MIUI 10.3.1.0 update enabled dark mode on many Xiaomi phones - here’s how to disable it

Over the past month, Xiaomi devices like Redmi 4/4X, Redmi 5 Plus, Redmi Note 5 Pro, Mi 8/8 Pro and Mi Max 3 have received the MIUI 10.3.1.0 update. Most recently, the same update made way to Xiaomi’s 2018 mid ranger Redmi Y2 (rebranded as Redmi S2 in China).

For a quick refresher, Redmi Y2 recently hit the headlines for whether or not it will get Android Pie. While Y2 was initially included in the list of Xiaomi devices that were to be upgraded to Pie, a status change in the revised list published by MIUI beta organizers led to the news of update cancellation.

But as soon as the matter caught heat, the Chinese OEM jumped in clearing the air on the matter and confirmed that Redmi Y2 will indeed get Pie. A couple of weeks after this Pie cancellation matter settled, as already mentioned above, Xiaomi pushed MIUI 10.3.1.0 update to Redmi Y2.

The update brought along April security patch and fixed issues like ending calls taking longer than expected, call time bubble overlapping notification icons, face unlock prompt taking longer to disappear, low battery icon a miss in landscape mode and incorrect notification badges on WhatsApp.

But soon after the update rolled out, one of the Mi Community Device team’s member informed that it is currently available to limited Redmi Y2 units, and a more wider roll out will begin once they receive a successful feedback. Here’s what the Device team’s member said:

This update is currently available for some random users and will be available soon after successful feedback.

Though MIUI 10.3.1 has been made available to select Redmi Y2 users, it’s coming to light that this stable update has enabled the Dark Mode by default on some devices and users aren’t able to find a way to revert back this change.

Here’s how some of the affected users explain the issue across the official Mi Community:

Recently i update my redmi Y2 in 10.3.1After update my everything is in dark mode. I m not using any theme and there are no option for switch dark mode to normal mode. Is this a problem or something else…..

Applied by default after update. No option to enable or disable dark mode.

Black font in incoming notifications makes it harder to read notifications. No option to enable/disable dark mode.

Soon after users began chiming about this ‘dark mode auto enabled after update’ issue, one of the Mi Community Device team’s member suggested a user to factory reset their unit. When even that didn’t help, the Device team’s member said the dark mode feature might have been rolled out mistakenly.

It may be rollout by mistake

Initially it appeared the problem is specific to Redmi Y2. But while digging in deep, we could locate multiple reports about MIUI enabling dark mode by default on devices other than Redmi Y2. Here’s what a Redmi 4X user who faced the same issue said regarding this:

I just updated my redmi 4x to miui 10.3.1.0 via ota. When come night the theme change to dark mode automatically. The font color in notification message is black so it is impossible for me to read the notification. I try to find option to disable this dark mode but none listed in the setting. I have changed theme to classic and default but it still in dark mode and no option to disable it.

Here’s what a Mi 8 user said while explaining the issue on Reddit:

Same for me. After the update some things turned into a dark mode and the notifications now are with a black background and a black font. So annoying. I didn’t change any theme, I just use the default theme so it looks like they did something that ‘broke’ the theme. I even tried changing to a different theme but that didn’t help.

So the problem appears to have been triggered by MIUI 10.3.1.0 update and is not device specific. As for the workaround, one of the affected Redmi 4X users shared that installing the ‘Theme for Telegram’ and then disabling the Night Mode in it resolved the issue for them.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Go to play store> find and install Theme for Telegram> open it and go to Setting> Disable Night Mode

This workaround has been give a thumbs up by many affected users. So if you are also finding the Dark Mode enabled on your Xiaomi unit after installing the MIUI 10.3.1 update, give this workaround a try. And yes, do let us know how it goes by dropping a comment below.

P.S. For more Xiaomi-related news and stories head here.

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