How to turn off black and white mode on Xiaomi: 7 working ways

The black and white (monochrome) mode on Xiaomi smartphones can turn on accidentally — after updating MIUI, activating the function to save charge or due to a failure in the settings of special features. In some cases, it is even a useful option: for example, to reduce the load on the eyes in the evening or when reading books. But if the screen suddenly turned black and white without your desire, it is not so easy to return colors — especially when standard methods do not work.

In this article, we will analyze all possible causes of the appearance of BB mode on Redmi, POCO and other Xiaomi devices, as well as give step-by-step instructions for disabling it - from basic methods to advanced ones (including ADB and hidden menus).

If your smartphone is stuck in monochrome mode after a fall, moisture or unsuccessful update – at the end of the article there is a section with emergency solutions that will help even in case of serious system failures.

1.Why is Xiaomi turning on black and white?

The monochrome screen on Xiaomi devices isn’t always a bug, but it’s often activated through one of the built-in MIUI features that the user may have enabled accidentally or unconsciously.

• 🔄 Reading Mode – designed to reduce eye load, but on some firmware can translate the screen in gray gradations.
• 🖥️ Special features – Color correction or Monochrome mode for users with color blindness.
• 🔋 Charge savings – in Ultra Battery Saver mode, the system can turn off color reproduction to reduce power consumption.
• 📱 Firmware failure - after update MIUI or reset settings some display parameters are confused.
• 🛠️ Screen/shute damage – physical malfunctions sometimes lead to color distortion (in this case, repairs are needed).

On Xiaomi 12T, Redmi Note 11 Pro and later, black and white mode can be activated automatically when you activate Focus Mode (concentration mode) or when you connect to certain Bluetooth devices (for example, fitness bracelets Mi Band), and the problem often occurs after using third-party applications for display configuration, such as Night Shift or Blue Light Filter.

⚠️ Warning: If the screen turns black and white after a phone drop or moisture hits, do not try to turn off the mode software. First check the sensor and camera - for physical injuries, a diagnosis is required at the service center.

2. Method 1: Disconnect via "Settings" (basic method)

In 80% of cases, black and white on Xiaomi is enabled through standard MIUI settings.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Screen section (Display).
3. Find Color scheme or Reading mode.
4. If the monochrome filter is active, switch it to off position or select Standard.

On some versions of MIUI (e.g. MIUI 14 on Xiaomi 13), the path may be different:

Settings → Special features → Color correction → Monochrome mode

If the screen menu does not have the right items, check the Battery section and performance – there can be activated Ultra Battery Saver, which limits color reproduction.

Is Settings open?

Is the Screen section checked?

Is Reading Mode disabled?

Is Ultra Battery Saver Deactivated?

Whether “Special opportunities” are considered"?-->

3. Method 2: Resetting special features settings

If black and white is turned on because of the color correction function (for example, for colorblind people), it can be turned off by resetting special features, this does not affect personal data, but returns all availability parameters to factory.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → Special facilities.
2. Scroll down and select Reset Special Opportunity Settings.
3. Confirm the action by clicking Reset.
4. Reboot your phone (required!).

After you reboot, check if the color has returned. If not, move on to the next method.

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO F3, Redmi 10, resetting special features can also disable navigation gestures or voice assistants, and after the procedure, they will have to be reconfigured again.

Redmi Note 10/11/12

POCO F3/F4/F5

Mi 11/12/13

Redmi 9/9A/9C

Other-->

Method 3: Using the Developer Mode

If standard settings don't work, you can try disabling monochrome mode through the developer menu, which works even on locked bootloaders.

Steps:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on the MIUI Version until you become a developer!

For developers

Imitation of flower space

Simulate color space

Monochrome

Shades of gray

Off.

Reset the device.

On Xiaomi with MIUI 13+, this item can be called the Simulation Color Mode and is located in the submenu of Hardware Rendering Acceleration.

5. Method 4: Disconnect via ADB (for advanced users)

If the software methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a tool for debugging Android devices, which is suitable for all Xiaomi models, including Redmi and POCO, but requires a computer.

Preparation:

• 🖥️ Install. ADB and Fastboot Tools on PC.
• 📱 Turn on Debugging. USB on the developer menu on the phone.
• 🔌 Connect your phone to your computer via cable (use the original cord!).

Commands to disable the BB mode:

adb shell settings put secure accessibility_display_daltonizer 0


adb shell settings put secure accessibility_display_daltonizer_enabled 0




adb shell settings put secure color_correction_mode 0




adb shell settings put secure color_correction_preloaded 0

After you type each command, restart your phone and check the result. If the screen is black and white, try the additional command:

adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.CLOSE_SYSTEM_DIALOGS

⚠️ Attention: If after ADB-commands the phone stopped responding to touch or artifacts appeared on the screen, perform a factory reset (section 6.

fastboot oem device-info

Search for Device unlocked: true-->

6. Method 5: Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If none of the previous methods worked, you will have to reset completely, which will delete all data from your phone, so back up important files first.

How to reset your settings:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose Reset all settings (or Delete all data).
3. Enter. PIN-password/code if the system requests.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

On devices with MIUI 14 and later, the path may be different:

Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset → Resetting settings

If the phone does not respond to touch (for example, due to a sensor failure in BB mode), reset through recovery mode:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up for 10 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data (use volume buttons for navigation, power for confirmation).
4. Confirm the reset and wait until it is completed.

- All installed applications and their data

- Google/Xiaomi accounts

- Photos, videos and documents (if not saved on the SD-map)

- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile network settings

Backup copy can be made through Settings → Google → Backup or Mi Cloud (if the screen is still touch-responsive).-->

7. Method 6: Checking for hardware faults

If the screen is black and white after reset, the problem may be hardware, and here are the signs that you need repairs:

• 🔧 The screen became monochrome after falling or hitting.
• 💧 There were divorces, stripes or flickering along with the loss of color.
• 🔌 Black and white mode is activated only at a certain angle of the phone.
• 🔊 At the same time, the speaker, microphone or camera stopped working.

The most common causes are:

To diagnose, connect your phone to an external monitor via USB-C → HDMI (if the model supports DisplayPort Alt Mode). If the external screen displays colors normally, the problem is the display or plume of the smartphone.

⚠️ Attention: Do not try to disassemble Xiaomi for repair of the plume - on most models the screen is glued with a frame, and if you open it sloppy, you can damage the sensor or liquid crystal panel.

8. Method 7: Update or reflash MIUI

If the black and white mode came after the MIUI update, the firmware may have crashed.

• 🔄 Reverse to previous version (if the update was recent).
• 📥 Manual installation of stable firmware via Recovery or Fastboot.
• 🛠️ Installation of custom recaveri (e.g, TWRP) and LineageOS firmware.

How to update MIUI manually:

1. Download the latest stable firmware for your model from the official Xiaomi website.
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root folder of the phone.
3. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
4. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Select the firmware file.
5. Please specify the path to update.zip and confirm the installation.

If the phone doesn’t turn on or respond to touch, run it through Fastboot:

fastboot flash all [name file firmware].zip


fastboot reboot

FAQ: Frequent questions about black and white on Xiaomi