Modern Xiaomi smartphones have bright and energy-efficient displays, but standard power saving settings often work too aggressively. Many users face a situation where the screen goes out after just 15 seconds of inactivity, which creates a tangible discomfort when reading books or viewing recipes in the kitchen. Understanding how to properly adjust the screen’s expiration time on Xiaomi allows you to find a balance between the autonomy of the device and the usability of the interface.
In MIUI and the new HyperOS, this is a timer that counts the time since the last touch. If you don't interact with the gadget for a given period, the backlight turns off to save battery life. In this article, we'll take a look at all the methods available to control this setting, including hidden settings and automation.
Standard timeout settings of the display
The basic way to change the waiting interval is available in the system settings menu. You need to go to Settings → Screen and Brightness → Sleep mode. Here the system will suggest selecting a fixed period of time after which the display will go out. The standard set of values is usually limited and does not always meet the needs of each user.
It's worth noting that the options available depend on your device model and firmware version. On flagship models, the list can be wider than on the budget Redmi or POCO series. If you don't see the value you want, it may be hidden by developers for the sake of energy savings.
- 🕒 15 seconds – minimum value, maximum savings.
- 🕒 30 seconds is the standard choice for most scenarios.
- 🕒 1 minute is optimal for reading text without frequent touching.
- 🕒 2 minutes – rarely available, convenient to navigate.
- 🕒 5 minutes – maximum in the standard menu, quickly puts the battery down.
It’s important to understand that increasing screen time directly affects the autonomy of the smartphone. If you set the maximum value, the device will consume more power, especially if the screen displays a static image.
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Use a dark interface theme with a long screen time – this will significantly reduce energy consumption on the screen. AMOLED-display.
Expanded Features Through Engineering Menu
For advanced users who lack standard options, there is an option to access hidden settings through an engineering menu, which allows you to set the exact time in seconds or minutes that is not available in a normal interface. However, you should be extremely careful, since changing system parameters can affect the device's operation.
To get into the debugging menu, open the Phone app and enter a special code. For many Xiaomi devices, code ##6484## or ##4636##. Once you log in, you need to find a section related to the display or general hardware testing. The interface may vary depending on the Snapdragon or MediaTek processor model.
⚠️ Warning: Changes to the engineering menu are at your own risk, and do not change parameters that you do not know to be relevant to avoid software failures.
In some versions of MIUI, direct timer change via the engineering menu is blocked, in which case you can try resetting the display to the factory settings through the same menu, which sometimes returns the full list of available intervals to the standard settings menu.
What if the code doesn't work?
Use of the “Do not turn off” mode when charging
One of the most useful features for those who use a smartphone as a desktop watch or smart home control panel is to prevent them from going to sleep while charging, an option that is on the developer menu and allows the screen to burn continuously while the power is on.
To activate this function, you must first activate the developer mode. → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the field "Version" MIUI» or "Version" OS». After you have become a developer, go back to the main settings menu and select “More» → «For developers».
- 🔌 Find the option “Don’t turn off the screen” or “Stay awake».
- 🔌 Activate the switch in front of this item.
- 🔌 Now, when connecting the charger, the screen will not go out.
This feature is extremely useful if you use your smartphone for navigation in the car or as an information panel, but remember that constant glow can cause pixels to burn out on AMOLED-matrixes if the static picture is displayed for too long.
☑️ Check before activating the developer mode
Automation with the Macrosa application
Xiaomi’s Macros app (or Shortcuts in newer versions) allows you to create complex scenarios for your device, and you can set up automatic screen time changes depending on the application you’re running or the time of day.
For example, you can create a scenario: "If the Reader app is running, set a screen timer for 5 minutes," or vice versa: "If it's 23:00 to 07:00, reduce the timer to 15 seconds to save battery at night." It's a flexible tool that doesn't require superuser rights.
To create a macro, go to the application, click + and select the startup condition. Then add System Settings → Screen Time Out. These scripts work in the background and do not require constant monitoring.
| Script | Conditions | Action. | The result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | Kindle app launched | Timer 5 min | The screen doesn't go out when reading. |
| Navigation | Yandex.Navigator Launched | Timer 2 min | Easy to see the route |
| Night. | Time 23:00 - 06:00 | Timer 15 seconds | Maximum savings |
| Games | PUBG Mobile Launched | Keep it on. | The screen is on during the game |
The problem of rapid quenching and the proximity sensor
Sometimes users complain that the screen goes out instantly after unlocking or during a conversation, regardless of the timer settings set, often the culprit of this behavior is the proximity sensor or the protective glass that covers the top of the screen.
Check to see if the sensor at the top of the smartphone is contaminated, and make sure that the protective film or glass has the appropriate cutout, so if the sensor is closed, the system thinks that your phone is near your ear, and it turns off the display to save energy and prevent accidental tapping.
In some cases, calibrating sensors through the engineering menu helps: type in the code ##6484##, select Sensor or Sensors, then find Proximity Sensor and follow the instructions on the screen for calibration, which can eliminate false positives.
⚠️ Note: If the screen only goes out in certain apps (like YouTube), check the settings of the app itself. Video players often have their own inactivity timer.
The Impact of Design Theme and Always On Display
The Always On Display feature may conflict with the main timeout settings on some firmware versions. If you have AOD activated, the main screen may go out faster to go into watch and notification mode.
Also, some third-party themes downloaded from the Themes store may contain their own screen control scripts.If you notice the odd timer behavior after installing a new theme, try going back to standard design.
To check, turn off Always On Display from the Settings menu → Screen and brightness → Always On Display and test the timer again.
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Third-party themes and widgets on the desktop can intercept backlight control, resetting standard system settings.