Why Xiaomi’s phone screen is black and white and how to fix it

You picked up your Xiaomi, but instead of the usual bright colors on the screen — only black and white? This problem occurs to owners of Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones regardless of the model. The reasons can be either software (failure in settings, firmware error) or hardware (damage to the plume or matrix). 80% of the time the malfunction is fixed without going to the service center — just know where to look for the root of the problem.

In this article, we'll look at all the possible reasons why the screen has become monochrome, from the banal inclusion of graphical availability mode to serious display breakdowns, how to diagnose a problem yourself, which settings to check first, and when exactly it's time to carry the phone for repair, and at the end, you'll find an FAQ with answers to the most frequent questions on this topic.

1. Color Inversion or Gray Shades Mode in Settings

The most common reason is the accidental activation of special modes for people with visual impairments. MIUI has a function called "Shades of Grey" (Settings → Special Options → Improve Vision → Shades of Grey), which forcibly makes the screen black and white. Often it is activated after updating the system or through Quick settings (swipe down from the top edge of the screen).

How to check:

• 🔍 Go to Settings. → Special facilities → Improving vision and find the "Shades of Grey" switch, if it's active, turn it off.
• 📱 Scroll through the Quick Settings Panel (swipe down twice). Look for an icon with an eye or palette — tap it to deactivate it.
• 🔄 If the item is not in the menu, try to enter in the search for settings the request gray or color.

Attention! On some models (POCO F3, Redmi Note 10 Pro), this mode may be called Color Inversion or Monochrome Filter. Also check Settings → Screen → Color Mode - there may be a profile in black and white.

2. Failure after MIUI update or firmware

MIUI updates sometimes lead to graphical glitches, including color loss, due to errors in display drivers or conflict of new settings with old system data.

• 📱 The screen turned black and white immediately after the reboot.
• 🔄 Colors disappear periodically (e.g. when the camera or games are running).
• 🛠️ In Settings → Phone has a notification of a failed update.

How to fix it:

1. Reset the screen settings: go to Settings → Screen → Additional → Reset the screen settings.
2. Clean the system cache: Settings → Memory → Cleanup → Cache of the system → Clean
3. Reverse to the old version of MIUI (if the failure occurred after the update). To do this, download the firmware from the official Xiaomi website and install it through Settings → About the phone → System Update → Three points → Select a firmware file.

Download the correct version of MIUI for your model |

Check battery power (minimum 50%) |

Make a backup copy of the data |

Disable the bootloader lock (if the phone is not official)

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Critical information: If after the update the screen not only lost color, but also artifacts (strips, flickering), immediately stop using the phone - this is a sign of damage to the graphics chip.

3. Damage to the display or matrix plume

If the software methods didn't work, the problem could be hardware, and it's mostly to blame:

• 🔌 Distant plume - after a fall or impact, the contacts of the display move away from the motherboard.
• 💥 Cracking in the matrix – even if the screen is externally whole, the inner layers could be damaged.
• 🔥 Overheating – if the phone worked under load for a long time (games, charging) + Navigator, could have suffered a display controller.

How to diagnose:

⚠️ Warning: If you don't have any experience with disassembling phones, don't try to plug the plume yourself, and you're at risk of damaging it even more. ~1 500–3 000 ₽, per matrix, from 5,000 ₽ (model-wise).

Failure of the graphics processor (GPU)

The graphics chip (Adreno in smartphones on Snapdragon or Mali in MediaTek) is responsible for rendering color. If it overheats or is damaged, the screen can turn black and white, there will be "snow" or flickering.

• 🎮 Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile games without interruptions.
• 🔥 Using your phone in the sun or in a hot room.
• ⚡ Voltage jump when charging (cheap cables/power supplies).

How to check:

1. Install the Throttling Test CPU app from Google Play, which will show you if the processor is trolling due to overheating.
2. Run the 3DMark benchmark and monitor the temperature through AIDA64, and if the GPU is heated above 85°C, the cooling problem is.
3. Try running YouTube in 4K HDR mode – if the colors come back, the graphics driver is to blame.

Decisions:

• 🧊 Refrigerate your phone (put it in a cool place for 30 minutes, but not in the refrigerator!).
• 🔧 Reset the graphics settings in Settings → Additionally. → Resetting settings → Resetting the schedule settings.
• 🛠️ Fastboot your phone (instructions below).

5. Virus or malware

Some viruses (such as Android.Triada or Android.HiddenAds) can change system settings, including screen color reproduction. If the problem occurred after installing an application from third-party sources or visiting suspicious sites, malware may be the cause.

Signs of infection:

• 📱 The screen turned black and white after installation APK-file.
• 🔄 Colors change arbitrarily (they appear, they disappear).
• 📊 B Settings → Battery visible unknown application, consuming a lot of energy.

How to remove the virus:

1. Run the scan through Google Play Protect (Settings → Google → Security → Scanning of the device).
2. Install an antivirus (Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light) and scan the system.
3. Remove suspicious apps in Settings → Apps → Application Management.
4. If nothing helps, reset to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Resetting).

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Before reset, save the phone's IMEI! To do this, type in the dialer *#06# and take a picture of the screen. This will help restore the network after the reset.

6. Hardware reset via Recovery Mode

If the software fails and there is no hardware damage, the last chance before visiting the service is a hard reset via Recovery, which erases all data but returns the phone to a factory state.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power for 10 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO X3, Redmi 9T) You may need to re-activate your Mi Account after reset, and if you don't remember your password, it'll cost 1,000 to 2,000 to unlock. ₽ service.

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If after reset the screen remained black and white, the problem is precisely hardware - carry the phone for repair.

7. when exactly you need to contact the service

There are situations when self-repair is impossible or dangerous.

• 🔧 You disassembled the phone and after assembly the screen became monochrome.
• 💥 Physical damage is visible on the matrix (cracks, divorces).
• 🔥 The phone is overheated even in simple (above 50)°C).
• 📵 In addition to the color, the touchscreen is missing or part of the screen does not respond to touch.
• 🔄 The problem only appears when connecting charging.

The cost of repair in official Xiaomi services:

Tip: Before visiting the service, back up your data via Settings → Additional → Backup or connect your phone to your PC in MTP mode (if touchscreen is working).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's black and white screen