It's likely an Accessibility setting, so we'll show you how to change it back
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:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/RyanDube-214359-8f50cb3133cd47c7ae1f3d4f09349f4e.JPG "How to Fix It When Your Phone Screen Turns Black and White (1)")
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- University of Maine
Ryan Dube is a freelance contributor to Lifewire and former Managing Editor of MakeUseOf, senior IT Analyst, and an automation engineer.
Updated on June 13, 2023
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Why Is It Black and White?
Fixes to Try
Frequently Asked Questions
Trending Videos
This article explains what symptoms you might be seeing when your phone's screen turns black and white. We'll discuss possible causes and how to fix the problem.
Causes of a Phone Screen Turning Black and White
It's likely a setting that was turned on. Settings such as:
- Accessibility settings
- Power-saving mode
If it's damaged, you'll need to send it off for repair. Before you take that step, let's check for fixes under your control.
How to Fix a Black-and-White Phone Screen
The following troubleshooting will start with the most straightforward fix for a phone not displaying color before moving to more advanced or complex solutions.
Shut down and restart your phone. Use the correct procedure to restart your Android phone or tablet. Often, if it's a software issue with your OS or an app, a simple restart will resolve the issue with your screen turning black and white.
If you've recently installed any new apps, then uninstall them. Deleting apps from your Android phone will often resolve the issue if it just started after installing a new app. Don't forget to check for and remove any hidden apps on Android.
You can verify that an app is causing the black and white screen issue by starting your Android in Safe Mode.
Try turning off battery-saving mode. Here's the procedure to turn off battery-saving mode on Android. However, the side-effect of a black-and-white screen running on low battery power with this turned on is standard on both systems. Disabling it may resolve the issue.
Disable Dark Mode on your phone. Dark mode on an Android reduces or eliminates the amount of blue light coming from the screen. This feature may make the display appear black and white or nearly black and white.
Check the Grayscale settings. Under Android Accessibility settings, you'll find the Grayscale setting under Screen colors under the Vision menu. If this is enabled, disable it to see if it fixes your screen color issue.
Double-check you haven't inverted colors. The inverted colors setting on Android is under the Quick Settings menu. Inverting colors may not make the screen appear black and white on all apps, but if you've accidentally enabled this feature, some screens can appear black and white or otherwise unusual to you.
If you've enabled developer mode on your Android, a Color Space option could switch your screen to black and white.
If none of the fixes above have worked, you may need to send your phone to the manufacturer or a local repair shop for servicing.
FAQ
How do I change my phone to black and white?
Android: Settings>Accessibility>Color and motion>Color correction. TapGrayscale, and then toggle onUse color correction. iOS: Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters > Slide the Color Filters switch to on (slider moves to the right) > Grayscale.
How do I fix my flickering phone screen?
To fix a flickering phone screen, update your OS and apps, then restart the device. Turn off auto-brightness and blue light filters, then check the charging cable for damage.
How do I fix the White Screen of Death on my iPhone?
To fix the iPhone White Screen of Death, try a hard reset. If that doesn't work, try putting the device in Recovery Mode and restore from a backup.
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