Black and white screen on Xiaomi: 7 working ways to return color image

The black and white screen on Xiaomi smartphone is a problem faced by users of devices on MIUI of different generations, from the old Redmi 4X to the new Xiaomi 13 Ultra. In most cases, the malfunction is not due to hardware breakdowns, but is caused by a software failure, activation of hidden modes or update errors. However, it can not be ignored: prolonged use of the phone in this state can lead to poor vision and miss important notifications (for example, color indicators in messengers or banking applications).

In this article, we will analyze all possible causes of the appearance of a black and white screen – from the banal inclusion of Gradation mode to serious failures of the graphics driver. For each case, we will give step-by-step instructions with illustrations (for key steps), warnings about risks and alternative methods if the main method did not work. AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro or POCO F5), where the problem may be different due to the nature of the technology.

Spoiler: 85% of the time, color returns in less than 5 minutes without data loss, but if the screen becomes monochrome after a drop or moisture, then you can go straight to the hardware malfunction section.

7 Reasons Why Xiaomi’s Black and White Screens Are In The World

Before you start repairing, it is important to understand why the image lost color. Here is a complete list of triggers, ranked by frequency of occurrence:

• 🎨 Gray gradation mode (included in special features settings or through ADB).
• 🔄 Failure after update MIUI — Especially relevant for betta versions of firmware.
• 📱 Graphics driver problems (often on devices with MediaTek chips or after manual overclocking) GPU).
• 🔋 Energy saving mode (on some models turns off color to save charge).
• 💥 Fall or impact – may damage the display plume or matrix.
• 🌧️ Moisture intrusion (even if the phone is not turned off, contact oxidation can distort the signal).
• 🛠️ Incorrect firmware (for example, installing custom recavator without supporting your model).

If the screen turns black and white spontaneously (without falls or updates), start by checking for software causes. If the problem occurs after physical exposure, it is likely that the iron is to blame.

Method 1: Turning off the gray gradation regime

The most common reason is the random activation of the Gradation function (or Color Inversion), which is designed for people with colorblindness, but often includes:

• 👆 Through hot keys (for example, triple pressing the power button).
• 🤖 through the setting of special features in MIUI.
• 🖥️ Through ADB-Teams (if you have experimented with debugging).

To disable mode:

1. Open Settings → Special Opportunities → Gray Gradations.
2. Move the slider to the off position.
3. If the screen does not respond to touch, use physical buttons: Press Volume up + Power for 10 seconds to reboot.

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO X3 Pro, Redmi Note 10) Gradation mode can be called Color filter or Monochrome mode. If you do not find an item, search in the settings (the icon of the magnifier at the top).

If the screen is left black and white after the mode is turned off, proceed to the next method.

Method 2: Booting in Safe Mode

Safe mode helps determine if a third-party application (such as a launcher, a design theme, or a power saving utility) is to blame for the problem. MIUI.

How to start safe mode:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button before the Xiaomi logo appears.
3. Once the logo appears, press and hold the Volume button down until the download is complete.
4. In the lower left corner of the screen should appear the inscription Safe Mode.

If the colors are back in safe mode, the problem is in one of the apps installed, and if the screen is black and white, it's the system or the hardware.

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To get out of Safe Mode, simply restart your phone in the usual way.

Method 3: Resetting the graphics driver settings

Failures in the graphics driver (Mali or Adreno, depending on the processor) can lead to distortion of color reproduction, this is especially true after:

• 🔄 Updates MIUI (especially "over the air").
• 🎮 Emulators or heavy games (Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile).
• 🔧 Manually modifying settings GPU Developer Options through Developer Options.

To reset the driver:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.
2. Click on the MIUI version 7 times to activate the Developer Mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find Reset GPU (or Reset GPU driver) and confirm the action.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 14+) The item may be called Turn off hardware acceleration. Once reset, the phone will reboot, and the colors should recover. If not, move on to the next method.

If the driver reset didn’t help and the screen turned black and white after the update, try rolling back the firmware (section below).

Method 4: Fixing MIUI bugs through ADB

If previous methods have failed and the screen is touch-sensitive, you can try to force the gray gradations to be turned off via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that is suitable for advanced users.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-tool.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🔧 Included Debugging by USB on your phone (if the screen is unresponsive, activate it in an alternative way).

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command prompt (cmd on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux).
2. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
3. Execute the command to disable gray gradations: adb shell settings put secure accessibility_display_daltonizer_enabled 0
4. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

If the colors didn’t return after the reboot, try an alternative command:

adb shell settings put secure accessibility_display_daltonizer 0

Method 5: Firmware rollback (if the problem is after the update)

MIUI updates sometimes contain bugs that affect the graphics stack, and if the black and white screen appears immediately after installing the update, the best solution is to roll back to the previous version.

Recoil options:

The safest way is to reset through Recovery:

1. Download the previous firmware version for your model from the official Xiaomi website.
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of internal memory.
3. Turn off the phone and press Volume Up + Power to enter Recovery.
4. Select Install update.zip and confirm the installation.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone has been stuck on the Xiaomi logo for longer than 10 minutes after rollback, do wipe cache in the same Recovery menu!

Method 6: Diagnostics of hardware malfunctions

If all the software methods didn't work, the problem was probably the hardware.

• 🔌 Display plume - moved away or damaged after falling.
• 📺 Screen Matrix – damaged (especially vulnerable) AMOLED-display).
• 🔋 Screen power controller - does not supply enough voltage to the backlight.
• 💧 Oxidation of contacts – if the phone was in contact with moisture.

How to check:

1. Connect your phone to an external monitor via a USB-C → HDMI adapter. If the monitor is colored, the phone's screen or plume is a problem.
2. Put a flashlight on the screen at an angle, and if you see a faint color image, the backlight is broken.
3. Shake the phone (carefully!) If the image flashes or the color returns temporarily, the plume is to blame.

If a hardware malfunction is confirmed:

• 🛠️ Contact the Xiaomi service center (warranty repairs will cost 0-3000) ₽).
• 🔧 Self-repair is possible only if you have experience (replacement of the plume costs 500-1 500). ₽, matrices 3,000 to 10,000 ₽).

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If your phone falls or gets wet, DO NOT try to disassemble it yourself without tools. AMOLED-Xiaomi screens are extremely fragile – one wrong move can lead to matrix cracks that cannot be repaired.

Method 7: Preventing the recurrence of the problem

The black and white screen will not appear again.

• 🔄 Turn off automatic updates MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → ⚙️ → Auto-update.
• 🛡️ Install a reliable case (for example, Spigen Tough Armor for protection against impacts).
• 🔋 Avoid a discharge below 10% – this can cause a graphics chip to malfunction.
• 🚫 Do not install custom firmware without a backup (especially on the POCO loader-free).

We also recommend:

• 📱 Check the plume regularly (if the phone falls frequently).
• 🔄 Make backup settings through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
• 🛠️ Once every six months, clean the graphics driver cache (in Settings). → Annexes → Application management → Three points. → Show system-based → GPU Turbo).

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