The appearance of artifacts on the display of a Xiaomi smartphone is always alarming to the owner. Especially annoying is the white strip at the bottom of the screen, which can overlap part of the interface, interfere with navigation or simply spoil the visual perception of the content. This defect is often confused with a software failure, but the nature of its occurrence can be completely different, ranging from simple sticking of pixels to physical damage to the matrix.
In most cases, users panic ahead of time, suggesting an expensive replacement of the display module. Fortunately, statistics from service centers show that a significant percentage of these problems are solved by software methods or simple system calibration. Diagnostics should begin with eliminating software conflicts and checking the display settings before moving to radical measures.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible causes of horizontal lines and stripes on the screens of Redmi and Poco smartphones. You will learn how to independently conduct testing, which hidden menus to use for verification and in what situations contacting the service center will be inevitable.
Diagnostics: software failure or broken screen
The first step in the fight against image artifacts is to pinpoint the source of the problem, and the white strip can be the result of a misfunction in the MIUI or HyperOS graphics driver, or the result of physical impact on the matrix, and to distinguish one from the other, you need to run a series of simple tests.
Notice the behavior of the band when the brightness changes. If the intensity of the strip glow changes in synchrony with the brightness slider in the notification curtain, this often indicates problems with the backlight controller or the matrix itself. In the case of a software error, the band usually retains its saturation regardless of the level of backlight.
⚠️ Warning: If the white bar appeared immediately after a smartphone drop or a strong impact, the probability of a software solution is minimal.
It is also worth checking if the defect disappears when downloading in Safe Mode, a method that eliminates the influence of third-party applications that may conflict with system rendering processes. If the band is lost in Safe Mode, the problem lies in one of the newly installed applications.
Software methods for removing artifacts
If physical impact on the device is excluded, it is worth trying to correct the situation through the system settings. Often users accidentally activate functions that change the display area, which leads to incorrect indentations or stripes.
First, check the settings for special features. In the Settings menu → Advanced Settings → Special features can be activated with zoom or font size changes that cause the interface to shift. Try to return all settings to default values.
The next important step is to clean the cache of the system. The accumulated temporary files may contain errors that affect the operation of the GUI. Go to Settings → About Phone → Storage and perform a cache cleanup. This is a secure operation that will not delete your personal data.
- 🔄 Restart the device to Safe Mode by pressing the off button and selecting the appropriate item (or by clamping the volume down button when turned on).
- 🎨 Check out the theme: Sometimes defective third-party themes cause artifacts on the screen.
- 📱 Turn off the “Sunlight mode” or “Elevated brightness” mode in the display settings to check for stability.
Remember that system updates can either fix a bug or introduce a new one. If the problem occurs after the update, it makes sense to check for a patch from the manufacturer or, conversely, roll back to the previous version of the firmware.
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Before resetting, be sure to back up your data in the Mi Cloud or on your computer, as this process will remove all information from your device.
Use of engineering menu and calibration
For a deeper diagnosis, Xiaomi owners can use the engineering menu, a hidden part of the system designed to test the components of the device, accessed through code in the Phone app.
##6484##Once you enter the code, you will see the CIT (Customer Information Test) menu, and you will find the section associated with display testing (usually called Display or LCD), and you will see a solid color field when you run the test, and you will swipe your finger over the entire screen area, including the white bar area.
If the band changes color, disappears, or reacts to touches differently than the rest of the area during the test, it confirms a hardware problem with the touchscreen or matrix. If the test field is perfectly flat and the band is only visible in the system, the problem is likely software.
| Type of test | Description of action | Normal reaction. | Sign of a breakdown. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Color test | Color change (RGB) | Uniform color without stains | Flickering, stripes, broken pixels |
| Touchscreen test | Drawing lines | Lines are drawn without breaks | Passes in the lane area, trembling |
| Vibration test | Vibrosignal | Stable vibration | Lack of response (indirectly) |
Using an engineering menu allows you to determine with high accuracy whether to carry the phone for repair or you can limit yourself to flashing, but be careful: changing the parameters in other parts of the CIT can lead to unstable operation of the device.
What if the code doesn't work?
Resetting settings and flashing the device
When simple methods fail, the radical but effective way is to completely reset the phone, which returns the phone to factory status by removing all user data and settings that may have caused the conflict.
Before starting the procedure, make sure that the battery is at least 50%. The reset process is critical to voltage surges. Go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The device will restart and begin the cleaning process.
☑️ Preparation for resetting settings
Even if the full reset didn't remove the white strip, it's likely that the system firmware itself is damaged, and this requires a computer firmware reflash using the Mi Flash Tool, which requires certain skills and downloading the official firmware for your particular model.
⚠️ Warning: Fastboot flashing completely destroys all data on the internal drive. Make sure you choose the correct firmware version (Global, EU, CN), appropriate region of your device to avoid network problems.
During the flashing process, it is important not to interrupt the connection. USB-Cable: Use of the original cable and port USB 3.0 on a computer significantly reduces the risk of writing errors. Once a clean system is installed, the white bar should disappear if it was caused by software.
Hardware causes and physical impact
Unfortunately, a common cause of white horizontal bars is physical damage, and even if the glass is intact, the inner matrix may have cracked from pocket pressure or micro-impact, and in such cases, software methods are useless.
Another common problem is the flow of the display plume, which, when you fall, the connector connecting the screen to the motherboard can shift slightly, causing the appearance of stripes that can appear and disappear when you press on a certain area of the body.
- 💥 Matrix crack: requires a complete replacement of the display module, can not be repaired.
- 🔌 Train waste: sometimes helps neat reconnection in the service center.
- 🌡️ Overheating: Prolonged play or charging could damage the adhesive layer or contacts.
There is a popular but risky method of “warming up” or “baking” a phone that is sometimes advised on forums, which is supposed to help restore contact with the plume, a method that is extremely dangerous for modern smartphones with Li-Ion batteries and can lead to battery bloating or fire.
If you notice that the band gets wider over time or changes color when the body is bent, this is a sure sign of the destruction of the display structure, in which case the only right solution is to replace the screen.
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If the band appeared after a fall and does not disappear after a reboot, the probability of hardware failure is 95%, and software methods will not help.
When a Replacement of the Display is Necessary
Replacing a display module is a complex process that requires special equipment such as a separator, laminator and soldering station. It is extremely difficult to perform a quality replacement on your own at home, especially on models with curved screens (Curved).
The cost of the original display for Xiaomi’s flagship models can be a significant part of the price of a new device. For low-end models, Redmi often uses analogues that may be inferior in brightness and color reproduction, but are cheaper.
When contacting the service center, be sure to specify which module will be installed: the original (Original), a high-quality copy (High Copy) or restored (Refurbished), which depends not only on the price, but also the service life of the phone after repair.
If the phone is under warranty and there are no hits or autopsies on the case, the display with the image artifacts should be replaced for free, but it can be difficult to prove that the stripe appeared on its own, and not as a result of a fall, without external diagnosis.