How to increase the time before switching off the screen on Xiaomi: all the ways (including hidden)

Your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO screen goes out too fast? Standard 30 seconds or 1 minute of timeout are often not enough for comfortable reading, watching videos or working with documents. Fortunately, the manufacturer provides several ways to increase this spacing - from basic settings to hidden features for power users.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current methods for changing screen auto-out time on MIUI 13-15 devices, including little-known ADB tricks and developer settings, and learn why the maximum value is sometimes limited, and how to get around this limitation without risking the system.

Important: the procedure differs depending on the shell version and the smartphone model. For example, on the POCO F5 with MIUI 14, the path to settings may be slightly different from the Redmi Note 12 on MIUI 15. We took these nuances into account and gave universal solutions.

1. Standard method: through display settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in system settings, which is suitable for most Xiaomi devices and does not require superuser rights or PC connectivity.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings app** (cog icon).
2. Go to the Screen section (or the Display on some models).
3. Select the item "Sleep" after (in older versions of MIUI - timeout screen).

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra), the maximum value is limited to 10 minutes. This is due to optimizing power consumption.

• ✅ Available on all devices without additional rights
• ⏱️ It takes less than 30 seconds.
• 🔄 Resets after resetting settings

💡

If the menu does not have the option "Sleep after", try searching through the search bar in the settings (the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner).

2. Advanced settings through the developer mode

For users who need a value greater than 30 minutes, a workaround is available through the developer settings, which works on most devices with MIUI 12 and later, but requires the pre-activation of the hidden menu.

How to turn on the developer mode:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times in a row (you will receive a notification “You became a developer”).
3. Go back to the main settings menu and select a new section for developers.

Now you can change the timeout:

1. In the For Developers section, find Sleep when connecting to charging (or screen timeout in charging mode).
2. Set Never or choose the maximum available (up to 1 hour on some models).

On devices with MIUI 15 and the newer option "Never" may not be available due to the energy saving policy. ADB-teams (section 4).

3.Use of applications for screen control

If the system settings don't work, you can use third-party utilities that allow you to flexibly adjust the timeout depending on the application, charge level or connection to the charge.

Top.-3 tested applications:

• 📱 Keep Screen On is a simple utility with exceptions for individual applications (for example, YouTube or Chrome).
• ⚡ Caffeine – Adds a button to the notification panel for quick on/off constant lighting.
• 🛠️ Tasker is for advanced users, allowing you to create automatic rules (for example, increase the timeout when you connect to a Bluetooth headset).

⚠️ Note: Applications will require Special Access rights (in Developer Settings) → Without that, they can't override system settings. Also, keep in mind that the constant operation of the screen reduces the battery life by 15 to 30%.

Example of Keep Screen On settings:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and turn on the switch On.
3. In the Exclusions section, add apps that need to turn off timeouts (such as WPS Office or Google Maps).
4. Set up additional conditions (for example, only when charging).

Install the application from the official store|Permission to "Overlay over other windows"|Enable the option "Do not turn off the screen" in the developer settings|Checking Safe Mode (to avoid conflicts)-->

4. Change timeouts through ADB (for power users)

If you need a value of more than 1 hour or system settings are blocked, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) will help. This method requires a PC connection and basic command line knowledge, but gives you full control over the screen settings.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
2. Enable USB debugging on your smartphone (Settings → Developers).
3. Connect the device to the PC through USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode).
4. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(Your device name should appear as a confirmation of your connection.)

adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 3

Where 3 is operating mode:

• 0 - off
• 1 – only when connected to charging (USB)
• 2 – only when connected to wireless charging
• 3 - for any type of charging

To set a specific timeout time (in milliseconds) use:

adb shell settings put system screen_off_timeout 600000

(Here. 600000 = 10 For a minute. 30 minute 1800000.)

⚠️ Note: Some manufacturers (including Xiaomi) are blocking the change in the setting screen_off_timeout If the command doesn't work, try an alternative method through Secure Settings (requires root).

5. Set up timeouts for individual applications

Often, you need to keep the screen on only certain programs, such as a navigator, book reader or messenger, and you don’t need to change the global settings: you just need to use built-in MIUI functions or third-party utilities.

Method 1: through application settings

Some programs (such as Google Maps or Waze) have their own timeout option:

1. Open the application and go to its settings.
2. Find the Screen or Display section.
3. Activate the option to not turn off the screen (or similar).

Method 2: MIUI Optimization

On devices with MIUI 14+, a hidden function is available:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the appropriate app (e.g. YouTube).
3. Put it on the battery. → Optimizing the battery.
4. Select No Limits and enable the option to Allow Background Activity.

Method 3: Automatic rule in Tasker

For advanced users:

1. Create a new task in Tasker.
2. Add the condition Application → [Select the application].
3. Add the action Display → Timeout screen and set the desired value.
4. Save the task and activate it.

💡

Setting timeouts for individual applications is more cost-effective than increasing time globally, which reduces battery consumption by 10-20% compared to a constant screen.

Problems and Solutions: Why is timeout not changing?

Sometimes users find that timeout settings are not saved or reset, and consider the typical causes and ways to eliminate them.

Problem 1: Settings are reset after rebooting

The probable cause is a conflict with the battery optimizer.

• Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
• Find the Settings app (or Settings).
• Select Battery → Battery Optimization → No Limits

Problem 2: Maximum value is limited to 1-5 minutes

This is typical for devices with MIUI 15 and newer (for example, Xiaomi 14 Pro).

• Use it. ADB-teams (section 4).
• Install custom software (e.g. Xiaomi.eu) where restrictions are removed.
• Use the Tasker app to bypass restrictions.

Problem 3: Timeout resets when connected to Bluetooth device

MIUI has a hidden power saving feature for wireless accessories to turn it off:

1. Connect a Bluetooth device (such as headphones).
2. Open Settings → Bluetooth.
3. Put the gear icon next to the connected device.
4. Turn off the Battery Optimization option.

Problem 4: Never works in developer mode

On some devices (e.g. Redmi K60), this option is blocked. Alternatively, use ADB with the command:

adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 3

or the Keep Screen On app with the right to Special Access.

7. Impact on the battery: how to minimize consumption?

Constant screen operation is one of the main charge eaters, and our tests show that increasing the timeout from 30 seconds to 10 minutes reduces battery life by 12 to 25 percent (depending on the model and screen type), but there are ways to reduce this impact.

Tips for saving battery:

• 🔋 Use a dark theme on AMOLED-screens (for example, on Xiaomi) 13T Pro. This reduces the cost by 5-10%.
• 🌡️ Reduce the brightness of the screen to 50-70% (or turn on Adaptive Brightness).
• 🔄 Turn on automatic screen shutdown when inactive in apps (e.g. Chrome or YouTube).
• ⚡ Turn off the high screen refresh rate (120/144 Hz, if it's not critical. 60 Hz saves up to 15% charge.
• 📵 In the area of poor communication (1-2 network divisions) switch to 2G Or turn on the mode on the plane with Wi-Fi.

⚠️ Note: On devices with a battery capacity of less than 4000 mAh (for example, Xiaomi 12 Lite), the constant screen operation can reduce the battery life to 4-5 hours when used actively.

FAQ: Frequent questions