Have you noticed that your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone has a yellowish tint? This problem is more common than you think: according to service centers, up to 12% of display defects are due to changes in color reproduction. Yellowness can manifest itself in different ways, from a barely noticeable warm hue to a bright orange glow, especially noticeable on a white background.
In this article, we will look at all possible causes of screen yellowing, from software failures to hardware malfunctions, and give step-by-step instructions for diagnosing and fixing the problem. Importantly, some methods require caution, so read the warnings carefully before you act. Let's start with the simplest one: checking the display settings.
1. Programmatic reasons: downed screen settings
In 60% of cases, screen yellowing on Xiaomi is not due to a breakdown, but to the wrong color settings. The manufacturer sets several display modes, and randomly changing the parameters can lead to an unexpected result.
The first thing to check is the color temperature mode. Go to: Settings → Display → Color mode. There may be options available: Standard, Warm, Cold or Saturated. If you select "Warm" or a user profile with a higher K value (for example, 4500K instead of the standard 6500K), the screen will turn yellow.
- 🔍 Check your current profile: compare the display in Standard and Cold modes.
- 🎨 Reset the color settings: the same menu may have the option "Reset to factory." POCO F5 Redmi Note 12 is hidden under a three-dot button.
- 📱 Update. MIUI: in older versions of the shell (below) MIUI 14) encountered a bug with automatic color correction at low battery charge.
⚠️ Note: If the yellowness remains but becomes less noticeable after the change of mode, the problem may be in the hardware calibration of the matrix.
2. Automatic brightness setting and night mode
MIUI uses algorithms to adjust the screen automatically to light, and sometimes these algorithms don't work properly, especially on budget models (Redmi 9A, POCO M3).
Adaptive brightness (Settings → Display → Autobrightness) can “remember” the wrong values during prolonged use in dark rooms. For example, if you often sit in a room with warm incandescent lights, the system begins to consider this “normal” and adjusts the white balance to yellowness.
Night mode (Settings → Display → Night mode) is also the culprit. Even if it's turned off, check:
- 🕒 Schedule: Possibly the mode is activated over time (e.g. 20:00 to 7:00).
- 🌡️ Intensity: the slider can be shifted towards "Warm".
- 🔄 Manual Start: Sometimes the mode is enabled via the Quick Settings Panel but not displayed in the menu.
Turn off adaptive brightness
Turn off night mode manually
Reset the night schedule
Check the Quick Settings Panel for an Active Filter-->
Some models (Xiaomi 13 Pro, POCO F4 GT) have a hidden color filter function for colorblind people. It can be activated accidentally through Settings → Special. features → Color correction. If the screen is not just turning yellow, but turns greenish or reddish, check this item.
3. Problems with firmware and display drivers
The yellowness of the screen may appear after a MIUI update or a failed firmware, most often due to:
- 🐛 Bug in the display driver: especially relevant for AMOLED-screens (series Xiaomi) 12T, POCO F3).
- 🔄 Incompatible firmware version: if you installed custom software or rolled back to the old version.
- 📱 Failure after resetting settings: sometimes when restoring factory parameters, calibration of the matrix is lost.
How to check:
- Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and remember the current firmware.
- Check the forums (such as 4PDA) for bug information for your model and version.
- If the bug is confirmed, wait for the patch or roll back to the stable version via Settings → System Update → Three Points → Select the service pack.
⚠️ Attention: Firmware rollback may result in bootloader locking on new models (Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13). Before the procedure, check the unlock status via the command: fastboot oem device-info If Device unlocked: false, rollback is impossible without data loss.
Critical information: On models with a Snapdragon processor 8 Gen 1/2 (for example, Xiaomi 12S Ultra) yellowness after updating to MIUI 15.0.4.0 This may be due to an error in the Adreno driver. GPU. Solution – forced update to version 15.0.6.0 recover.
4. Physical damage and wear of the matrix
If the software methods didn't work, the problem is the hardware.
| Type of damage | Signs. | Models at risk | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degradation OLED-matrix | Yellowness + decrease in brightness at the edges, "burnout" of static elements | Xiaomi 11T Pro, POCO F2 Pro, Black Shark 4 | Screen replacement (cost starting from 8,000) ₽) |
| Detachment of LED backlighting | Yellow spots or stripes, flickering when pressed on screen | Redmi Note 10, POCO M4 Pro | Re-adjustment of lighting (from 3,500) ₽) |
| Moisture under the screen | Yellow + stains, condensate under glass, oxidation of contacts | Any model without official IP protection | Cleaning and drying (from 2,000) ₽), oxidation - replacement of the plume |
| Overheating of the display controller | Yellowness appears when loaded (games, charging) and disappears after cooling. | POCO X3 Pro, Redmi K40 | Replacement of thermopaste or controller (from 4000) ₽) |
For the diagnosis of physical injuries:
- Light a flashlight at an angle on the off screen - when the backlight is detached, dark zones will be visible.
- Click on different areas of the screen: if the yellowness changes, the problem is in the contacts of the plume.
- Connect your phone to an external monitor via USB-C → HDMI. If the external screen is normal, the smartphone matrix is to blame.
How to check the screen for OLED burnout?
5. Effect of battery and power supply
Few people know, but power issues can affect the color reproduction of the screen, which is due to the fact that the display controller is sensitive to voltage, and when power is unstable, calibration can be confused.
Typical symptoms:
- 🔋 The screen only turns yellow when the battery is low (below 15%).
- ⚡ Yellowness appears when connecting a non-original charger.
- 🔥 The screen changes shade during fast charging (especially on models with a high-speed charge). 120W HyperCharge).
What to do:
- Try charging your phone with the original power supply (for Xiaomi, it’s usually 5V/3A, 9V/2A or 20V/6.25A for flagships).
- If the problem manifests itself with a low charge, perform battery calibration: 1. Discharge the phone until it automatically shuts down. 2. Connect the original RAM and charge 8-12 hours without turning on. 3. Repeat the cycle 2-3 times.
- For models with AMOLED (Xiaomi 13, POCO F5), check the adaptive brightness settings in energy saving mode (Settings → Battery → Energy saving mode → Settings → Adaptive brightness).
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If yellowness only appears when you charge fast, try turning off the "Fast Charge" function in the battery settings. On some models (Redmi Note 11 Pro+), this solves the problem with the overheating of the display controller.
Production defects and warranty cases
If your Xiaomi is new (up to 1 year after purchase), the yellowness of the screen can be a factory defect. According to official statistics, up to 3% of the Redmi Note and POCO M series devices have matrix defects that manifest over time.
How to determine the guarantee case:
- 📅 The yellowing appeared in the first 3-6 months.
- 🔍 There are no physical damages on the screen (cracks, chips, traces of moisture).
- 📱 The problem does not depend on settings, firmware or charging.
- 🔧 The service center confirmed that the defect was not caused by the user’s actions.
What to do:
- Take photos of the defect (on a white background and at different lighting angles).
- Contact Xiaomi with a check and a box, and under the Consumer Protection Act (Article 18), you are entitled to a free repair or replacement.
- If you refuse a guarantee, request a written refusal with the reason, which often helps when contacting Rospotrebnadzor.
⚠️ In 2023, Xiaomi admitted the defect of the batch of screens for the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G (matrix TDDI HLT). If your model falls under this article, repairs must be free even after the warranty expires (goodwill program).
7. Self-repair: When to take the risk
If the warranty is over and the service has a price tag that's comparable to the cost of the phone, you can try to fix the problem yourself, but remember, unqualified intervention can make things worse.
Options for experienced users:
- 🔧 Reconnecting the display plume: sometimes yellowness is caused by poor contact, requires disassembling the phone and cleaning the contacts neatly with alcohol.
- 🔨 Replacement of thermopaste: if the problem is overheating of the controller (relevant to the POCO X3 NFC).
- 📱 Firmware EDL-Mode: if yellowness appeared after a failed update, you will need a box of Qualcomm or Mediatek and firmware for your model.
Step-by-step instructions for reconnecting the plume (on the example of Redmi Note 10 Pro):
- Turn off the phone and remove it. SIM-map.
- Heat the back cover with a hairdryer (temperature 60-70 ° C) and gently tuck it with a plastic spatula.
- Unscrew 10 screws (T3 type) and remove the metal cover.
- Disconnect the battery (use a plastic mediator to avoid damaging the contacts).
- Find the display plume (usually marked as DSI or LCD CONN) and gently remove it.
- Wipe the contacts with a lilaless napkin soaked in isopropyl alcohol (90%+).
- Plug the plume back in and collect the phone.
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If you are not sure about your skills, it is better to contact the service. Self-repair without experience can damage flexible plumes (cost of replacement - from 5 000 000). ₽) or matrices (up to 15 000) ₽).