Turn off the screen on Xiaomi when listening to voice messages: 5 proven ways

Your Xiaomi screen goes out in 30 seconds, as soon as you start listening to voice messages on WhatsApp, Telegram or VK? This problem is familiar to many owners of smartphones on MIUI - the system aggressively saves battery power by ignoring active audio playback, as a result, you have to constantly touch the screen so that it does not turn off, or miss important moments in long voice messages.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to turn off screen auto-switching on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO when listening to music or voice messages – from standard MIUI settings to hidden features for power users. All methods have been tested on MIUI 12-14 firmware and are relevant for models from 2020-2026.

Why does Xiaomi’s screen turn off while playing audio?

The problem is that MIUI's power-saving algorithms, which by default don't recognize listening to voice messages as "active use" of a smartphone, and the system thinks that if you're not interacting with the screen, you can put the device into sleep mode.

• 🎵 Voice messages in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber)
• 🎧 Podcasts and audiobooks in the background
• 🎶 Music via YouTube Music, Spotify or Mi Music
• 📻 Radio stations in applications such as Radio FM or VK Music.

Videos on YouTube or streams on Twitch often don’t cause this problem, but the system recognizes them as “media activity,” while voice messages are perceived as background processes that don’t require screen support.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi Note 11 Pro+) post-update MIUI 14 standard screen latency settings can be reset. Check them after each major update.

Next, we will look at solutions from simple to advanced, including hidden features for developers.

Method 1: Increase screen waiting time in standard settings

The most obvious, but not always effective, method is to change the timeout of the auto-turn off screen, which is suitable if you need to temporarily solve the problem without deep settings.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings → Screen.
2. Select Sleep Mode (or screen timeout on some firmware).
3. Set the maximum value of 10 minutes or 30 minutes (depending on the model).
4. Save the changes.

Cons of the method:

• 🔋 Increases battery consumption as the screen stays on longer.
• ⏳ Does not solve the problem completely - the screen will still go out after the selected time.
• 📱 In some models (POCO X3 Pro, Redmi 9A) maximum value is limited to 5 minutes.

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If your smartphone does not have the item "Sleep mode", try the Settings path → Display → Additional → Timeout screen.

Method 2: Use of Do Not Disturb mode with exceptions

A lesser-known but working trick is to set up Do Not Disturb (DND) mode so that it ignores screen timeouts for selected apps, which will help if the problem only occurs in specific messengers.

How to set up:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Do not disturb.
2. Activate the mode and select Set up the rules.
3. Add apps that play voice messages (like Telegram or WhatsApp).
4. Enable the option to Allow notifications with sound and Show on the lock screen.
5. Return to the basic DND settings and activate Always show notifications on the lock screen.

This method causes the system to consider voice playback as an “active process,” which sometimes prevents the screen from turning off, but it doesn’t work on all models — test it on your device.

Method 3: Disconnecting power saving for messengers

A common cause of the problem is aggressive battery optimization for background applications. MIUI by default limits instant messenger activity to save charge, which leads to the screen turning off while playing audio.

How to turn off optimization:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Optimization
2. Select the Applications and find the messenger (for example, Telegram) in the list.
3. Click on it and select No Limits.
4. Repeat for all applications where voice messages are played.

It is further recommended that:

• 🔄 Enable AutoRun for the messenger in Settings → Annexes → Application management → [Name of messenger] → Auto-start.
• 📶 Allow the use of data in the background in the same settings.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 13 Global) after the battery optimization is turned off, the charge consumption can increase by 5-10%. → Battery → Battery utilization.

Optimization for messenger disabled | Autorun enabled | Data usage allowed in the background | App added to DND-->

Method 4: Activate Developer Mode and Disable Sleep Mode

For power users, there's a more radical method, which is to turn off sleep mode through the developer's settings, which will completely prevent the screen from turning off, but can affect autonomy.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on the MIUI Version until you become a developer!

For developers

Sleeping mode.

Keep the screen down.

Optimizing MIUI

Important: This method completely shuts down the screen timeout, which can lead to a 15-25% increase in battery consumption when used actively.

Method 5: Screen stoppage applications (for root and without)

If standard methods don't work, you can use third-party utilities that mimic user activity, keeping the screen from turning off.

Top.-3 tested applications:

• 📱 Caffeine (no root required) – Adds a button to the notification panel to quickly turn on/off caffeine (sleep blocking).
• 🔧 Keep Screen On (for root) – allows you to flexibly configure screen lock rules for individual applications.
• 🎵 Music Screen On – a special solution for listening to music and voice messages.

How to set up Caffeine:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and grant permission to Overlay over other windows.
3. Activate the switch in the notification panel before listening to voice messages.

⚠️ Note: apps like Keep Screen On with root rights may conflict with MIUI Optimization. If after installation, the smartphone began to slow down, turn off optimization in the developer settings.

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Third-party apps are the most versatile way, but require caution: check reviews and permissions before installing.

Additional advice for specific models

Some Xiaomi smartphones have unique features that affect how the screen works while playing audio.

• 📱 Xiaomi 12S Ultra: In this model, the problem is often related to the adaptive refresh rate of the screen. Try fixing it at 60 Hz in Settings. → Screen. → Frequency of update.
• 📱 Redmi Note 10 Pro: Disabling the Up to Wake Up feature in Settings can help here → Screen. → Screen locking.
• 📱 POCO X4 GT: Check out Game Turbo settings – sometimes they conflict with audio playback in the background.

If none of the methods worked, try resetting the screen settings to factory:

1. Go to Settings → System and device → Resetting.
2. Select Reset Screen Settings (not to be confused with a full reset!).
3. Confirm the action and restart the device.

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In the models with AMOLED-screen (Xiaomi 13 Lite, Redmi) K50) Prolonged burning of static elements (such as notification panels) can cause a burn-in effect. Use dynamic wallpaper or reduce brightness when listening to audio.

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off the screen