How to turn off the screen on Xiaomi: all the ways to MIUI 12-14

Xiaomi's smartphone screen is not only a window into the digital world, but also one of the main "eaters" of battery power. Even in standby mode, the display can accidentally activate in your pocket, waste energy on backlighting or interfere with the night. Fortunately, MIUI offers several ways to turn off the screen, from standard to hidden. But not all of them are obvious: for example, did you know that on some Redmi and POCO models you can turn off the display with a double tap over an empty space on your desktop?

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods – from the classic pressing of the power button to automatically switch off the timer and even commands via ADB. Particular attention will be paid to the nuances for different versions of MIUI 12-14 and models (including Black Shark with a gaming interface), and also explain why sometimes the screen does not turn off after locking and how to fix it.

If you want to save power or you just need to be more comfortable with one hand, here's a solution, but first, let's figure out what's right for your model.

1. Standard method: power button

The most obvious method is a short tap on the physical power button (usually located on the right end of the device). On all Xiaomi smartphones, from the Redmi 4X to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra, it works the same way:

• 🔘 Press the power button once – the screen will go out, but the device will remain on.
• 🔄 To unlock, press the button again or use the fingerprint/face scanner (if configured).
• ⚡ In some models (for example, POCO F4 GT) Power button can be sensitive – avoid pressing too long to avoid triggering the switch-off menu.

It's a versatile way to do this, but it's not always convenient, because if you hold your phone in one hand, it can be hard to reach the power button, and if you press it often, the mechanical button wears out faster.

Important: If the screen doesn't go out after pressing the button, check to see if the Do Not Disturb mode is activated with notification exceptions. Sometimes it blocks the display from turning off when active alerts are activated.

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In the models with AMOLED-The screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro) after turning off the display can be seen Always-On Display (AOD) With time and notifications, to completely turn off the screen, turn off. AOD in settings: Screen → Always-On Display

2.Gesturals and double tap to turn off the screen

MIUI offers several software ways to turn off the screen without using buttons, the most popular being double tapping over empty space on the desktop or notification panel, but by default this feature is disabled.

To activate it:

1. Go to Settings → Special Features → Gestures and Movements → Double tap to lock.
2. Turn on the switch.
3. Select the activation zone: Desktop or Notification Panel.

Now, just touch the screen twice in the selected area and it will go out, which is especially useful for devices with large displays (for example, Xiaomi Pad 6 or Redmi K60 Ultra), where it is not always easy to reach the power button.

• ✋ It works even with one hand mode on.
• 🚫 It does not work on a locked screen or in some games (e.g. Genshin Impact).
• ⚙️ On some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU), the path to setup may be different: → Additionally. → Gestures.

On Black Shark 5 Pro and other Xiaomi gaming smartphones, the double tap is disabled by default due to conflict with game triggers. To activate it, first deactivate the Game Gestures feature in Shark Space.

3. Automatically shutting down the screen by timer

If you often forget to turn off the screen (for example, when reading before bedtime), you can set up an automatic shutdown after a predetermined time of inactivity.

Open Settings → Screen → Sleep mode and select the appropriate interval:

15 seconds (minimum value, saves charge, but can interfere with reading).

30 seconds (the best balance for most users)

1-10 minutes (suitable for watching video or games)

On models with MIUI 14 (such as the Xiaomi 13T), the Adaptive Sleep mode option has been introduced, which analyzes your habits and automatically adjusts the time of the screen shutdown. For example, if you normally read for 5 minutes, the system will not turn off the display after 30 seconds.

Hidden Opportunity: Some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU) can be installed Never, but it is highly discouraged – the screen will burn to full battery life.

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If the screen doesn't go out despite the timer settings, check the apps in the background. Some programs (like YouTube or Google Maps) block sleep mode.

4.Switch off the screen through the notification panel

MIUI 13 and 14 have a quick way to turn off the screen through the notification panel.

1. Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Find the Lock button (lock icon) in the bottom row.
3. Slap it on, the screen goes out.

If no button:

• 🔧 Click on Edit (pencil icon) in the notification bar.
• 🔍 Find the Lock button in the list and drag it to the active area.
• 📌 Record the changes.

This method is convenient when you want to quickly lock your phone without pressing the power button, but on some models (for example, the Redmi Note 11 with custom firmware), the button may not be available.

Alternatively, you can add a desktop lock widget to MIUI 14.

1. Long press on the empty space of the desktop → Widgets.
2. Find the Utilities widget and select Lock.
3. Drag him on the screen.

Make sure the screen is not locked (gestures only work when unlocked).

Check if the Do Not Disturb mode is activated with gesture blocking.

- Update. MIUI Up to the latest version (in older versions of tap recognition bugs).-->

5. Disconnect the screen via ADB (for advanced)

If standard methods do not fit (for example, the power button is broken on the device), you can turn off the screen through the device. ADB-This requires a computer connection, but works on all Xiaomi models, including POCO M5 redmi A2.

Instructions:

1. Enable USB debugging in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux).
3. Enter the command: Adb shell input keyevent 26 This simulates the pressing of the power button.

To automatically turn off the screen after a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) use:

adb shell input keyevent 26 && sleep 10 && adb shell input keyevent 26

⚠️

Note: ADB teams require developer rights and may conflict with some applications (e.g. Greenify or Tasker) and do not use them unless you are sure of the action.

• 🖥️ It works on Windows, macOS and Linux.
• 🔌 Demands. USB-cable (or Wi-Fi) ADB, if you're tuned).
• ⚙️ Some of the firmware (e.g. Global) ROM) You may need to confirm the debugging on the phone.

Problems and Solutions: The Screen is Not Turned Off

Sometimes the Xiaomi screen doesn't go out despite all attempts.

• 🔋 Charging: When connected to the charger, some models (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro) remain on.
• 📱 Annexes: Games (PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty, or navigators (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps) block sleep mode.
• 🔄 System Error: If the screen does not go out even after pressing the power button, restart the device or reset the screen settings → Sleeping to standard.
• 🛠️ Sensor damage: On models with AMOLED (for example, Xiaomi 12T) Sometimes the proximity sensor will fail. Check it in the engineering menu (#6484##).

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Note: If the screen does not turn off at all (even after the battery is removed on removable models), this may indicate a hardware malfunction of the power controller.

For diagnosis, use the safe start mode:

1. Press the power button before the off menu appears.
2. Press and hold Disconnect power → will be prompted to go to safe mode.
3. Confirm. If the screen is off normally in Safe Mode, the problem is in a third-party app.

FAQ: Frequent questions