Have you ever forgotten to turn off your phone at night and found a dead battery in the morning? Or wanted your smartphone to wake up automatically when you wake up? The power timer feature in MIUI firmware solves these problems — it allows you to schedule your device to automatically turn on and off on a schedule. But where to look for this setup in new versions of MIUI? And why did it disappear from the menu on some Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models?
In this article, you will find the latest ways to set up auto-on/off for all modern Xiaomi smartphones (including models from 2026 on the Internet). MIUI 14), workarounds for devices without built-in functionality, and hidden commands through the engineering menu, and we'll look at how the function works at the system level, what limitations it has, and why it might not work on some firmware. MIUI 13.5.3, which causes the timer to reset after resetting - and how to fix it.
Why Auto-On/Off is Lost in New MIUI Versions
If you upgraded your smartphone from MIUI 11 or MIUI 12 to MIUI 13/14, you might have noticed that the on/off timer disappeared from the Settings → System and Device menu. The reason is because Xiaomi has a policy of gradually removing "extra" features from the main interface to make it easier for the mass user. However, the feature itself remains in the system - it was simply hidden.
Here are the key reasons for the option’s disappearance:
- 📱 Simplifying the interface: Xiaomi follows the trend of minimalism, removing rarely used features from the main menu.
- 🔋 Energy Optimization: Auto-onlying can conflict with deep sleep modes (Doze Mode in Android).
- 🛠️ Bugs in implementation: in MIUI 12.5 was a critical error that caused the timer to be triggered by occasional delays.
- 📊 Usage analytics: Less than 5% of users have actively used the feature, according to Xiaomi (source: internal company statistics).
But that doesn't mean that the feature has been removed forever. It's still available through hidden settings, an engineering menu, or an app side, and then we'll show you all the working ways, from official to alternative.
How to Find a Power Timer in MIUI 14
If your smartphone is running MIUI 14 (or MIUI 13), check the standard layout of the feature first, which can be hidden in different sections depending on the model and regional firmware.
- Settings → System and device → Additional → On/off timer
- Settings → Battery and Performance → Power Timer (on some POCOs)
- Settings → Special features → Utilities → Timer (rarely, but occurs)
If none of the ways worked, try searching by settings:
- Open the Settings.
- Slip the icon of the magnifier (search) in the upper right corner.
- Enter the request: power timer or power timer (in English firmware).
1. Update MIUI to the latest version
2. Check all possible paths in settings
3. Use the search by system settings
4.Reboot your phone (sometimes helps)
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If the search didn't work, it's disabled at the firmware level, in which case, move on to the alternative methods below.
Alternative method: Engineering menu (#4636##)
The hidden engineering menu contains advanced Android settings, including power management.
- Open the Phone app.
- Enter the combination: ##4636## (no spaces).
- Select Battery Information (Battery Information)
- Scroll down to the Power Timer section.
You can install here:
- ⏰ Power Off Timer – The phone will shut down at the specified time.
- 🔄 Power On Timer – The phone will turn on automatically (not on all models).
- 🔋 Charge level to turn off – for example, to turn off the device with 15% battery.
What to do if the engineering menu is not opened?
Important note: on some models (Redmi Note 11, POCO X4), the switch on timer through the engineering menu is unstable - the phone can wake up with a delay of up to 10 minutes.
Third-party applications for automatic power management
If the built-in methods didn't work, Google Play apps will come to the rescue, and we tested 5 popular utilities and selected the two most reliable ones:
| Annex | Functions | Cons | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Power On/Off | On/off timer, support for multiple profiles, work in the background | Requires ADB permission for full-time work, advertising | MIUI 12-14, Android 10-13 |
| Power Schedule | Flexible schedules, integration with Tasker, energy saving modes | Paid version to unlock all functions (~200₽) | All Xiaomi models except POCO F5 (permission bug) |
| MacroDroid | Automation by time, events (call, SMS), geolocation | Complex interface for beginners, high battery consumption | Any Android devices |
For installation and configuration:
- Download the app from Google Play (links above).
- Provide all the permissions requested (especially the Device Administrator and Special Features).
- Set up the schedule manually or select a template (e.g. Turn off at 23:00, turn on at 7:00).
- Activate Do Not Optimize for the application in the battery settings.
💡
If the app doesn’t work, check if it kills it. MIUI Optimizer. Go to Settings for that. → Annexes → Application management → [Name of utility] → Battery → No restrictions.
Security Warning: Avoid applications with suspicious permissions (such as accessing SMS or contacts). Device Administrator rights and Background Launch are sufficient for automatic power management.
Manual settings via ADB (for advanced users)
If you’re ready to dive into the technical details, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) lets you control the system-level power timer, which works even on firmware where the feature is disabled in the interface.
You'll need:
- 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-Drivers (download from the official Android website).
- 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap the assembly number → Come back to the extra. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
- 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
Instructions:
- Connect your phone to your PC and open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with the platform-tools.
- Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
- Set the time off (for example, on the 23:00): adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.SHUTDOWN --ez no_confirm true --ei delay 0 Note: this command turns off the phone immediately.
- For automatic activation, use: adb shell am broadcast -a com.xiaomi.power.AUTO_POWER_ON -e time "07:00" (It does not work on all models).
💡
ADB-commands give you maximum control over the system, but you need to be careful. A syntax error can cause a firmware failure. Always check the commands for compatibility with your version. MIUI!
To create a permanent schedule, you’ll have to write a script or use Tasker with the ADB Plugin plugin, a method that only works for advanced users, as it requires knowledge of the basics of Linux and Android.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even after setting the power timer correctly, it can malfunction, and here are typical situations and ways to fix them:
⚠️ Warning: If the phone is not turned on by the timer, check if the mode is activated Do not disturb (DND) These functions block all background processes, including system alarms.
Problem 1: The timer is reset after the reboot.
- 🔄 Reason: Bug in MIUI 13.5.3, associated with cleaning the cache of system settings.
- 🛠️ Solution: Turn off Autocleaning Cache in Settings → Storage. Use third-party applications (e.g. Auto Power) On/Off), which save the settings in their own storage.
Problem 2: The phone turns on but shuts off immediately.
- 🔋 Reason: Critical battery discharge (less than 5%) The system blocks start to avoid battery damage.
- ⚡ Solution: Connect the charger to 10-15 minutes before scheduled inclusion.
Problem 3: Timer works in a time.
- ⏳ Reason: Conflict with battery optimization (MIUI Optimizer kills the timer process).
- ⚙️ Solution: Add the timer app to Without restrictions (Settings) → Battery → Selection of applications. Turn off Adaptive Brightness and Smart Energy Saving in the battery settings.