The black and white screen on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones is a common problem that can occur after a MIUI update, reset or accidentally turn on the power saving mode. In most cases, this is not a hardware breakdown, but a software failure that can be fixed yourself without going to the service center.
In this article, we will discuss all possible causes of the monochrome display and provide step-by-step instructions for turning it off – from simple ways through settings to advanced methods using Fastboot and ADB. You will also learn how to avoid re-enable this mode and what to do if the screen remains black and white even after all the manipulations.
Before you start fixing, make sure that the problem is not related to physical damage to the matrix. If the screen shows divorces, broken pixels or it does not respond completely to touch, this is a matter for the service center. In all other cases, our recommendations will help you return colors in 5-15 minutes.
Why the screen turned black and white: 5 main reasons
Xiaomi’s black and white screen mode is not a bug, but a feature that can be activated manually or automatically.
- 🔋 Ultra Battery Saver: Turns on when battery is below 5% or manually in settings. Turns off color reproduction to save charge.
- 👁️ Color filter (for color blind) may be activated accidentally through Special features or after updating MIUI.
- 📱 Firmware failure after updates. Common on Redmi Note models 10/11 and POCO X3/X4 when moving to a new version MIUI.
- 🔄 Hard Reset: After reset, some system settings are reset to factory settings, including color profiles.
- 🛠️ Damage to system files: Occurs when rooting is incorrect, custom firmware is installed or updates are interrupted.
On Xiaomi 12/13 and Redmi K50 models, the black and white screen may appear due to a conflict with AdaptiveSync (adaptive refresh rate), in which case it is enough to turn it off in the display settings.
⚠️ Warning: If the black and white screen appears after a phone drop or moisture hits, do not try to fix it software. This may be a sign of damage to the display plume - diagnostics are required in the service.
Method 1: Disconnect via settings (the easiest)
If your smartphone responds to touch and menus open, try turning off monochrome mode with standard means. This method works 80% of the time.
Instructions:
- Open the settings (cog icon).
- Go to the Screen section (or Display on new versions of MIUI).
- Find Color Mode or Color Filter (may be in Special Opportunities → Vision).
- Turn off the switch next to Shades of Grey or Monochrome mode.
- Restart the device (Power → Reboot).
On some firmware, the path may be different. For example, on POCO F3 and Xiaomi 11T, go to Settings → Special features → Improve vision → Color filter and deactivate the slider.
Is the energy saving regime being used?|Is there access to settings?|The problem arose after the update?|Phone responds to touch?-->
If the Color Filter item is not on the menu, try searching through the search bar in the settings (the magnifier icon at the top). Enter the query for shades of gray or color mode.
Method 2: Disconnection through Developer Mode
If standard settings don't work, you can try deactivating black and white through hidden developer settings, a method that's suitable for advanced users.
Step-by-step:
- Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times in a row on the MIUI Version (you will be notified "You are a developer").
Settings
For developers
Hardware acceleration of visualization
Imitate the space of flowers
Simulate color space
Disconnected.
Monochrome
Shades of gray
Reboot the phone.
On some models (Redmi Note 9 Pro, POCO M3), this option may be called Force 4x MSAA or hidden in the Monitoring section.
⚠️ Warning: Do not change other options in the developer menu unless you know what they are intended for.
💡
If the monochrome color looks dull after you turn off, check the color temperature settings in the Screen section.
Method 3: Reset screen settings (without data loss)
If previous methods didn't work, try resetting the display to factory settings, which won't delete your files or apps, but will return all display settings to their original state.
How to reset:
- Open Settings → System and device → More
- Choose Resetting (not to be confused with Resetting before factory!).
- Press Reset screen settings (or Reset display parameters).
- Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed.
- Reboot the phone.
On devices with MIUI 14 and later, the path can look like this: Settings → Screen → Additional screen settings → Reset settings.
| Xiaomi model | The way to reset the screen | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 10/11 | Settings → Screen → Color mode → Reset | Confirmation may be required PIN-code |
| POCO X3/X4 | Settings → Display → Additional → Reset | After reset, check the AdaptiveSync settings. |
| Xiaomi 12/13 | Settings → Screen → Color Modes → Return to Factory | On these models, the reset can take up to 1 minute. |
| Redmi 9/9A | Settings → System → Additional → Resetting screen settings | Wi-Fi connection required |
If the screen is black and white after reset, move on to the next method – most likely, the problem lies deeper in the system files.
Redmi Note 10/11/12|POCO X3/X4/X5|Xiaomi 12/13/14|Redmi 9/9A/9C|Another model-->
Method 4: Using Fastboot (for advanced)
If the software methods don't work, you can try disabling monochrome mode via Fastboot, which requires a computer and basic knowledge of working with ADB.
Important: The method is only suitable for an unlocked bootloader. If you haven't unlocked Bootloader before, this method won't work.
Instructions:
- Download and install Platform Tools (the official tool from Google).
- Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable.
- Turn off your smartphone and press the Power button + Volume down to enter the Fastboot.
- Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) in the folder with the platform-tools.
- Enter the command to check the connection: fastboot devices must display the serial number of your device.
- Use the command to reset the color profile: fastboot delete config color_mode or (for new versions) MIUI): fastboot erase config
- Reboot the phone: fastboot reboot
If after the reboot the screen remains black and white, try to reset the cache:
fastboot wipe cache⚠️ Note: The fastboot erase config and fastboot wipe cache commands remove some user settings (e.g. Wi-Fi data.
What if the Fastboot doesn’t recognize the device?
Method 5: Flashing through Mi Flash (extremely)
If all the previous methods didn't work, the last option is to completely reflash the phone through the Mi Flash Tool, which is a radical solution that will return the phone to factory status, but delete all the data.
Warning: Flashing will void the warranty if it is still valid, and there is a risk of the device being “bricked” by the wrong actions.
Step-by-step:
- Download the official firmware for your model from the MIUI Download website (choose the Fastboot version).
- Unpack the firmware archive in a folder without Cyrillic characters (for example, C:\MIUI\).
- Download and install the Mi Flash Tool.
- Turn off your phone and press the Power button + Volume down to log into the Fastboot.
- Connect your phone to your PC and start the Mi Flash Tool.
- Click Select and point the way to the folder with unpacked firmware.
- Select Clean All mode or Save User Data mode (save data, but less securely).
- Press Flash and wait for the process to complete (5-10 minutes).
- After successful firmware, the phone will restart automatically.
On models with a locked bootloader (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi K60) it may be necessary to unlock through the Mi Unlock Tool. This process takes up to 72 hours (requires binding of the Mi Account).
💡
Flashing over Mi Flash is the only way to get back the colors if the problem is caused by corrupting system files, but it is an extreme measure that should only be resorted to after all other methods.
How to avoid re-enacting the black and white screen
To prevent the problem from returning, follow these recommendations:
- 🔋 Turn off the power saving mode: Go to Settings → Battery and productivity → Battery mode. Choose Balanced or Performance. Turn off ultra-low power.
- 🔄 Update. MIUI Right: Check the reviews on the forums before updating (for example, 4PDA). Do not interrupt the update process. After the update, reset the cache (Settings) → Memory. → Cleanup → Kesh).
- 🛡️ Set up backup: Store data regularly through Settings → Google → Backup. Use Mi Cloud to sync settings.
- 📱 Avoid unofficial firmware: Custom firmware (like LineageOS) may conflict with display drivers. If you install a custom, choose versions that support your model.
On Xiaomi models with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro, Redmi) K50 Pro) the black and white mode can be activated automatically at low ambient temperature (below) +5°C. This is protection against damage to the matrix, so you can just move the phone to a warm room for 10 to 15 minutes.