Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones sometimes face an unpleasant situation when the display of the device suddenly turns grayish, faded hue. This problem can manifest itself as a permanent effect, and occur periodically, significantly reducing the comfort of using the gadget. Most often the reason is not a physical breakdown of the matrix, but a software failure or accidentally activated power saving function.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible causes of gray on the screens of the Redmi Note line (including models 8, 9, 10, 11 and later). You will learn to diagnose the problem yourself and return the brightness and saturation of colors to your device without contacting the service center.
Before you start to manipulate complex things, it’s important to understand that a gray screen is often just a symptom of the system’s security mechanisms. MIUI, Xiaomi’s shell, has many filters that can conflict with each other.
Check the mode of "Reading" and "Paper Screen"
The most common reason for a picture to fade and gray is the activated reading mode, which is designed to reduce eye strain by removing the blue spectrum and reducing contrast, but sometimes it turns on on its own due to scheduling errors.
To check this setting, you need to go to the display settings, find the partition that protects vision, and make sure the switches are in the off position, and if the mode was active, it will instantly return normal color reproduction.
Note that newer versions of MIUI may call it “Read Mode 3.0” or “Paper Text” and check your schedule settings to ensure that the screen doesn’t automatically gray at certain times of the day.
- 📱 Open Settings and go to the Screen section.
- 📉 Find the reading mode or vision protection.
- 🚫 Make sure the reading switch is off.
- 🕒 Check the Schedule tab and turn off automatic activation.
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If the read mode turns on itself, check the Security app in the Battery section - sometimes it has its own power saving profiles affecting the display.
Go to the settings of this mode and see the list of selected programs, and if it says "All applications", then the gray shade will be observed throughout the system.
Disabling the “Time Mark” function and special features
The Android operating system that runs MIUI has a hidden feature for developers and visually impaired people that turns the entire interface into shades of gray, called the "Bedtime mode" or the special features section.
Often users accidentally activate this mode by quickly pressing a combination of volume buttons or through the Quick Access panel, visually it looks like a complete discoloration of the interface, which can be mistaken for a matrix breakdown.
⚠️ Note: If you have turned on Timemark (Digital Well-Being) mode, the phone can automatically switch to black and white on a schedule, for example, after 23:00. Check your schedule settings in the Digital Well-Being section».
To fix the problem, you have to go deep into the system settings, and the path may vary depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same: look for sections related to accessibility or digital balance.
Settings → Special features → Improved visibility → Color correctionIn this menu, you need to make sure that the "Use Color Correction" item is turned off. If it is active, select "Disable" mode or simply put the main switch to an inactive state. This action should immediately restore color.
Calibration of the display and color temperature settings
Sometimes the problem is that the color temperature or saturation settings are lost, and the user could accidentally change the display profile to "Standard" or "Classic", which often look paler compared to the "Bright" or "Saturated" profile.
In Redmi Note smartphones, the screen settings section is responsible for this. Try switching the color scheme. If you prefer juicy colors, choose a profile that maximizes color space coverage.
Also worth paying attention to is the Safe Brightness feature, which in some cases, when the battery is low, the system forcibly restricts brightness and contrast, which creates a gray screen effect, and turning this feature off in the battery settings can solve the problem.
| Setup parameter | Recommended value | Screen impact |
|---|---|---|
| Color scheme | Saturated/Bright | Restores the depth of black and the brightness of colors |
| Color temperature | Default/Warm | Removes excessive blue or yellowness |
| Reading mode | Off. | Eliminates gray filter and monochrome |
| Adaptive brightness | Included. | Prevents excessive blackout in the dark |
If changing the profile didn’t help, try calibrating through the engineering menu, but it requires caution. For most users, the standard settings in the Screen menu are enough.
Problems with energy saving and the regime “in the pocket”
Xiaomi’s aggressive energy saving algorithms can reduce the voltage applied to the backlight of the display, which causes the screen to dim and lose saturation, especially on AMOLED-matrix models, where low-charge colors can distort.
Check to see if Ultra-Energy Saving mode is activated, in which the system restricts background processes and often changes the interface theme to dark with gray elements to minimize resource consumption.
☑️ Diagnostics of energy saving
Also worth mentioning is the proximity sensor and the In-Pack mode. If a low-quality protective film is pasted on the screen or the glass covers the sensor, the phone may think it is in your pocket and turn on the lock with a darkened gray screen.
Clean the top of the screen from contamination. Make sure the case does not overlap the area of the dynamic speaker speaker, where the light and proximity sensor is usually located.
Resetting and restarting the system
If the software settings didn't work, maybe there was a temporary software failure in the system, and the GUI cache could get corrupted, causing the colors to be displayed incorrectly, and a simple reboot would help.
However, if a normal reboot doesn't work, you should do a deeper cleanup. Don't worry, it won't delete your photos or contacts, but it will reset the system settings to factory display settings.
⚠️ Warning: Before performing a full reset, make sure to back up all important data.This process will remove all apps, photos and settings from the device.
To reset the screen settings without full flashing, you can use the following way:
Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) → Advanced Settings → Reset and Reset → Reset all settingsIt is important to choose “Reset all settings” rather than “Reset” if you want to save files, which will return system settings, including display settings, to the original state.
What if the reset didn't help?
Hardware malfunctions and diagnostics of the matrix
When software methods are exhausted, you have to consider a physical breakdown. A gray screen can be a sign of a matrix burnout, a plume problem, or a malfunction of the display power controller.
Notice the nature of the gray hue, if it's uneven, with spots or stripes, it's almost guaranteed to be a hardware problem, and the sign of a breakdown is a change in color when you press on the screen or when you bending the body.
For diagnostics, you can run a display engineering test, enter the code in the call menu (if supported by your firmware version), or use a special testing application.
- 🔍 Enter the code ##64663## in the phone app.
- 🎨 Select Display or Color Test.
- 👀 Carefully inspect the screen for broken pixels or uneven illumination.
- 📉 If there are obvious gray spots on the white background, the matrix will most likely have to be replaced.
Owners of Redmi Note with AMOLED-We need to be very careful with the screens. OLED is subject to degradation of organic LEDs, which over time can lead to changes in color reproduction and the appearance of gray plaque.
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If the engineering test shows a uniform gray picture on all colors, but the settings are reset, there is a high probability of a failure of the plume or power controller.