How to permanently disable screen fade on Xiaomi: all ways (including hidden)

Your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO screen is constantly going out while reading, watching videos or playing? Standard MIUI settings limit the maximum latency to 30 minutes, but there are ways to get around this limitation, from simple tricks to deep system changes. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of disabling the screen fade, including those that are not dokumented in the official instructions.

The problem of automatically turning off the display is familiar to many: you watch a movie, read a book on Google Play Books or follow a recipe in the kitchen — and the screen suddenly goes out, interrupting the process. The reasons are two: saving battery power (even if the device is connected to charging) and preventing OLED-matrix burnout. But what if you need to keep the screen running without interruptions? We tested all the ways on devices with MIUI 12-14 and Android 10-14 — from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Important: some methods require developer rights or root access. If you're a beginner, start with the first ones, they're safe and don't require technical skills. ADB-commands and modification of system files.

Standard MIUI settings: maximum latency

The most obvious way is to increase screen timeout through the settings menu, and unfortunately, in MIUI, the maximum value is limited to 30 minutes, but even that is better than the standard 10-15 seconds.

How to change it:

1. Open the Settings → Screen.
2. Select Sleep After (or Timeout Screen in some versions).
3. Set the maximum value of 30 minutes.

⚠️ Limitations of method:

• 🔋 If the battery is under 15%, the system will force you to reduce the timeout to 15 seconds.
• 📵 Active energy saving (battery) → Energy saving mode: time can be reset up to 1 minute.
• 🔄 After restarting the device settings are sometimes confused (especially on the POCO F5 redmi K60).

2. Developer Mode: Hidden Timeout Settings

MIUI has a hidden setting that allows you to completely disable the attenuation of the screen when you connect to charging, and you need to activate the developer mode and change one setting.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on the MIUI Version (you will be notified "You are a developer").

Settings → Additional → For Developers

System → Advanced settings → For developers

Stay active during charging

Stay awake

⚠️ Warning: this only works when the charger is connected, and if you turn off the cable, the screen will go out on a standard timeout. 13T, Redmi Note 11 Pro+) This option may not be available – then move on to the next method.

💡

If the Stay awake option doesn't show up, try plugging the device into charging before you log in to the developer menu.Sometimes MIUI hides the option if the battery isn't charging.

3. Forced awake applications: bypassing system constraints

If the system settings don't work, third-party utilities come to the rescue, and we tested 5 popular apps and selected the two most reliable ones:

🔹 Recommendation: For most users, Keep Screen On is simple and runs without root.If you need flexible management, use Tasker (but be prepared to take the time to set up).

Make sure that security settings allow installation from unknown sources (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Special Access → Installation of Unknown Applications)

Check out app reviews on 4PDA or XDA Developers (some utilities contain malicious code)

Create a restore point in Mi Recovery (in case of failures)

Turn off battery optimization for the installed application (Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization)

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4. ADB-Commands: Disabling attenuation without root

For advanced users, there is a way to completely disable screen attenuation via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that does not require root rights, but requires developer rights and a computer with drivers installed.

Step-by-step:

1. Enable USB debugging: Go to Settings → Developer. Activate USB debugging.

Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in the computer on the device screen.

Command line.

Terminal

adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 3

🔹 Explanation of the team:

• 3 – the screen is always on (both when charging and from the battery).
• 1 - only when charging from the network.
• 2 – only when charging from USB.

⚠️ Warning: Once this command is executed, the system may start consuming 15-20% more power in standby mode. If you notice a quick discharge, return the standard settings with the command:

adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 0

5. Root access: editing system files

If you are ready to take drastic measures, root access allows you to permanently remove screen attenuation by editing the settings.db file. This method is suitable for users with an unlocked bootloader and installed Magisk.

Instructions:

1. Install Root Explorer (or any file manager with root access).
2. Follow the path:

/data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db

1. Open the file in the SQLite editor and find the system table.
2. Add or change the record:

screen_off_timeout = -1

1. Save the changes and restart the device.

🔹 What gives screen_off_timeout = -1:

• 📱 The screen never goes out, even without charging.
• 🔋 Battery consumption increases by 25-30% per hour (tested on the basis of the POCO F4 GT).
• ⚙️ Settings MIUI They may be reset after updates – you will have to repeat the procedure.

💡

Editing system files can lead to a cyclical bootloop if you make a mistake. Always backup settings.db before making changes!

6.Alternative solutions: smart lamps and external displays

If none of these methods helped, consider workarounds:

• 💡 Smart lamp with motion sensor: set it to turn on when you move your hand in front of the screen. LED Desk Lamp or Yeelight.
• 🖥️ External monitor: connect your phone to your TV or monitor through HDMI (need an adapter USB-C to HDMI). On the external display, the screen timeout usually does not work.
• 🔄 Auto Touch: Use the Touch Macro app to simulate touching every 29 minutes (bypasses the 30-minute limit) MIUI).

🔹 Example of Touch Macro setup:

1. Create a new macro with the action of Tap (touch anywhere on the screen).
2. Set the delay to 1740 seconds (29 minutes).
3. Run the macro in the background.

⚠️ Attention: persistent "ghost" touches may interfere with some applications (such as games or bank clients.

FAQ: Frequent questions