How to turn off the auto-shut screen on Xiaomi: a step-by-step guide

Xiaomi smartphones are famous for their energy efficiency, but sometimes aggressive battery saving interferes with comfortable use. Users often face a situation when the display goes out at the most inopportune moment, for example, while reading long articles or viewing recipes in the kitchen. Standard timer settings do not always allow you to set a sufficiently large value, and in some cases the screen turns off even at a set maximum time.

The solution lies in the deep settings of the MIUI or HyperOS system. Understanding how to properly manage lock parameters will allow you to avoid constant touch of the display. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to increase backlighting time and methods of completely disabling the timer.

It is worth noting that the complete absence of autolock can lead to a die burnout or a quick battery discharge. So it is important to find a balance between convenience and saving the device resources. We will consider not only standard methods, but also specific features available in the shell from the Chinese manufacturer.

Standard lock timer settings

The first and most obvious step is to check the basic parameters of the system, and in most cases, users just need to increase the standard time interval to solve the problem, and you need to go to the Settings menu of your smartphone.

Next, you'll find the partition that's responsible for the screen and lock, and the path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same, and you'll need to open the lock screen, where the main controls are located.

Here you'll see the "Sleep Mode" or "Screen Timer" option, and clicking on it will give you a list of available time slots, usually a maximum of 5 or 10 minutes, which is the industry standard.

• 📱 Open the Settings app on the main table.
• 🔒 Go to the Lock Screen or Always On screen and Lock screen section».
• ⏱️ Find the item "Sleeping mode" and select the maximum available time.
• ✅ Check if the changes are still in place after the menu is released.

If you don't have a standard time range, you should look at the extras. Some Redmi and Poco models have advanced developer mode settings, but we'll talk about that later. For now, it's important to make sure that the base timer is set correctly.

⚠️ Attention: Setting maximum screen time significantly speeds up battery consumption. Do not leave your smartphone with an active display unattended for long periods of time.

After making changes, the system may require a confirmation or reboot of the interface. This is normal behavior of the MIUI shell. Make sure that the proximity sensor is working correctly, as it also affects the behavior of the backlight during conversations.

“Do not turn off” mode in the menu for developers

For those critical to never go out on their own, there is a hidden feature in the developer menu that forcibly prevents the system from going to sleep while the device is connected to the power source.

To activate this feature, you first need to unlock access to hidden settings. Find the "MIUI Version" or "OS Version" section of the About Phone section, you need to quickly click on it 7-10 times in a row until you notice a successful activation.

After that, a new section, "Additional" or "Extended Settings" will appear in the main settings menu, and inside it, "For developers," and this is where the feature is located.

In the list of options, you need to find the item “Stay awake”, which activates ensures that the display will burn constantly, but only if the charger is connected, which is ideal for using a smartphone as a navigator or information panel.

• 🔓 Unlock the developer menu with clicks on the OS version.
• ⚙️ Go to "Additional» → «For developers».
• 🔌 Find the “Do not turn off the screen” switch and activate it.
• 🔋 Connect the charger to check the function.

It's important to understand that this setting ignores the standard timer. Even if you set 15 seconds in the normal settings, the developer option turned on will make the screen burn as long as it's charging.

It's not possible to use this feature on a regular basis without a network connection, and it's specifically designed to protect the battery from deep discharge and prevent damage to the matrix.

Always on Display and its impact

The feature is always on display (AOD), available AMOLED-While it doesn't completely disable the lock, it changes the behavior of the screen when it's off, leaving the clock and notifications active.

In some scenarios, users confuse AOD with a regular timer: If you have Always On mode on, the screen may light up when you raise your smartphone or receive a notification, creating the illusion that the timer has reset.

You can configure the behavior of this function in the same section of the Lock Screen, and schedule options are available here, for example, turning on only at night or in a specified time interval.

If your goal is to just see time without unlocking, it's better to use AOD instead of turning off the lock timer completely, which will save the main matrix's life and provide better autonomy.

Use of third-party applications

When built-in tools are not enough, Google Play apps come to the rescue, allowing you to flexibly manage your lock timer, creating profiles for different situations.

One popular solution is the Keep Screen On app, which runs above the system constraints and keeps the screen active, but it requires certain permissions to work.

When installing such software, carefully read reviews and requested permissions. Some utilities may contain advertising or overuse the processor resources, negating the benefits of using them.

• 📥 Download the proven screen control app.
• 🛡️ Provide the necessary permits for overlaying windows.
• ⚙️ Configure activation profiles (for example, only in certain applications).
• 🗑️ If necessary, remove the program through settings.

It is worth remembering that third-party programs do not have the same priority as system processes. In the context of a lack of RAM, the Android system can forcibly close such an application, and the screen will go out on a standard timer.

⚠️ Warning: Avoid installing applications with dubious reputations that promise “magical” battery augmentation, often just a shell for advertising and collecting user data.

For most users, the best option is to use built-in functions or developer mode. Third-party software should be considered as a temporary solution for specific tasks.

Sensor problems and calibration

Sometimes the screen turns off not because of the timer settings, but because the proximity sensor is not working correctly, and if the smartphone thinks it is in your pocket or ear, it turns off the display regardless of the time set.

A common cause of false positives is poor quality protective glass or contamination of the top of the screen.Dust or greasy film can block the sensor, causing the system to think that the device is closed.

You can use an engineering menu or a special application to check the sensors for diagnostics, and type ##6484## in the phone app to get into the CIT engineering menu.

In the proximity sensor test, cover the top of the screen with your hand and remove it. The indicator should respond instantly. If the reaction is delayed or absent, cleaning or software calibration is required.

It is also worth checking the "Mode in the pocket" settings. In some versions of MIUI, this feature is too sensitive, and disabling this option in the "Block and protect" section can solve the problem of accidental shutdowns.

Specificity of work in applications and games

Special attention should be paid to the behavior of the screen within specific applications. Some programs, such as video players or navigators, have their own timer settings that override the system.

In YouTube or VLC, the screen doesn't go out while the video is playing, but if the video is paused, the system timer comes into effect, which is a standard behavior that can't be changed without root rights.

For navigation applications such as Yandex.Navigator or Google Maps, there are internal settings for “Do not turn off the screen.” Check the settings of the application itself before changing the settings of the entire system.

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If the screen goes out while reading books in the app, try turning on the Sensor Orientation or Don't Turn Off the Screen When the Book is Open in the reader settings, which often works better than system settings.

In games, the situation is similar: while the gameplay is going on, the screen is active, problems can occur on the download screens or in the menu, where the timer becomes relevant again.

Frequent Questions and Answers (FAQ)

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The best way to avoid auto-turning off is to use the developer’s “Do not turn off screen” mode when charging. For continuous operation without charging, it is safer to increase the standard timer to 2-5 minutes.