Dark theme on Xiaomi: how to turn on any smartphone in 30 seconds

Dark mode on Xiaomi smartphones not only reduces the load on the eyes in the evening, but also saves battery power on devices with a high-powered smartphone. AMOLED-Despite the apparent simplicity, many users face difficulties: somewhere the option is hidden in the depths. MIUI, Some of them are not working because of system errors, and some models are not (POCO F1, Redmi Note 8 Pro requires additional customization for individual applications.

In this article, you will find current ways to include a dark theme for all versions of MIUI 12/13/14 and Android 11-14 firmware, including hidden chips (for example, automatic switching on a schedule or forced on for unadapted applications). We will also break down the unique grey background problem in MIUI 14 on some devices and show how to fix it without resetting.

1. Standard method: through MIUI settings

This is a basic method that works on 90% of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices (except the oldest models on MIUI 10 and below).The instruction is universal for MIUI 12/13/14, but the appearance of the menu may vary slightly.

Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen) and follow the steps:

1. Go to the Screen section (or additionally → Screen on some models).
2. Select the Dark Subject item (in) MIUI 14 may be called Dark Theme Mode).
3. Activate the switch at the top of the screen. If you don't have an option, update the firmware (see section 5).

On devices with Android 10+, additional settings are also available here:

• 🌙 Automatic turn on schedule (sunset/dawn or user time).
• 🔄 Color inversion for apps that don’t support dark mode.
• 🎨 Contrast adjustment (in) MIUI 14 appeared slider to adjust the depth of black).

Make sure the background in the Settings menu is dark | Check system applications (Phone, Messages) | Open Google Play – if the background is white, turn on Forced Mode (Section 3) |Reboot the device to apply the changes-->

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) If you turn on a dark topic, you might see a "grey background in the notifications." MIUI 13, which is corrected by updating to MIUI 14 or reset the screen settings (see Section 6).

2. Quick activation through the notification panel

If you need to switch between light and dark theme often, add the appropriate button to the Quick Settings panel, which will save time and eliminate the need to go into the settings every time.

How to add a button:

1. Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Swipe down again to open the full panel.
3. Press the badge. ⚙️ Edit (or ✏️ firmware).
4. Find the Dark Theme (or Night Mode) in the list and drag it to the active area.

Now you can turn on/off the dark mode with one tap. On the Xiaomi 13 Pro and new flagships, the button supports long-term pressing for a quick transition to the theme settings.

Always | Only at night |Sometimes |Never-->

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 12.5 or below, the dark theme button in the notification bar may disappear after the update, in which case it must be added again or updated to the firmware. MIUI 13+.

3. Forced dark mode for all applications

Many apps (like Instagram, TikTok, or bank clients) don’t support system-level dark mode, and MIUI has a hidden feature that forcefully inverts colors in such programs, but it doesn’t work perfectly — artifacts in images or unreadable text are possible.

To activate the coercive regime:

1. Open the Settings. → Special facilities.
2. Select a Color Corrector (or Color Settings on some models).
3. Activate the color inversion switch.
4. Turn on the option of Short press to turn on/off to quickly switch through the special features panel.

For more precise settings:

• 🎛️ Use Color Correction to Reduce Inversion Intensity (Saturation Slider).
• 📱 V MIUI 14 Dark Mode for all apps in screen settings – it works better than inversion.
• 🔧 Nana POCO F3 Xiaomi 11T The coercive regime may conflict with DC Dimming (screen flicker setting).

⚠️ Warning: Forced Dark Mode does not work in games and some system menus (e.g. Recovery Mode) on Black Shark devices, this feature is disabled by default due to optimizations for gaming.

4 Dark Theme on Old Models (MIUI 10-11)

If you have a 2018 Xiaomi smartphone or older (e.g., the Redmi Note 5, Mi A2), there may be no standard dark mode.

1. Update to MIUI 12+ (if available for your model)
2. Use of third-party themes from the MIUI Theme (section 4.1).
3. Install custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience), but this requires unlocking the bootloader.

To check the availability of the update:

Settings → About the phone → System update

If there are no updates, try manual installation via Recovery:

• 📥 Download the latest stable firmware for your model from en.miui.com.
• 📁 Rename the file to update.zip Put it in the root of internal memory.
• 🔄 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Select a firmware file.

💡

Before upgrading, check the version of your current firmware in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. If it is older than MIUI 10.4, first install the intermediate version (for example, MIUI 11), and then MIUI 12+.

5. Customize a dark theme through MIUI Themes

The official MIUI Theme app allows customizations, including darker versions, to be installed, a method that is suitable if the standard mode is not liked or not working properly.

How to set a dark topic:

1. Open the Themes app (brush icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Topic tab and search for dark or dark.
3. Choose your favorite theme (we recommend Dark Mode from Xiaomi or AMOLED Black for maximum battery savings).
4. Click Apply and confirm download (some themes require an internet connection).

Advantages of this method:

• 🎨 More design options (for example, themes with accent colors).
• 🔋 Optimization for AMOLED-screens (truly black).
• 🔄 Ability to change themes without restarting the device.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ Some topics may be dropped after updating MIUI.
• ⚠️ In free themes, advertising in the form of watermarks is often found.

6. Solving the Dark Theme Problem

If after turning on the dark mode you encountered bugs (gray background, flashing screen, incorrect colors in applications), try these methods:

6.1 Gray background instead of black

This problem is typical of MIUI 13/14 on LCD-screened devices (Redmi Note 10, POCO X3 NFC).

1. Go to Settings → Screen → Dark Theme → More
2. Turn off the battery saving option (it limits the depth of black on the LCD).
3. If you don’t have an option, install the AMOLED Black theme from MIUI Themes.

6.2 Dark Theme Resets After Rebooting

The culprit is a conflict with the Security app.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Security and click Clear Cache.
3. Reset the device.

6.3. does not work in individual applications

For apps like VK or Telegram that ignore system settings:

• 🔧 Check the settings of the application itself (usually in the Appearance or Design section).
• 📱 Update the application to the latest version.
• 🔄 Use Forced Mode (Section 3), but be prepared for artifacts.

💡

If the dark theme doesn’t turn on at all, check if the power saving mode is set – it blocks background processes, including switching themes.

7. Additional dark mode chips

MIUI 14 has hidden features that make the dark mode even more convenient:

• 🌓 Adaptive Dark Mode: Automatically adjusts black level depending on light (included in Settings) → Screen. → Dark subject. → Adaptive brightness).
• 🎚️ Contrast Adjustment: Slider for dark tone depth adjustment (useful for Redmi Note 11 with a silk-like device) AMOLED).
• 🔄 Separate management: different settings for the home screen and apps (available on Xiaomi) 13/14).

On Always-On Display devices (Xiaomi 12 Pro, POCO F4 GT), the dark theme automatically applies to the lock screen, but it can be turned off separately:

Settings → Always-On Display and Lock → Style → Color scheme

For Black Shark smartphone owners, in Shark Space game mode, the dark theme works regardless of system settings.

1. Open Shark Space (swipe down from the upper right corner).
2. Click on the icon. ⚙️ and select Settings → Appearance.
3. Activate Follow the System Theme.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the dark topic on Xiaomi