How to increase screen lighting time on Xiaomi: from standard settings to hidden MIUI chips

The screen lighting time on Xiaomi smartphones is one of those little things that can seriously affect usability. Too short a display shutdown timeout is annoying when you read long articles or view photos, and too long reduces autonomy. The manufacturer by default sets the balance between battery savings and comfort, but these settings do not always suit users.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to increase screen highlighting time on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO — From basic menu settings to hidden features MIUI and even teams through ADB. We will pay special attention to the nuances for different versions of the firmware (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14) and models with AMOLED-screens where the lighting works differently than on the IPS-matrix.

If you’re tired of constantly touching your screen to keep it going, or want to optimize your battery life without losing comfort, read on. We’ll also reveal some little-known tricks that aren’t described in Xiaomi’s official documentation.

1. Standard settings of backlighting time in MIUI

To start with, the obvious is that the options are built into the settings menu, and even if you've never looked at those settings, they allow you to flexibly adjust your screen behavior, and the path to them is the same for most Xiaomi models, but it can vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI.

To change the lighting time:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Screen section (or the Display in some firmware).
3. Select the timer for Sleep (or Time to Turn off the screen).
4. Set the desired interval: from 15 seconds to 30 minutes (on some models, Never is available).

It is important to note that on devices with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi 13, Redmi) K60) too long a backlight can cause pixels to burn out – especially if the screen displays static elements (for example, navigation panels) for a long time.

You can also set up in this menu:

• 🔄 Adaptive screen shutdown – a feature that analyzes your habits and automatically adjusts backlight times (not available on all devices).
• 📱 Backlighting at notifications – the screen will be turned on for a short time when new messages arrive.
• 🌙 Dark mode - reduces the load on the eyes and battery consumption AMOLED-display.

2. Hidden MIUI settings: Advanced screen mode

If standard options are not enough, MIUI has hidden options that allow you to more accurately control the behavior of the backlight, these settings are not visible by default, but they can be activated through the developer mode or special combinations.

First, turn on the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times in a row.
3. Return to the main settings menu – there will be a new section for developers.

Now you can set up:

• ⏱️ Standby backlight time – allows you to set a separate timeout for a locked screen (for example, so that the clock is displayed longer).
• 🔍 Sensitivity of the proximity sensor – if the screen goes out too quickly during calls, this setting will help to correct the behavior.
• 📊 Backlight logs – shows statistics of screen usage (useful for analyzing battery consumption).

On some models (e.g. POCO F5, Xiaomi 12T) in developer mode, the option Do not turn off the screen when charging is available. This is convenient if you often watch videos or read while connecting to the network.

3. Use of applications for lighting control

If the built-in MIUI tools aren't enough, you can use third-party apps that offer more flexible settings, including:

• 📱 Separate timeouts for different applications (for example, longer backlight in the reader, in short – in messengers).
• 🔄 Automatic time change depending on the level of charge.
• 🌓 Adaptive lighting by time of day.

The most popular applications:

Important: Many applications require permission to Overlay over other windows (c Settings) → Also, some functions may not work without root rights or ADB.

⚠️ Attention: Lighting control applications may conflict with system optimizations MIUI. If after installation there are lags or the screen began to behave unstable, disable the application and restart the device.

4. ADB-Teams for Advanced Users

If you’re ready to dive into technical details, ADB (Android Debug Bridge) allows you to change system settings that are not available through a GUI, a method that is suitable for power users and requires connecting a smartphone to a computer.

First, prepare the device:

1. Enable debugging over USB in Settings → For developers.
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Install ADB on your computer (you can download from Android SDK or use portable versions like Minimal ADB).

Now you can change the backlight time, for example, to set a timeout of 10 minutes (600,000 milliseconds), run the command:

adb shell settings put system screen_off_timeout 600000

Other helpful teams:

• 🔍 The current timeout value: adb shell settings get system screen_off_timeout
• 🔄 Replace default: adb shell settings delete system screen_off_timeout
• 📱 Turn off the screen when charging: adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 3 (where 3 — net-charging, 1 — from USB, 0 — switched off)

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB On some Xiaomi models (such as those with a MediaTek processor), the lighting control commands may not work due to manufacturer restrictions.

5. Features of the AMOLED-Screens: How to Avoid Burning Out

Devices with AMOLED-displays (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi) K50 Ultras have their own nuances when setting up the backlights, and the main problem is the burning of pixels, when static elements (navigation panels, icons) leave traces on the matrix.

To minimize the risks:

• ⏳ Do not set the lighting time for more than 10 minutes.
• 🌑 Use dark mode and black wallpaper – this reduces the load on the pixels.
• 🔄 Enable automatic navigation bar cover in Settings → Screen. → Full screen mode.
• 📱 Regularly change the wallpaper and location of widgets.

Some Xiaomi models have a hidden Pixel Shift feature that shifts the image slightly to prevent burnout.

1. Enable the Developer Mode (as described above).
2. Go to Settings. → For developers.
3. Find the pixel shift (or Pixel Shift) option and turn it on.

If you notice signs of burnout (blurred contours of icons, uneven illumination), try "prevention":

• 🔴 Run the video with rapidly changing colors to full brightness for 1-2 hours.
• 🔄 Use apps like Screen Burn-In Fix (available on Google Play).

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If you use gesture navigation often, turn off the display of the bar at the bottom of the screen. AMOLED-The Path: Settings → Screen. → Full screen mode → Hide the sign indicator

6.Alternative solutions: Always on screen (AOD)

Many Xiaomi models (starting with MIUI 12) have AOD (Always On Display) mode, which displays minimal information (time, notifications) even when turned off. This partially solves the backlight problem, but has its own features:

How to turn on the AOD:

1. Go to Settings → Screen → Always On Display
2. Select the display style (dial, calendar, notifications).
3. Set up a schedule or leave the mode Always.

Pros and cons of AOD:

On devices with AMOLED (Xiaomi 13, Redmi K60) AOD It uses a minimum amount of energy, because only individual pixels are illuminated. IPS-The Redmi Note 12 is less effective.

💡

If you want to always have the screen on but are worried about the battery, set a schedule for AOD (for example, only at night) or use the “When rising” mode (Settings → Screen → Always On Display → Show when rising).

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Sometimes the backlight time is not right, like resetting, ignoring settings, or jerking, and let's look at typical situations and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Timeout resets after reset.

• 🔧 Solution: This can happen due to optimization MIUI. Try disabling automatic optimization in Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization (Select No Limits for System Applications).

Problem 2: The screen goes out too quickly, despite the settings.

• 🔧 Solution: Check the proximity sensor. Sometimes it works falsely (for example, because of a case). Test it with code ##6484## (type in the phone app).

Problem 3: It's not working. ADB-time-out.

• 🔧 Solution: Some Xiaomi models (especially those with MediaTek processors) have their system settings locked. Try the alternative command: adb shell settings put system screen_off_timeout_ms 600000 (We specify the time in milliseconds with the suffix ms).

Problem 4: The backlight is unstable after the MIUI update.

• 🔧 Solution: Reset the screen settings to factory (as described in the spoiler above) or reset the cache via Recovery (hold power). + Volume up when switched on).

⚠️ Attention: If after experimenting with the settings, the screen stopped responding to touch or the backlight does not turn on at all, reset to the factory settings. On models with the unlocked bootloader, you can restore the firmware through Fastboot.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions