Your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO screen is constantly going out at the most inopportune moment? It's not a coincidence, but the built-in MIUI power-saving feature that defaults to turning off the display after 30 seconds of inactivity. For most users, this timeout is justified — it saves battery life. But what if you want the screen to stay on longer: reading recipes in the kitchen, watching presentations or using your phone as a navigator?
In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to disable screen fade on Xiaomi devices, including the official settings. MIUI 14/15, Hidden functions for developers, ADB-Importantly, some methods require unlocking the bootloader or root rights, we will highlight these cases separately and warn you about the risks, and you will learn why some firmware may not work and how to fix them.
1. Standard method: screen settings in MIUI
The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in system options, which is suitable for most modern Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13, etc.) based on MIUI 12-15 and Android 11-14.
Instructions:
- 📱 Open the Settings app (cog icon).
- ⚙️ Go to the Screen section (or Display on some firmware).
- ⏱️ Find the Sleep item after inactivity (or screen timeout).
- 🔢 Choose the maximum value – usually 30 minutes or Never (on some models).
If you don't have Never on your menu, it means the manufacturer has limited the maximum time, so move on to the following methods.
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On some MIUI Global firmware, the option is Never Hidden. Try changing the region to India or China in the system settings (Section Additional → Region).
2. Developer Mode: Hidden Timeout Settings
If standard options don’t work, you can activate developer mode and access additional options, which works on all Xiaomi devices with Android 8.0+.
How to turn on the developer mode:
- Go to Settings. → The phone.
- Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times in a row.
- You will be notified that you have become a developer.
Now go back to the main Settings menu and open a new Developer section (usually at the bottom of the list).
- 🔍 Turn off the screen when inactivity – set the maximum value (up to 10 minutes on some firmware).
- 🔄 Stay active while charging – turn on this switch if you want the screen to stay on when connecting to the network.
What to do if there is no item "Switch off the screen when inactivity"?
3. ADB-Teams: Forced timeout shutdown
For advanced users who are ready to connect their smartphone to their computer, there is a way to turn off screen fading via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that works even where standard settings are locked.
You'll need:
- 💻 Computer with installed ADB Tools.
- 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
- 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (in the settings of the developer).
Instructions:
- Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
- Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with adb.exe.
- Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
- Use the command to turn off timeout: adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 3 This command will make the screen stay on only when charging.
- To completely turn off the timeout (even without charging) use: adb shell settings put system screen_off_timeout 2147483647 Attention: value 2147483647 (maximum integer) may cause unstable work on some firmware, in which case set a smaller value, for example, 1800000 (30 minute).
4. Apps from the Play Market: Alternative Solutions
If you don't want to go through the settings or connect your phone to your PC, you can use third-party apps, and we tested some of the most popular tools and selected the most reliable ones:
| Annex | Functions | Cons | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep Screen On | Keeps the screen on while the app is active, and there's a widget for quick access. | It works only for selected applications. Advertising is free. | Play Market |
| Caffeine | Adds a button to the notification bar for quick activation/disabling of the function. | It doesn't work on some custom firmware. | Play Market |
| Stay Alive! | It allows you to set timeouts for each application separately, and it supports exceptions. | A complex interface for beginners. | Play Market |
Warning: Some applications require Special Access permission (in the Developer Settings → Do not turn off the screen) without this, they will not be able to block extinction.
Enable installation from unknown sources (if you download APK)| Check app reviews and rating |Give all necessary permissions manually | Check battery consumption after installation-->
5. Bypass solutions: When nothing works
If none of the above methods worked (such as on heavily customized firmware or older models like the Redmi 4X), try these workarounds:
- 🔄 Cyclical tapping: Some users use automatic touch (via apps like MacroDroid) to simulate activity.
- 📹 Screen recording: Enable screen recording (built-in or through) AZ Screen Recorder – Many firmwares do not extinguish the display during recording.
- 🔋 Constant charging: If the screen doesn’t go out when you connect to the network, use wireless charging or power bank to simulate charging.
On some devices (such as the Xiaomi Pad 5), screen fading is associated with reading mode.
- Open the book in Mi Reader or Google Play Books.
- Activate the reading mode in the notification curtain.
- In some cases, the screen will not go out while the book is open.
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On devices with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T) The constant burning of the display can cause pixels to burn out. Use this method only when necessary.
Risks and warnings
Turning off screen fade may seem like a harmless feature, but has a number of consequences:
⚠️ Attention: On devices with AMOLED-The matrix (most flagships Xiaomi after 2020) constant display of static elements (for example, the navigation panel) leads to uneven wear of the pixels. This manifests as “shadows” from the icons that remain on the screen even after the image change.
Other possible problems:
- 🔋 Accelerated battery discharge: the screen consumes up to 30-50% of the charge per hour at constant operation.
- 🔥 Overheating: Prolonged display activity can cause the processor to heat up, especially in games.
- 🛡️ Blocking updates: on some firmware, changing system parameters through ADB This leads to errors in the update MIUI.
If you use your phone as a navigator or monitor for video surveillance, consider alternatives:
- 📱 Connect your smartphone to an external display through HDMI (supported-model).
- 🔄 Use Second Space mode (in settings) MIUI) Create a separate profile with other screen settings.
7. Frequent errors and their solutions
Even after all the instructions have been applied, the screen can continue to go out, and let's look at the typical causes and ways to eliminate them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Settings are reset after rebooting | ADB-Teams are not retained due to restrictions MIUI. | Repeat the command after each reboot or use Tasker to execute automatically. |
| The screen is only turned off in certain applications. | The app itself blocks screen activity (e.g. YouTube in the background). | Use VLC or MX Player to play video – they don’t blow out the screen. |
| No "Sleep after inactivity" item in the settings | Outdated firmware or custom MIUI build. | Update the system or use it ADB-method. |
⚠️ Note: On devices with corporate policies (such as work phones with MobileIron or Microsoft Intune), the administrator can block changing screen settings. IT-service.