How to make the screen not turn off on Android-smartphones Xiaomi: all working methods

The screen of your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO Is it going out too quickly, interrupting reading, watching videos, or working with the navigator? MIUI You have a screen sleep timer -- usually 30 seconds or 1-2 minutes -- that works to save battery life, but in some scenarios (like using your phone as a battery). GPS-Navigator or during presentations, this is a inconvenience.

In this article, we will look at all possible ways to turn off screen auto-turn on Xiaomi devices, from standard settings to hidden features and third-party utilities. We will focus on the nuances for different versions of MIUI (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS), and also look at solutions for cases where standard methods do not work. If you need the display to remain on permanently or only in certain applications, here you will find a suitable option.

1. Standard method: adjusting the sleep timer in MIUI

The easiest method is to change the screen auto-turn off time through the settings menu, which works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones regardless of the firmware version, but has a limit: the maximum inactivity time is 10 minutes (in some versions, 30 minutes).

To set the timer:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Display section (or the Screen in older versions of MIUI).
3. Select the item Sleep Timer (or Sleep after inactivity).
4. Set the desired time: from 15 seconds to 10/30 minutes (depending on the model).

⚠️ Note: On some devices with MIUI 12+ And HyperOS, the sleep timer can be hidden in the submenu Additional screen settings. If you don't find an option, search by settings (the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner).

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If your MIUI version doesn't have a "Sleep Timer" option, try upgrading to the latest stable version of the firmware. Often the manufacturer returns hidden settings in new builds.

2. "Do not turn off the screen" mode for individual applications

If you want your screen to stay on-screen only in specific apps (like Google Maps, Waze or YouTube), use the built-in Auto Brightness and Sleep feature with exceptions.This method does not require root rights and works on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 10 and later.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Display. → Autobrightness and sleep.
• 🔍 Scroll down and find the Sleep Exclusions section (or Sleepless Apps).
• ➕ Click Add App and select those in which the screen should remain on.
• 🔄 Restart your smartphone (sometimes changes only apply after a reboot).

⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as instant messengers or games) may ignore this setting due to battery optimization.In this case, try turning off battery optimization for them manually: Settings → Annexes → Application management → [Select the application] → Battery → No restrictions.

3.Using Developer Mode (ADB)

If standard settings do not allow you to set sleep time more than 10-30 minutes, you can bypass the restriction through the developer mode and the ADB team. This method is suitable for advanced users and requires connecting a smartphone to a computer.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Press 7 times on MIUI Version until the notification "You've become a developer" appears.
2. Turn on USB debugging: Return to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate the USB debugging switch.

adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 3

This command will make the screen stay on constantly when connected to charging.

⚠️ Attention: After use ADB-commands on some Xiaomi devices may reset the setting of the sleep timer in standard settings. To return everything back, perform:

adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 0

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|Download the platform ADB (for example, Minimal ADB and Fastboot)|Enable debugging on USB phone-on|Connect the phone to the PC in the mode "Transfer of files"-->

4. Third-party screen control applications

If you need flexible screen sleep management (e.g., only shutting down at certain hours or when battery power is low), use specialized utilities.

• 🔄 Keep Screen On - allows you to keep the screen on manually (through notification) or on schedule.
• ⚡ Caffeine adds a button to the notification panel to quickly turn on/off the "do not sleep" mode.
• 📱 Stay Alive - Advanced settings for screen control, including app exceptions and brightness control.

🔹 Important: Applications will need permission to Overlay over other windows (included in Settings) → Annexes → Without that, they won't be able to block the screen from turning off.

⚠️ Note: Some antivirus software (e.g. Avast or 360 Security) may block these utilities from working as suspicious. Add the application to the antivirus exceptions or temporarily disable the protection.

5. Hidden MIUI settings (for power users)

MIUI firmware has hidden settings that allow you to turn off your sleep timer completely or adjust it more flexibly, and can be accessed through an engineering menu or editing system files (requires root rights).

The method without root (via engineering menu):

1. Open the phone app and enter the code: ##4636##
2. In the menu that opens, select Battery Information.
3. Scroll down and find the screen wait time (or Screen timeout).
4. Set the value of Never (or maximum available).

🔹 Note: New versions MIUI 13/14 And the HyperOS engineering menu can be blocked, so try the alternative code:

##6484##

The root method (editing settings.db):

• 📁 Use a root-access file manager (e.g., Root Explorer).
• 🔍 Cross the path. /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases.
• 📝 Open the settings.db file in the text editor and find the line with screen_off_timeout.
• ✏️ Change the value to -1 (Turn off the sleep timer and save the file.
• 🔄 Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: Editing system files without a backup can cause firmware to fail.Before changes, back up through TWRP Or Mi Flash Tool.

6. Alternative solutions for specific cases

If none of the above methods are suitable, consider alternative options:

• 🔌 Use Do Not Disturb mode with exceptions: Turn on Do Not Disturb and add the desired applications to exceptions. MIUI This prevents the screen from turning off.
• 📡 Connecting to an external display: If the phone is connected to the monitor HDMI Wireless Display, the screen of the smartphone can stay on longer.
• 🔋 Battery replacement: On older devices (Xiaomi Mi) A1, Redmi Note 4) screen may go out due to worn-out battery.Check battery health in Settings → Battery → Battery status.

🔹 For owners. POCO F1/F2/F3: These models have a proprietary feature Always On Display (AOD), which may conflict with the sleep timer settings. Turn it off in Settings → Display. → Always on display if the screen is still on.

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If the screen turns off even when connected to charging, check the cable and power supply – some non-original charging doesn’t provide enough current, and the Forced sleep mode system.

FAQ: Frequent Questions and Problems