How to set up automatic shutdown of Xiaomi on timer: 5 working ways

Tired of forgetting to turn off your phone at night, or want to limit your child’s time? Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO have built-in tools to automatically shut down your device at a given time — but they’re hidden deeper than you think. In this article, we’ll look at all the methods you can use, from standard MIUI features to third-party apps with advanced settings.

It’s important to understand that turning off automatically is not just a handy thing, but a way to extend battery life, avoid overheating at night, and even protect data (for example, if your phone is left unattended).We tested all methods on Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5 models – instructions are relevant for MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14. If your firmware is older, some menu items may differ – we will warn you about this in advance.

1. Built-in sleep timer in MIUI: where to look and how to set up

The most obvious way is to use the built-in Sleep Timer feature that most Xiaomi firmware has, but it doesn't work on all models and is often hidden in illogical menu sections. Here's how to find it:

Open Settings → Screen → Sleep Timer. If this is not the case, try the alternative path: Settings → Additional → Special Options → Sleep Timer. On some devices (e.g. POCO X5), the function is called Automatic Screen Shutdown, but the essence is the same.

• ⏰ Select a time: Set an hour and minutes when the phone should turn off. The range is usually limited to the current days (you can't program for tomorrow).
• 🔄 Repeat: Activate the switch if you want the timer to fire daily at the same time.
• 🔔 Notification: 5 minutes before the shutdown, a pop-up will appear with the ability to cancel the action.

💡

If your firmware doesn’t have a sleep timer, upgrade your MIUI to the latest version. On some budget models (like the Redmi A2), the function is missing due to iron limitations.

⚠️ Warning: The built-in timer does not work if the phone is discharged to 5% or connected to charging, and it also turns off when you are actively calling or using navigation (Google Maps, Yandex.Navigator).

2.Using Do Not Disturb mode to simulate shutdown

If there is no built-in timer or it does not suit, you can go to the trick: set up Do Not Disturb (DND) mode so that it blocks all the functions of the phone, simulating a shutdown. This method is suitable for Xiaomi 12T, Redmi Note 11 Pro+ and others with MIUI 13+ models.

Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb → Timer. Here you can ask:

• 🕒 Start/end time: For example, 23:00 to 7:00.
• 📵 Full lock: Turn off all exceptions (calls, notifications, alarms).
• 🔕 Silence: Activate the No Sound option for all signals.

⚠️ Attention: In mode DND The phone stays on, so the battery will run out by about 2 to 5 percent per night (depending on the model.

3.Apps for automatic shutdown: TOP-3 verified variants

If standard MIUI tools don't work, third-party apps will come to the rescue, and we tested dozens of utilities and selected the three most reliable ones:

1. Power Off Timer (🌟 Rating 4.7) Simple app with the ability to configure shutdown by time, charge level or after charging is complete. Supports autostart after rebooting and works without root rights.
2. Automate (🌟 Rating 4.5) Powerful automation tool with support for a schedule shutdown, geolocation or event (e.g. after a Wi-Fi shutdown) Requires initial setup but gives maximum flexibility.
3. MacroDroid (🌟 Rating 4.6) Allows you to create chains of action, including turning off your phone when multiple conditions coincide (time) + charge-level + There is a free version with limitations.

Check out the reviews on Google Play (especially the negative ones).

Check the permissions the application requests

Create a backup copy of important data

Turn off battery optimization for the application in MIUI settings

-->

⚠️ Note: Auto-Switch Off apps require “Device Administrator” or “Special Features” permissions. On Xiaomi, these permissions can be blocked by security – if the app doesn’t work, add it to Settings → Annexes → Permits → Auto-Start and Without Restrictions.

4. Automatic Shutdown via ADB: for Advanced Users

If you're not afraid of the command line, you can program the phone to turn off via the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that works on all Xiaomi models, but requires a computer and minimal technical knowledge.

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Enable USB debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to become a developer), then Settings → Additional → Developers → Debugging over USB.
2. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) and type:

adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.ACTION_SHUTDOWN

To schedule a shutdown for a specific time, use the task in Windows Planner or cron (Linux/Mac) with this command. For example, to turn off at 23:00 daily:

0 23   * adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.ACTION_SHUTDOWN

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB They give you low-level access to the system, and misuse can cause a failure. MIUI If you're not sure, use other methods.

5. Automatic shutdown with low battery charge

If the goal is to protect the battery from deep discharge, you can set the phone to shut down when it reaches a critical charge level, such as the Battery Charge Limit app (requires root rights) or the built-in MIUI features on some models.

For example, on Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Redmi K60 Pro there is a hidden option:

1. Activate the developer mode (as in the previous section).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers → Battery Limitation.
3. Set a threshold (e.g. 5%) and turn on the Automatic Shutdown option.

For rootless devices, AccuBattery is a good app, and it doesn't turn off the phone automatically, but it does notify you of a low charge and suggests you do it manually.

💡

Automatic shutdown at low charge extends battery life by 15-20%, as it prevents deep discharge cycles below 3%.

6. Features for different Xiaomi models: what works and what does not

The automatic shutdown function depends not only on the version of the MIUI, but also on the phone model, and we collected data on popular devices:

⚠️ Note: On devices with MediaTek processor (e.g. Redmi) 10C, POCO M5) Some auto-off applications may not work as well because of manufacturer restrictions. ADB or embedded MIUI.

7. Frequent problems and how to solve them

Even after you set it right, the automatic shutdown may not work.

• 🔋 Phone connected to charging: Most methods (except for the ADB) Do not work when charging. Turn off the cable or use the MacroDroid app with the condition "Charging is off».
• 📱 Active processes: If you download a file, call or navigation during a shutdown, the system may ignore the command.
• 🔄 Update MIUI: After the firmware update, the timer settings may reset. Check them after each update.
• 🛡️ Lockdown MIUI: On some models, the security system blocks third-party applications. Add them to the exceptions: Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications.

If nothing works, try resetting to factory settings (be sure to back up!) 90% of the time, this solves automation problems.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions