Many Xiaomi smartphone owners face an unexpected situation: the screen of the device suddenly turns black and white, especially in the evening or when certain functions are activated. This phenomenon often causes panic among users who suspect a hardware breakdown of the matrix or a serious system failure.
MIUI and HyperOS offer a wide range of tools to manage screen time and protect vision. Unfortunately, automatic settings or random taps can activate grayscale mode just when it's least needed, and understanding the causes of this situation is the first step to quickly fix it.
In this article, we will take a look at all possible black and white scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions for returning the color gamut, learn how to distinguish between system limitations and comfort features, and learn how to configure automation so that the screen does not change colors at the wrong time.
Reasons for activation of monochrome mode in the system
The main reason for the color reproduction change on Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones is the Digital Wellbeing feature, which is developed by Google and embedded in the manufacturer’s shell to help users control their gadget addiction. When the system detects sleep time or reach a limit of use, it can automatically switch the color scheme to monochrome, making the screen less attractive to the brain.
The second common reason is to activate the read mode, or paper mode, which, unlike digital balance, is aimed solely at reducing blue radiation and mimicking ink on paper, often by accident, users turn on the mode through the control center or adjust its activation on a schedule, forgetting about it later.
Also worth mentioning are special features for people with visual impairments: High contrast mode or color inversion can be activated by triple pressing the screen or power button. Accidental activation of these functions through hotkeys is a common cause of sudden color changes on the display, the differences between these modes are critical to the correct choice of the method of shutdown.
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Note the eye icon or book in the status bar – these often indicate an active vision or reading mode.
Disconnection through Digital Balance and Sleep Mode
To fix the problem of automatically turning on black and white at night, you need to look at the digital well-being settings. This is where the algorithm hides, which turns the screen gray after a certain hour. Go to the Settings menu and find the Digital Balance (or Wellbeing) section. In some firmware versions, this item may be inside the Tools folder or be entered into a separate application.
Inside the section, you're interested in the Bedtime Mode tab, which is responsible for changing the behavior of the device at night, and when you activate this mode, the system not only restricts notifications, but can also use color filters, you need to find the parameter responsible for displaying and change its value from black and white to color or completely disable the filter application.
If you don't want to give up sleep entirely, but want to keep the colors, set up an activation schedule. Make sure the start time doesn't overlap with when you're using your phone. Also check if the "Monochrome Mode" box is in the additional digital balance settings.
☑️ Setting up the digital balance
Reading and Paper Management
A feature known as Paper Mode or Read Mode is worth noting. Unlike digital balance, which focuses on time of use, this tool changes color temperature and saturation for comfortable reading of texts. On Xiaomi devices, this feature often has its own settings menu, available through Settings → Screen → Reading Mode.
Inside this menu, you'll find a switch to activate the function and adjust the schedule. If your phone turns black and white at night, check the Scheduled box. It may have a time that coincides with your evening leisure. To completely shut down, just put the main switchboard in an inactive position.
There's also an advanced mode that makes the image completely black and white by mimicking electronic ink. It can turn on automatically for certain applications, such as browsers or book readers. Check the list of apps that have automatic switching set up and remove those programs where color is important to you.
⚠️ Note: In some versions MIUI The read-mode switch is directly in the notification curtain. Make sure you don't accidentally click on the icon of your eye or book when unlocking your phone in the dark.
Special Opportunities and Color Inversion
The third group of causes of color loss is related to the special features section, which are designed for people with visual impairment, but often cause problems for ordinary users due to accidental activation. Follow the Settings path → Additional → Special features. Here you are interested in the sections related to the display and text.
Find Color Inversion or High Contrast. If this is activated, the image on the screen will look negative or have unnatural colors, which is often confused with a breakdown. Turn off this switch to return normal color reproduction. Also check the scale and font settings, as they can affect the rendering of the interface.
Pay special attention to the feature “Special Features Shortcut” which allows you to turn on different modes (including a magnifier or inversion) by triple tapping the screen or pressing the volume buttons. If you often accidentally change colors, it is better to completely disable this shortcut in the special features settings to avoid unintentional activation.
What to do if the settings are reset?
Comparison of display modes in MIUI
To better navigate your smartphone settings, it’s helpful to understand the differences between the modes that affect color. Below is a table that will help you identify the active function and choose the right method to disable it. Different versions of the shell may call these functions differently, but the essence remains the same.
| Regime. | Location on the menu | Impact on colours | Purpose of use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital balance | Settings / Digital balance | Full Color Removal (Grayscale) | Reducing dependence on smartphones |
| Reading mode | Settings/Screen | Sepia or ch/b, a decrease in blue | Comfortable reading |
| Color inversion | Special opportunities | Negative or high contrast | Assistance to the visually impaired |
| Dark subject matter | Settings/Wallpaper | Black background, colours preserved | Energy savings and comfort |
The use of dark theme is often confused with the modes mentioned above, but it only changes the background of the interface to black, leaving icons and media content colored. If it is the colors that are missing, and not just the background has become dark, the problem lies in one of the first three points of the table.
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Accurate identification of the active regimen through symptom comparison is the key to quickly solving the problem without unnecessary actions.
Automation and Schedules: How to Set Up Right
Modern Xiaomi smartphones allow you to flexibly customize usage scenarios. If you want black and white to only be on while you sleep, but not in the evening, use the Schedule feature. It is available in both digital balance settings and read mode. Set a start time, for example, at 01:00 a.m., and an end time at 07:00 a.m.
For advanced users, integration with the Auto Tasks app is available (or through third-party solutions like Tasker, if root rights are not required for basic actions). You can create a scenario: "If you have Wi-Fi on your home network and the time is later than 23:00, then turn on the read mode, but without the monochrome," which will save colors, but reduce the load on the eyes.
Remember to check for system updates. In newer versions of HyperOS, the logic of these functions can change, and bugs that cause spontaneous activation of the h/b mode are often fixed with security patches. Regular software updates ensure that all automatic scripts work consistently.
⚠️ Warning: When you reset to factory settings, all schedules and exceptions you create for applications will be removed.
Diagnostics of problems: if the settings are not saved
In rare cases, users are faced with a situation where, after turning off black and white, it turns on again after a while.This may indicate a software conflict or the presence of malware.First check the list of newly installed applications, especially those that have access to screen control or overlay over other windows.
Try to start the device in safe mode. To do this, press the turn off button, and then (hold for a long time) the "turn off" option on the screen until the suggestion appears to go to safe mode. If in this mode the colors do not disappear, then the problem is caused by a third-party application. Delete the recently installed software one by one, checking the result.
If the problem persists even in safe mode and after resetting all settings, the system shell files may be damaged, in which case it is recommended to perform a complete data reset (pre-saving important information) or flash the device through the computer using the MIUI Flash Tool utility.