows you to apply a filter on a schedule or through a widget on your desktop.
• 🎨 Grayscale Mode: Simple app with one power button running on top of all windows.
• ⚙️ MacroDroid: A powerful automation tool that can switch system modes based on geolocation or time.

Third-party applications require permanent permissions to “mask over other windows,” which can theoretically reduce data security.

Comparison of methods and the effect on the battery

Many users are wondering which of the methods is most energy efficient. On AMOLED screens, which are used in most modern Xiaomi models, black means off the pixel. Consequently, a black and white interface, where dark tones prevail, really saves charge.

However, the process of converting color to shades of gray requires processing power of the processor (CPU) or graphics accelerator (GPU).If the smartphone is old or has a weak processor, the constant operation of the filter can, on the contrary, increase the energy consumption due to the heating of the chipset.

⚠️ Note: When using the simulation mode in the developer menu, turn it off before recording the screen or creating screenshots if you need to save the original colors, otherwise the file will be saved to ch/b.

Below is a comparative table of methods available on Redmi and POCO devices:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)