How to keep the screen on Xiaomi: the complete guide

The situation of a smartphone display suddenly turning off at the most inopportune moment is familiar to many Android device owners. This is especially common for users who read long articles, follow recipes in the kitchen or use the phone as a navigator at the wheel. The screen goes off, locks, and you have to constantly touch the display or scan your fingerprint to return the device to working condition. This is not only annoying, but also prevents the effective use of the gadget in specific scenarios.

With MIUI and the new HyperOS on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, this behavior is driven by a built-in inactivity timer. The default is set to save battery power, so the waiting time is often only 30 or 60 seconds. Fortunately, the developers have provided flexible settings to change this setting or even disable automatic locking.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available ways to manage your sleep timer, how to set up your standard latency, what hidden features exist for video players, and how to use third-party apps to create a “perpetual” screen mode. Understanding these settings will help you tailor the interface to your individual needs.

Standard setup of sleep timer in MIUI and HyperOS

The most obvious and safe way to change the display behavior is to use the basic system settings, where you can choose a fixed time frame for the phone to wait for your actions before going to sleep. To access these settings, you need to open the main menu and find the gear icon.

In the settings menu that opens, scroll down to the Screen and Brightness section. In some firmware versions, this item may simply be called "Screen." This is where all the basic visualization parameters, including refresh rate, color temperature, and of course, lock timer, are concentrated.

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If you can't find Screen, search by settings, type the word "sleep" or "screen" into the search bar at the top of the menu, and the system will open the desired section.

Find a line called Sleep Mode or Sleep Timer. When you click on it, you'll see a list of available intervals. The standard set usually includes values of 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes and 10 minutes. Selecting a higher value, such as 5 or 10 minutes, will allow you to read text comfortably from the screen without constant locking.

• ⏱️ 15 seconds – Minimum time, maximum battery savings.
• ⏱️ 1 minute – the standard balance between convenience and energy consumption.
• ⏱️ 5 minutes is the best time to read books or recipes.
• ⏱️ 10 minutes – maximum available time on the standard menu.

It’s worth noting that choosing too long an interval, such as 5 or 10 minutes, can lead to a faster battery drain if you forget to lock the phone manually.However, for current models with 5,000 mAh batteries, this is not a critical issue within one day of active use.

The function “Do not turn off the screen” when charging

If you want Xiaomi’s screen to stay on while you’re connected to a power source (like using your smartphone as a desktop clock, calendar, or smart home control panel), there’s a special mode.This feature is often hidden in the developer menu, but activating it doesn’t require complex manipulation.

First, you need to activate the developer mode. Go to Settings. → About the phone and find the item "Version" MIUI» or "Version" OS». You need to quickly press this item 7 times in a row, and then the system will report that the developer mode is activated.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change other options in the developer menu unless you are sure of their purpose. Changing the incorrect settings can lead to unstable system operation.

Now go back to the main settings menu and go to the “Additional” or “Extended Settings” section. Find the “Developers” item. Inside this extensive list of options, scroll down to the “Debug” or “Monitoring” section, where you will find the “Do not turn off the screen” (or “Stay awake”) switch.

Once this switch is activated, the display will burn continuously while the device is connected to the charger via a USB or power adapter. Once you turn off the cable, the standard sleep timer will come back into effect, ideal for those who use a smartphone as an information panel.

“Do not turn off the screen” mode in the video app

Special attention should be paid to the video content scenario: users often complain that the screen goes out while watching long videos in the gallery or certain video players, if the video is not sound or the user does not touch the screen for a long time.

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have a system feature that forcibly prevents you from going to sleep when a standard video player is running, an option often turned on by default, but in new versions of HyperOS, its location may have changed.

To check or enable this feature, open the Video app. Click on the profile icon or menu in the corner of the screen and select Settings. From the list of options, look for "Do not turn off the screen" or "Keep screen on." Make sure the switch is active.

• 🎬 The function works only in the regular player and some third-party applications.
• 🎬 Does not affect browsers and social networks by default.
• 🎬 Can automatically shut down when the battery is low.

If you use third-party video players such as VLC or MX Player, you should look for a similar setting in their own menu, usually in the Video or Interface section and called Prevent Sleeping Mode.

Using third-party applications for permanent screen

Staffing is not always enough, especially if you need to keep the screen from going out in a particular application, such as a navigator or browser, where system restrictions are too strict.

One of the most popular and easy solutions is the Keep Screen On app, which allows you to create profiles for specific programs, you can set a rule that the screen will only burn forever when you run Google Maps or YouTube, and otherwise run a regular timer.

Example of profile settings:


Annex: Navigator




Action: Turn on the screen




Trigger: Launching the application

Other apps, like "Caffeine" or "Screen On," add a quick button to the notification curtain, and by pressing it, you force the phone to sleep for a set time or until the next unlock, which is handy when you need to temporarily turn off the timer without deep settings.

Using third-party software gives you maximum flexibility, but requires attention to permissions. The application will need to be given permission to "Above Other Windows" or access to special features so that it can intercept the system command to lock the screen.

Problems with the proximity sensor and autolock

Sometimes users confuse the sleep timer with the Pocket Mode function or the error of the proximity sensor. If the screen goes out immediately after unlocking or during a conversation, the problem may not be in time, but in the contamination of the upper part of the case.

A proximity sensor located next to the front camera or in the top frame responds to close objects. If there is a protective film on the screen covering the sensor, or just a dust buildup, the phone can "think" that it is in the pocket, and extinguish the display.

Check your pocket mode settings. Go to Settings → Lock screen and find Pocket Mode. If it's on, try turning it off and see if the problem with spontaneous screen quenching will go away.

You should also pay attention to the installed themes. Third-party themes downloaded from the MIUI Themes directory may contain errors in the screen lock scripts. If the problem occurred after the change of design, return the standard theme.

The Effect of Energy Saving Mode on the Screen

Aggressive energy saving settings are another common reason why the screen can go out faster than you set in the timer. When the battery goes below 20% or Ultra-Energy Saving mode is turned on, the system forcibly reduces the display time.

In energy saving mode, many visuals are turned off, brightness is reduced, and the sleep timer can be tightly limited to 15-30 seconds regardless of your settings.

To avoid this, watch the battery indicator. If it is critical that the screen stays on, temporarily turn off the power saving mode. To do this, click on the battery icon in the notification curtain or go to Settings → Battery and select Performance or Balanced mode.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling power saving when battery is low can cause the phone to shut down faster. Use this method only when charging is connected or there is a power bank.

Also, some scenarios in the Security app can automatically include energy savings on a schedule. Check the scheduler settings to make sure it doesn't activate while you're actively using the device.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The optimal setting of the sleep timer depends on the scenario: 30-60 seconds for everyday use, 5-10 minutes for reading, and the “Do not turn off” mode only when charging or through special applications.