How to Fix Screen Flickering on Xiaomi Poco C81 Pro

If your Xiaomi Poco C81 Pro screen is flickering, flashing, blinking, or showing brief white flashes, start with the display settings before assuming the screen is broken.

The Poco C81 Pro has a large 6.9-inch display with up to a 120Hz refresh rate, so flickering can sometimes come from refresh rate switching, brightness behavior, app glitches, low memory, software bugs, or display hardware issues. Xiaomi’s own support guidance for Poco screen flicker issues also points users toward restarting the phone, adjusting refresh rate settings, and getting after-sales service if the problem continues.

The good news: you can test most causes in a few minutes.

Quick answer

To fix screen flickering on the Xiaomi Poco C81 Pro, restart the phone first, then go to Settings > Display & brightness > Refresh rate and switch to 60Hz. After that, check brightness settings, update the phone, update apps, uninstall suspicious apps, clear background apps, test Safe Mode, and reset settings if needed.

If the flickering appears even on the lock screen, during boot, or after a factory reset, the display may need service.

Xiaomi Poco C81 Pro screen flickering diagnostic table

Symptom	Likely cause	What to try first
Screen flickers when scrolling	Refresh rate switching	Set refresh rate to 60Hz
White flash when opening apps	Low memory or background apps	Clear recent apps and restart
Flicker happens at low brightness	Brightness or dimming behavior	Raise brightness and turn off auto brightness
Flicker started after update	Software or app conflict	Update apps and restart
Flicker happens in one app only	App bug	Update or reinstall the app
Flicker stops in Safe Mode	Third-party app issue	Remove recent apps
Screen flickers while charging	Charger, cable, or power issue	Try another charger and outlet
Flicker appears after a drop	Display damage	Contact Xiaomi support
Screen flashes black often	System or display issue	Update, reset settings, or service
Flicker continues after reset	Hardware fault possible	Visit an authorized service center

Why is my Xiaomi Poco C81 Pro screen flickering?

Your Xiaomi Poco C81 Pro screen may flicker because of refresh rate changes, brightness settings, temporary software glitches, app conflicts, overloaded memory, charging issues, or a damaged display.

Since the Poco C81 Pro supports a 120Hz display, refresh rate behavior is one of the first settings to check. Xiaomi also has support pages for Poco screen flicker cases that recommend rebooting the phone and manually changing the refresh rate when flickering appears.

Start with the simplest fixes below.

1. Restart your Poco C81 Pro

A restart is the easiest fix and should always come first.

It can clear temporary system glitches, close stuck background processes, and refresh the display service without deleting your files.

1. Press and hold the Power button.
2. Tap Restart.
3. Wait for the phone to turn back on.
4. Use it normally for a few minutes.
5. Check if the flickering comes back.

This is especially useful if the screen started flickering after opening several apps, switching between apps quickly, or leaving the phone on for days without restarting.

2. Change the refresh rate to 60Hz

The Poco C81 Pro supports up to 120Hz, which makes scrolling smoother. But if the flicker is caused by refresh rate switching, forcing the phone to 60Hz can make the display more stable.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Display & brightness.
3. Tap Refresh rate.
4. Choose Custom if available.
5. Select 60Hz.
6. Restart the phone.

Use the phone for a few hours after changing this setting. If the flickering stops, the issue was likely linked to the high refresh rate or adaptive refresh rate behavior.

This is one of the best fixes to try if the screen flickers while scrolling, switching apps, watching videos, or moving between bright and dark screens.

3. Turn off auto brightness

Auto brightness can sometimes make the screen look like it is flickering because the display keeps adjusting brightness too aggressively.

This is more noticeable indoors, near windows, under LED lights, or when your hand covers the light sensor.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Display & brightness.
3. Turn off Automatic brightness.
4. Set the brightness manually around the middle level.
5. Test the screen again.

If the flicker only happens when brightness is very low, raise the brightness slightly and check if the display becomes stable.

Also clean the top area of the screen where the sensors are located. A dirty screen protector or case edge can interfere with brightness detection.

4. Turn off Reading Mode or color adjustments

Display comfort features can change the screen tone, contrast, and brightness behavior. They usually help with eye comfort, but they can sometimes make flickering or color shifting more noticeable.

Check these settings:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Display & brightness.
3. Turn off Reading mode.
4. Check Color scheme if available.
5. Return to the default or standard color option.
6. Test the screen again.

If you use scheduled Reading Mode at night, the flicker may only appear at certain times. Turn the schedule off temporarily to confirm.

5. Clear background apps and free up memory

If you see a quick white flash when opening apps, the phone may be struggling to allocate memory fast enough. Xiaomi’s support guidance for the Poco C81 Pro mentions that multiple apps running in the background and consuming RAM can cause a brief white flicker when launching apps.

Try this:

1. Open the Recent apps screen.
2. Close apps you are not using.
3. Restart the phone.
4. Open the app again.
5. Check if the white flash or flicker still appears.

This matters more if you are using the 4GB RAM model, running social apps, games, camera apps, browsers, and messaging apps at the same time.

You can also remove widgets, uninstall apps you do not use, and avoid keeping many apps open in the background.

6. Update HyperOS and system apps

Screen flickering can be caused by software bugs. Updates can fix display behavior, system stability, app compatibility, and animation issues.

To update your Poco C81 Pro:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap About phone.
3. Tap HyperOS version.
4. Tap Check for updates.
5. Install any available update.
6. Restart the phone after updating.

Also update system apps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap System apps updater if available.
3. Install available updates.
4. Open the Google Play Store.
5. Tap your profile icon.
6. Tap Manage apps and device.
7. Update your apps.

If the flickering started right after an update, do not panic immediately. Restart the phone, update apps, and monitor it for a day. Some post-update issues settle after apps and background services finish adjusting.

7. Check if one app is causing the flicker

If the screen only flickers inside one app, the display is probably not the main problem. The app may have a graphics bug, video playback issue, overlay problem, or compatibility issue with HyperOS.

Do this:

1. Open the app that flickers.
2. Update it from the Play Store.
3. Clear the app cache.
4. Restart the phone.
5. Test again.

To clear an app cache:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap Manage apps.
4. Choose the app.
5. Tap Storage.
6. Tap Clear cache.

If the flickering continues only in that app, uninstall and reinstall it.

Pay special attention to recently installed apps, screen filter apps, launchers, battery savers, floating button apps, blue light filter apps, and apps that can draw over other apps. These can interfere with display behavior.

8. Boot into Safe Mode

Safe Mode helps you check whether a third-party app is causing the screen flicker.

In Safe Mode, downloaded apps are temporarily disabled. If the flickering stops there, one of your installed apps is likely the cause.

To enter Safe Mode:

1. Press and hold the Power button.
2. Touch and hold Power off on the screen.
3. Tap Safe Mode if the option appears.
4. Wait for the phone to restart.
5. Test the screen.

If the screen does not flicker in Safe Mode, remove recently installed apps one by one.

Start with apps installed around the time the flickering began. Look for screen dimmers, launchers, cleaner apps, battery tools, game boosters, video apps, and apps with floating overlays.

To exit Safe Mode, restart the phone normally.

9. Try another charger and remove accessories

If the screen flickers while charging, the problem may come from the charger, cable, outlet, extension cord, or accessory.

A poor charger can create unstable power delivery. That can cause touch issues, flicker, or screen behavior that looks random.

Try this:

1. Unplug the phone.
2. Remove the case if it presses against the screen.
3. Remove magnetic accessories if you use any.
4. Use the original charger and cable if available.
5. Try a different wall outlet.
6. Avoid cheap or damaged chargers.
7. Check if the flicker happens only while charging.

If the screen only flickers with one charger or cable, stop using that accessory.

Also check whether the phone gets warm while charging. Heat can make display and performance problems more noticeable.

10. Reset settings or factory reset the phone

Use this only after trying the easier fixes.

Resetting settings can fix display, app permission, and system configuration issues without immediately deleting your files. The wording may vary depending on your HyperOS version.

Try resetting settings first:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Additional settings.
3. Tap Backup and reset.
4. Look for Reset settings or Reset all settings.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.
6. Restart the phone.

If the flickering still continues and you suspect a software problem, back up your files and do a factory reset.

Before factory reset:

1. Back up photos, videos, contacts, and documents.
2. Save your passwords.
3. Make sure you know your Google account login.
4. Charge the phone.

To factory reset:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap About phone.
3. Tap Factory reset.
4. Choose Erase all data.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

After the reset, test the phone before reinstalling all your apps. If the flickering returns before you install anything, the problem may be hardware-related.

When should you contact Xiaomi support?

Contact Xiaomi or an authorized service center if:

The screen flickers during boot.

The flicker appears on the lock screen.

The display flickers even after a factory reset.

The screen has lines, green tint, black flashes, or dead areas.

The phone was dropped or exposed to liquid.

The flicker gets worse when you press the screen.

The screen shuts off randomly.

At that point, the issue may involve the display panel, display connector, power circuit, or another hardware component. Software fixes will not reliably solve a damaged screen.

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