Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones periodically face an unpleasant situation when the device’s display suddenly loses color saturation and becomes pale or completely gray. This is not always a sign of a matrix breakdown or hardware failure. Often the reason lies in the accidental activation of one of the system functions of the MIUI shell, which are designed to save battery power or protect the user’s vision.
Gray can be a lot different, from a slight fading of the image to a complete monochrome mode that makes multimedia impossible to use. It's important to understand that restoring color usually takes only a couple of minutes, if you know which parameter has been changed. In this article, we'll look at all the possible causes of the problem and provide step-by-step solutions for each of them.
Before you panic and bring your gadget to the service center, you should check the software settings. Android, in conjunction with the proprietary shell, offers many customization tools, and random switching between them is a common phenomenon. We will look at both standard methods through the settings menu and hidden engineering options that can affect the operation of the screen.
Energy saving mode and its effect on the display
One of the most common reasons why the screen on Xiaomi has turned gray is the activation of battery austerity, where when the energy level drops below a certain threshold (usually 20% or 10%), the system automatically goes into this mode, limiting background processes and, importantly for us, changing the color scheme of the interface to monochrome, this is done in order to reduce the power consumption of the matrix.
To get the bright colors back, you need to turn it off. Go to the Settings menu and find the Battery and Performance section. Here you'll see the current energy saving status. If you select Ultra or Economy mode, switch it to Balanced or Classic. After that, the colors should be instantly restored.
Sometimes users don't notice how they activate this mode by accidentally hitting the slider in the notification curtain. Check the top control panel: if there's a battery icon or a leaf on, then the restriction is active. It's also worth noting that some versions of MIUI have a separate "Reduce Color Saturation" setting inside the battery menu, which must be manually deactivated.
- 🔋 Check the battery power – at a low level, the system can turn on the limitations.
- 🎨 Switch the performance profile to “Balanced” in the battery settings.
- ⚙️ Turn off the option "Reduce saturation" in the section of energy saving.
- 🔌 Charge the device to 100% to make sure the problem is not due to low voltage.
It is worth considering that in extreme economy mode, some applications may not work correctly or at all. If after switching the screen remained gray, the problem lies deeper in the display settings or special features.
Color mode settings and saturation
The MIUI shell allows you to flexibly adjust the display color. A random change in the color profile can cause the image to fade, cold or go into gray tones, this often happens when you try to "calibrate" the screen by eye or after updating the firmware, when the settings are reset to standard, but not always optimal values.
To check and adjust the settings, go to Settings → Screen → Colors (or Color Mode). There are several profiles available: "Saturated", "Standard", "Warm", and others. If you select a low saturation profile or user settings have been shifted to a minimum, the screen will look dull. Return the sliders to the middle position or select the "Saturated" profile for verification.
⚠️ Note: Do not set maximum saturation and contrast artificially unless you are calibrating the screen with professional equipment.This can lead to color distortion in photos and rapid eye fatigue during prolonged reading.
Some models, especially those with AMOLED arrays, have a feature called Image Improvement or Visual Display, which can also make the image look paler visually, although it will technically be displayed correctly. Try turning this option on and off to see the difference.
What is color temperature?
If manual adjustment doesn't work, you can try resetting the screen to factory settings, which won't delete your personal data, but will return the display settings to their original state, often solving the problem when a software failure prevents you from applying changes through a regular menu.
Reading mode and blue light filter
A visual protection feature known as Read Mode or Blue Light Filter can color the entire screen in yellow-grey or even near-monochrome at maximum intensity. Although this feature is to reduce eye strain, many users accidentally turn it on at full power, mistaken for a matrix defect.
You can check the status of this function in the Settings → Screen → Read Mode section. There are several sub-items here:
- 📖 Classic Mode: Just Adds Yellow Filter.
- 📄 Paper Mode: Makes the screen almost black and white, mimicking electronic ink.
- 🎨 Application settings: allows you to set different profiles for different programs.
If you have Paper Mode activated, the screen will look exactly like gray. Switch to Classic or turn off the feature completely. Also, pay attention to the schedule: it may be that the mode is automatically turned on at certain times of the day, and you just didn't notice the notification.
☑️ Checking screen settings
It is important to distinguish between a software filter and a hardware problem: If you turn off all read modes, the gray tint is only stored in certain applications (for example, only in a browser or a reader), then the problem is the settings of the application itself, not the system.
Special Opportunities and Monochrome Mode
Deep within the Android system settings, there is a special feature section that is designed for people with visual impairments. One of the tools here is high contrast mode or a complete switch to black and white (monochrome) mode. Accidentally hitting this menu or activating through quick commands (for example, triple pressing the power button) can turn your smartphone into a kind of old GameBoy.
To fix this, go to Settings → Additional Settings → Special Features. In some versions of MIUI, this item may be simply called "Special Features." Find the section associated with the display or text, and make sure that the "Monochrome Mode" or "Shades of Grey" switch is turned off.
Also check the "Increase" section. Sometimes enabling certain color magnification or inversion options can produce an unpredictable visual effect that the user perceives as a gray screen. Resetting special features settings to zero often helps if you're confused with the switches.
| Function | Where to find out. | Visual effect | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saving energy | Battery | Dull, gray colors | Select "Balanced" |
| Reading mode | Screen. | yellow or paper | Turn off paper mode |
| Monochrome regime | Special opportunities | Fully black and white screen | Turn off in the availability menu |
| Color profile | Screen -> Colors | Pale or unnatural colors | Reset the color settings |
Don’t ignore these settings, as they take precedence over the normal display settings. Even if you set the perfect picture in your color profile, enabling monochrome mode in special features will override all previous settings.
Engineering menu and display calibration
For advanced users who believe that it is not a matter of standard settings, there is an access to the engineering menu, where you can check the matrix and recalibrate, but using the engineering menu requires caution: changing unknown parameters can lead to incorrect operation of the touch screen or display.
You can log into the engineering menu through the code set in the phone book. For most Xiaomi devices, code ##6484## or ##4636##. Once you enter the code, you will open a hidden test menu (CIT). You can find the Display or Color test. You can run test images (white, red, green, blue screens). If you see a clear gray hue or spot on the white background, and there are no defects in other colors, then you may have a problem with the degradation of the matrix or plume.
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Before entering the engineering menu, take a screenshot or a photo of the current parameters values so that in case of an error, everything can be returned as it was.
If tests show that the matrix is working (colors are clean in test mode), but the system is still gray screen, try to find the option to reset the display calibration (if available in your firmware version). ADB, But it already requires a computer connection.
⚠️ Note: In the engineering menu, do not click "Pass" or "Fail" blindly unless you are running a real test.
Remember that a standard user rarely needs this section, and if you don't understand what a particular setting means, it's best to limit yourself to the standard settings in the Screen menu.
Hardware problems and resetting settings
If none of the software methods worked, and the screen remains gray even in safe mode (start without third-party applications), there is a high probability of hardware failure, this can be damage to the display plume after falling, oxidation of contacts or degradation of the matrix itself, especially if the device is several years old.
Before you carry your phone for repair, try a full Hard Reset. This will delete all data, so make sure to back up. Path: Settings → Phone → Reset → Erase all data. If after a clean installation the problem is left, it is 99% hardware.
- 🔍 Check your phone for signs of falling or getting moisture.
- 📱 Run your phone in Safe Mode to eliminate the effects of viruses or apps.
- 💾 Make a backup of data before a complete reset.
- 🛠 Contact the service center for the diagnosis of the plume and the power controller.
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If the gray screen is maintained after a complete system reset and in safe mode, the problem is hardware in nature and requires a replacement display or board repair.
In conclusion, most cases of gray screen on Xiaomi are solved by simply reconfiguring the color profile or turning off the power saving mode. Careful attention to system notifications and understanding the special features will help you quickly return brightness to your device.