Smartphone owners Honor i Huawei often face a situation where the system interface suddenly turns completely black and the text turns white. This phenomenon is known as dark theme or “night mode,” which is turned on by default at certain times of the day to reduce eye strain. However, many users find this design annoying, especially in bright daylight, when the black background looks unnatural and “eats up” part of the usable screen space.
The problem may lie not only in the standard design settings, but also in specific energy-saving functions or even in crashes after the update. Magic UI. In some cases, a black background appears only in specific applications, which indicates that the system's color inversion for OLED matrices is working. To return to the familiar light interface, you need to sequentially check several sections of the settings, since there is no single “magic button” for all models.
This guide covers all possible scenarios for the appearance of a black background on brand devices Honor. We will look at standard methods of shutting down via the menu, ways to deal with aggressive battery saving, and solving problems with display in third-party apps. Follow the instructions carefully to adapt the visual style of your smartphone to your personal preferences.
Disable the dark theme through the main settings
The most obvious and common source of a black background is an activated system theme. In the shell Magic UI (and its predecessor EMUI), this function is placed in a separate menu item, but sometimes users accidentally activate it through the quick settings panel. If your screen turns black immediately after turning on the phone or in the evening, most likely the automatic scheduler has triggered.
For manual control, you need to go to the main device configuration menu. Find the section responsible for appearance and switch the toggle switch to the “Off” position. This action will instantly return the white background to menus, settings, and most supporting apps. It is important to note that some icons can change their color for better contrast against a light background.
If you want to use the dark theme only at night, but see a light interface during the day, do not completely disable the function. It's better to set up a schedule. The system itself will change the design at the hours you specify, eliminating the need for constant manual switching. This is especially convenient for owners of models with AMOLED displays, where black color really saves battery.
Use the “Themes” widget on the desktop to instantly switch between light and dark designs without going into a deep settings menu.
The path to settings may vary slightly depending on the version firmware, but the logic remains the same. In new versions Android the item may be called simply “Screen and brightness,” whereas in older versions it was hidden in the “Battery” section. Carefully inspect all subsections if you do not find the switch right away.
⚠️ Attention: If, after disabling the dark theme, a black background remains in some system menus, you may be using a third-party theme from the store Themesthat forces dark colors regardless of system settings. In this case, you need to change the theme to the standard “Classic”.
Setting up a schedule and automatic switching on
Often users complain that the black background appears on its own at 20:00 or at sunset. This is the work of the “Scheduled On” function, which is designed to protect the user’s vision in the dark. By disabling this option, you will lock the selected design style forever until you change it manually.
In the theme selection menu, there are usually three operating options: “Enable”, “Disable” and “On a schedule”. If the last item is selected, the system offers two activation algorithms: by time (from and to) or from sunset to dawn. The second option depends on geolocation and may not work correctly if the phone does not have access to the Internet to determine the time of sunrise.
- 🌙 Enable before dawn: The theme is activated in the evening and turns off automatically in the morning.
- ⏰ By timer: You yourself set the exact start and end time of the black background.
- 📍 From dusk to dawn: uses data about your location to determine the dark time of day.
To completely eliminate the black background, select the “Off” or “On” mode (if “Enable” means a light theme in your firmware version, which occurs rarely, usually it says “Light”). Check if there is a checkmark next to the “Adapt to lighting” item, which can respond to a proximity or light sensor.
It is worth remembering that even with the schedule disabled, some applications may ignore system settings. Software developers often build their own theme switchers inside their apps. Therefore, if in one application the background is black and in another white, look for a setting inside the application itself, and not in the phone.
The influence of the power saving mode on the background color
One of the hidden reasons for the appearance of a black interface is the activated mode Ultra-energy saving. In this mode, the smartphone limits the processor, disables background processes and, which is important for our topic, changes the color scheme to black and white or completely dark to minimize screen energy consumption.
If you see that the interface has become not just dark, but simplified, with large icons and a limited set of applications on the desktop, This means that the phone has gone into extreme saving mode. Exiting this mode returns all design settings to their place. Usually, to do this, you need to press the exit button in the corner of the screen or connect the charger.
| Operating mode | Influence on the background | Power consumption | Available functions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Light or Dark (by setting) | Standard | All functions available |
| Energy saving | Often becomes dark | Reduced by 10-15% | Limited synchronization |
| Ultra-saving | Strictly black background | Minimal | Only calls and messages |
Normal Energy Saver mode (not Ultra) can also force a dark theme if specified in its settings. Go to the Battery → Operating modes section and check the settings of the current profile. Sometimes there is a separate checkbox “Use dark theme to save money,” which needs to be unchecked.
Ultra-saving mode changes not only the color, but also the structure of the desktop, turning the smartphone into a device for emergency communication.
On series models Honor Magic and Honor X the energy saving logic may be more aggressive. If the battery charge drops below 10%, the phone itself may offer to switch to survival mode, where a black background is a mandatory attribute of the interface. Agreeing to this suggestion will activate the corresponding restrictions.
Color inversion and accessibility issues
There is a less obvious cause of the black background - accidental activation of accessibility features. There is an option in the Accessibility menu that reverses the colors on the screen: white becomes black, red becomes blue, and so on. This is necessary for visually impaired users, but for the average person this mode causes severe discomfort. Color inversion, which changes the colors on the screen to the opposite: white becomes black, red becomes blue, and so on. This is necessary for visually impaired users, but for the average person this mode causes severe discomfort.
It is very simple to check this: if inversion is turned on, then even photographs in the gallery will look like negatives, and brand logos will change their corporate colors. If you see exactly this picture, and not just a dark theme, then the problem is in this section of the settings. Disable the function and the colors will return to normal.
The path to disabling it usually looks like this: Settings → Accessibility → Visibility Enhancement → Color Inversion. In some versions Android this item may be hidden in the “Vision” submenu. Also check to see if the High Contrast Text mode is enabled, which can add black backgrounds to letters.
How to quickly check the inversion?
Open an app with a bright logo (for example, YouTube or Google). If the logo has become an unnatural color (blue instead of red), then color inversion is enabled, and not just a dark theme.
⚠️ Attention: On some models Honor there is a “Quick enable accessibility” function, which activates inversion when you triple press the volume buttons. If you accidentally pressed the buttons in your pocket, the screen could be inverted without your knowledge.
Another nuance is associated with the “Reading” or “Vision Protection” mode. While it usually just turns the screen yellow, when combined with a dark theme it can produce a strange gray-black cast that users mistake for a glitch. Try disabling the blue light filter in the notification shade to keep the experiment clean.
Setting a black background in individual applications
Even if you have disabled the dark theme in the system, some applications may continue to display a black background. This is due to the fact that application developers (for example Telegram, WhatsApp, YouTube) have implemented their own independent design settings. They can follow the system settings, or they can have their own personal switch.
In messengers, you often find the “Night mode” or “Theme” setting inside the application itself. If it is set to "Dark" or "Automatic", the application will be black, even if the phone is set to light style. Go to the settings of a specific application, find the “Chat” or “General” section and change the theme to “Classic” or “Light”.
- 📱 Telegram: Settings → Chat design → Night mode (turn off).
- 💬 WhatsApp: Settings → Chats → Theme → Light.
- 📺 YouTube: Profile → Settings → General → Dark theme (turn off).
In the browser Chrome or other browsers, black background can be enabled through experimental feature flags. If you previously enabled a forced dark theme for websites (Auto Dark Mode), it will recolor all pages black, regardless of your phone settings. Check the address chrome://flags and find the parameter Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents, setting it to value Disabled.
☑️ Checking application settings
Sometimes the problem lies in the application cache. If the settings are messed up and the switch does not respond, try clearing the cache of the problematic app. Go to Settings → Applications → [Application name] → Memory → Clear cache. This will not delete your data, but will reset temporary configuration files, including display settings.
Resetting design settings and fixing bugs
If none of The above methods did not help remove the black background; perhaps there was a software failure in the system. This often happens after a failed firmware update or installation of conflicting themes from the store. In such cases, a more radical approach to restoring the standard appearance of the interface is required.
First of all, try resetting the theme settings to factory settings. Go to the application Themes, go to the user profile and select “My themes”. Find the Classic theme (usually it comes pre-installed) and click Apply. This action will overwrite all current settings for colors, fonts and icons to standard values.
Settings → System and updates → Reset → Reset all settingsIt is important to understand the difference between “Reset all settings” and “Reset to factory settings”. The first option will return the system settings (sound, screen, networks) to the original ones, but will save your photos and contacts. The second option will completely clean the phone. To solve the problem with a black background, the first option is usually sufficient, but before that, be sure to make a backup copy of your important data.
Before resetting the settings, write down or photograph important passwords for Wi-Fi and accounts, since after the procedure you will have to enter them again.
⚠️ Attention: The interface and names of menu items may differ on different models. Honor (for example, Honor 90, Honor Magic 5, Honor X8). If you cannot find the specified item, use the search in the settings by entering the keyword “Theme” or “Screen”.
As a last resort, if the black background is the result of a deep system glitch, updating the software to the latest version may help. Go to Settings → System and updates → Software update. Sometimes manufacturers release patches that correct interface display errors that occurred in previous builds.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why does the black background turn on itself in the evening, although I turned it off?
Most likely, you have activated the schedule for turning on the dark theme. Check the settings in the section Screen and brightness → Dark theme and make sure that the “Scheduled on” switch is turned off or set to an inconvenient time for you.
Is it possible to make a black background only for the battery, and leave the menu white?
No, in standard settings Honor this function is not provided. The dark theme is applied to the entire system at once. However, some third-party launchers allow you to customize the appearance of individual elements, but this requires the installation of additional software.
The black background appeared after updating Android, how can I return the old look?
Updates often reset the theme settings to the default ones for the new version, which can be a dark theme. Just go to your screen settings and switch the theme to light. If the problem does not go away, reset the design settings through the Themes application.
Does a black background affect the speed of an Honor smartphone?
No, the background color does not affect the processor performance or the speed of applications. However, on screens like AMOLED a black background really saves battery power, since the black pixels in such matrices are simply turned off and do not consume energy.
Why does the background remain black in some applications, and white in others?
It depends on the application developer. Some apps have their own theme settings that take precedence over system ones. Check the settings inside the application itself, which is not displayed correctly, and change the theme there.