Set up a screen switch on Xiaomi: from sleep timer to hidden MIUI features

The screen of Xiaomi smartphone is not only a window into the digital world, but also one of the main “eaters” of battery power. 15-30% day and day, and also to protect AMOLED-But many users have problems: the screen goes out too quickly, does not respond to the tap on the display, or, conversely, remains on in your pocket, draining the battery.

In this article, we will analyze all ways to control the sleep screen on Xiaomi, Redmi devices, POCO Black Shark – from basic settings MIUI You'll learn how to customize your timer to your tasks, turn off auto-switching for individual applications, and even control the screen through ADB-And also, why do you sometimes reset after you update and how do you fix it.

If your smartphone is discharged in half a day and the screen is turned on in your pocket from accidental touches, this guide will help solve both problems. Let’s start with the simple and move on to advanced methods that are not described even in the official documentation of Xiaomi.

1. Standard setting of screen switch-off time

The most obvious way is to change the sleep timer in the system settings, which works on all devices running MIUI (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T and other models from 2020-2026).

To set up automatic screen switching off:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Screen section (or Display on some firmware).
3. Select “Screen Dream” (or Sleep Timer).
4. Set the desired time: from 15 seconds to 30 minutes.

On most devices, the following options are available:

• 🔄 15 seconds – minimum value, suitable for saving charge in standby mode.
• ⏳ 30 seconds – optimal balance for everyday use.
• 📱 1/2/5/10 minutes – convenient for reading or watching videos.
• 🚫 Never – the screen will remain on until manually turned off (not recommended!).

An important nuance: on some models (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi K60) when choosing Never, the system still locks the screen after 30 minutes for security reasons. This restriction can only be circumvented through ADB (for this, see section 5).

2. Separate settings for locking and turning off the screen

Many people confuse two different processes:

1. Turn off the screen – the display goes off, but the device remains active (music plays, notifications come).
2. Screen locking – requires unlocking (PIN, fingerprint, Face ID).

In MIUI, these functions are set up separately to change the time before locking:

1. Go to Settings → Lock and Protection → Automatic Lock.
2. Select the interval: From Immediately to 30 minutes.

Critical: If you set Auto Lock to Immediate and Screen Sleep to 1 minute, the smartphone will immediately lock after the display is damped, which can create problems when using Google Pay or other services that require unlocking.

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If you use contactless payments often, set Auto Lock for 5-10 seconds and Screen Sleep for 30 seconds, so the screen will go out later, but you will not need to unlock immediately.

MIUI 14+ also has a "Raise to Activate" feature (Settings → Screen → Raise to Activate) if it's on, the screen will light up when the device is lifted, but this can accidentally unlock the phone in your pocket, and we recommend turning it off if you notice spontaneous activation.

3. Application exceptions: how to undo the screen shutdown

Sometimes you need to keep your screen up while a particular app is running — like navigating Google Maps or reading a book in Moon+ Reader. MIUI has a built-in Sleep Exceptions feature, but it's hidden in the depth of settings.

To add an annex to the exceptions:

1. Open Settings → Special Options → Exceptions for Sleep.
2. Turn on the “Allow applications to remain active” switch.
3. Select apps from the list (e.g. YouTube, Waze, Twitch).

If the application is not in the list:

• 🔍 Check if it supports the background (some applications are blocked by the system).
• 📱 Try to turn on “Autostart” for it in Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Auto-start.
• 🔧 Some applications (such as Termux) will require manual permission through the ADB.

Restriction: Sleep Exclusions don’t work on all models; some devices (like POCO F4) may not, and Google Play’s Keep Screen On app will help.

The app is updated to the latest version

Auto-start for the application is enabled

Power saving mode for the application is disabled

Compatibility with the MIUI-->

4. Hidden MIUI settings: Always on Display (AOD) mode

On devices with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi) K50 Pro is available in Always-On Display mode (AOD), It shows the time, notifications and other data when the screen is off, and it doesn't cancel the screen's sleep, but it allows you to see key information without fully turning on the display.

To set up 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.

Possible AOD styles in MIUI 14:

Important: AOD mode significantly increases battery consumption. On tests Xiaomi 12S Ultra with active AOD discharge per night was up to 12%, while without it – only 2-3%. If you are critical autonomy, use AOD only on schedule (for example, from 8:00 to 22:00).

5. Advanced methods: ADB-commands and hidden parameters

If standard settings are not enough, you can control the screen’s sleep time through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that is suitable for power users and allows you to bypass the limitations of MIUI.

To start, turn on “Debugging by USB”:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 7 times on this item to activate Developer Mode.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.

Now connect your smartphone to your PC and execute commands in the terminal (Windows: cmd, macOS/Linux: Terminal):

1. Viewing the current sleep time:

adb shell settings get system screen_off_timeout

The result will be in milliseconds, 30000 = 30 seconds.

2. setting a new time (example - 5 minutes = 300,000 ms):

adb shell settings put system screen_off_timeout 300000

3. turn off automatic sleep (the screen will always burn):

adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 3

After this command, the screen will not go out while the device is connected to the charge.

⚠️ Attention: Team stay_on_while_plugged_in 3 It only works when you connect to the power source. If you turn off the charging, the settings will reset. To permanently turn off sleep, you will need to modify the system files (root rights).

If your ADB settings are reset after you use it, check if Xiaomi’s Security app resets them. In this case, add your ADB app to the battery optimisation exclusion.

6.Why settings are reset and how to fix it

Many users complain that after updating MIUI or rebooting the device, the screen sleep time is reset to a standard 30 seconds, due to Xiaomi’s energy saving policy, which resets “non-optimal” settings.

Main causes of discharge:

• 🔄 Update MIUI — The system returns the "recommended" parameters.
• 🔋 Energy saving mode – forcibly shortens sleep time.
• 🛡️ Security app – blocks changes made through ADB.
• 📱 Resetting to factory settings is an obvious reason, but sometimes happens by accident.

To record the settings:

1. Turn off the “Adaptive Battery” in Settings → Battery → Battery settings.
2. Add the application you changed your settings through (such as Termux or ADB AppControl) to optimise:

ADB

adb shell dumpsys deviceidle force-idle

⚠️ Warning: Disabling battery optimization can increase charge consumption 10-15%. Use this method only if you really need to save your screen sleep settings.

If the problem persists, try using the MacroDroid app to automatically apply settings after the reboot. Build a macro with Screen Timeout action and a Device Boot trigger.

7. Alternative methods: applications and automation

If integrated functions MIUI They don't, you can use third-party utilities.-3 Checked screen control applications:

To use Tasker, create a task:

1. Add the Display action → Display Timeout.
2. Set the right time (in seconds).
3. Set up a trigger (for example, when connecting to Wi-Fi or when running an application).

Example of automatic scenario:

• 📱 Condition: Connection to Android Auto.
• ⏳ Action: Set screen sleep time for 10 minutes.
• 🔄 Recovery: Return settings after disconnection.

⚠️ Note: Some screen control apps (such as Keep Screen On) may conflict with features MIUI, If you notice lags or spontaneous reboots, turn off one of the apps.

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For maximum autonomy, use the combination: a standard sleep timer of 30 seconds + exceptions for navigation applications + turning off AOD at night.

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off Xiaomi's screen