You watch a favorite movie or video on Xiaomi, and suddenly the screen goes out — the sound keeps playing and the picture disappears. Familiar situation? This problem is found on devices from the Redmi Note 10 Pro to the flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra, and there may be a dozen reasons for it. Most of the time, the fault in the power saving settings, but sometimes the root of the evil lies deeper — in firmware, hardware or even applications.
In this article, we will not just list the possible causes, but give specific instructions for each of them, from basic checks to complex manipulation of system files, you will learn how to distinguish a software bug from a hardware failure, what settings are available. MIUI They're responsible for the behavior of the screen, and why even a new smartphone can behave as if it's a dead battery, and if you've tried standard tips like turning off a turnaround and they haven't worked, we have solutions for advanced users, including the ones that are not working. ADB-teamwork and work with system logs.
1. Energy saving and adaptive brightness: hidden MIUI settings
The most common reason for spontaneously turning off the screen is aggressive energy saving algorithms. MIUI. Even if you turn off Battery Mode in your settings, the system can limit the display itself if it thinks an app (like YouTube or TikTok) has been using the screen for too long, especially on devices with a screen that is not visible. AMOLED-screens where each pixel consumes energy.
The first thing to check is the hidden power saving settings for individual applications, because MIUI by default limits background activity for most programs, including video players.
- 🔋 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
- 📱 Select the app where the screen goes out (for example, YouTube or VLC).
- ⚡ Select Energy Saving and Choose Without Limitations.
- 🔄 Restart the app and check if there is a problem.
If that doesn't work, you should look at the adaptive brightness settings. Some versions of MIUI (especially the Redmi 9/9A) have a bug that causes the light sensor to misinterpret conditions and force the screen to shut down completely.
⚠️ Warning: Turning off adaptive brightness can increase battery consumption by 10 to 15 percent. If the screen stops going out after that, the problem is precisely with the sensor or its calibration.
Battery and calibration: when the phone "thinks" it's discharged
If the screen goes out when the charge level is low (for example, below 15-20%), but the phone does not turn off, it is the fault of incorrect battery monitoring. This is a problem for devices older than 2 years, where the battery has lost some capacity, but the power controller does not have time to adjust to the new realities. The system “thinks” that the charge is running out, and forcibly turns off the display, although in fact there is enough energy for another hour of operation.
It's easy to check it out:
- Connect your phone to charge and start the video.
- If the screen does not go out, the problem is precisely in the battery or its calibration.
- If you are not, then look for another reason (see the following sections).
Solutions for battery problems:
- 🔌 Calibrate the battery: discharge the phone to automatically shut down, then charge to 100% without interruptions (preferably original RAM). Repeat 2-3 times.
- 🛠️ If calibration doesn't work, check battery wear in the engineering menu (code ##4636##, Battery information tab). If health is below 70%, it's time to change the battery.
- ⚡ Temporarily disable battery optimization: Settings → Battery → Battery mode → Performance (increases consumption but eliminates false positives).
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If the phone turns off at 20 to 30 percent charge, but turns on immediately after connecting to the RAM, this is a sure sign of battery wear. On Xiaomi with Quick Charge, this symptom manifests itself earlier than on devices with slow charging.
3.Firmware problems: MIUI bugs and how to get around them
Some versions of MIUI (especially MIUI 12.5 and MIUI 13 on budget models) contain critical bugs that cause the screen to go out when you play video in full screen. For example, the Redmi Note 10 had a problem with the display driver that conflicted with MediaCodec, which left the screen in sleep mode, even though the sound continued to play.
How to check if the firmware is to blame:
| Sign. | Probable cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The screen is only going out on YouTube/Netflix | The conflict with Widevine DRM | Update the app or reset Google Play Services settings |
| The problem arises after the MIUI update | Bug in the new firmware version | Reverse to the previous version or wait for a patch |
| The screen goes out after a fixed time (for example, exactly 3 minutes) | The powerhal sleep timer is triggered | Change settings in Settings → Display → Timeout screen |
If you suspect firmware, follow the following steps:
- Check the current version of MIUI in Settings → About Phone. If it's MIUI 12.5.3–12.5.7 on the Redmi Note 9/10, upgrade to the latest stable version.
- Clear the system cache: Settings → Memory → Clear the cache (does not delete data, but can eliminate lags).
- If the problem remains - try resetting to factory settings (pre-make a backup!).
How to get back to the previous version of MIUI?
4. Application conflicts: who is to blame - YouTube, TikTok or VLC?
Sometimes the screen goes out not because of the system, but because of bugs in the video players themselves. For example, there is a well-known problem on YouTube with ExoPlayer (playback engine) that improperly handles power saving events on Xiaomi. As a result, the application “forgets” to keep the screen on. Similar bugs were in TikTok (versions 23.1–24.5) and VLC (3.3.0–3.3.4).
How to diagnose:
- 🎬 Check if the screen is going off in other apps (like a gallery or browser.
- 🔄 Update the app to the latest version or roll back to the previous one (if the bug appeared after the update).
- 🛠️ Clear the cache and application data: Settings → Annexes → [name] → Warehouse → Clear the cache/data.
- 🌐 Try playing video through your browser (e.g. Chrome in "Per Computer" mode). If the screen doesn't go out, the problem is in the app.
There is a special solution for YouTube:
Update YouTube to the latest version|Disable "Traffic Savings" in YouTube Settings|Enable "Background playback" (Premium or Vanced required)|Clear data from Google Play Services (Settings) → Annexes → Google Play Services → Warehouse)-->
⚠️ Warning: If the screen only goes out in full-screen YouTube mode, but the sound continues, it's 99% bug. Try alternative clients like NewPipe or Vanced (if they're still working).
5. Approximation Sensor and Gyroscope: When the Phone Thinks You're Calling
Few people know, but on Xiaomi, the screen can go out due to false alarms of the proximity sensor, which is responsible for turning off the display during a call (when you hold the phone to your ear), but if it is dirty, damaged or miscalibrated, it can also go off in other situations, such as when you hold the phone at an angle while watching a video.
How to check the sensor:
- Open the engineering menu with code ##6484## (on some models ##0*##).
- Select Proximity Sensor and see the values: 📱 No obstacles: 5.0 cm (or Far). 🖐️ With an obstacle (cover the sensor with your hand): 0.0 cm (or Near).
If the values "jump" or do not change - the sensor is faulty.
Decisions:
- 🧹 Clean the sensor area (usually near the front camera) of dust and dirt.
- 🔧 Recalibrate the sensor through the engineering menu (Sensor Calibration item).
- 🛠️ If the sensor is broken, take the phone to the service. ADB: adb shell settings put global proximity_delay 2500 (This will increase the delay of the operation to 2.5 seconds).
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If the screen goes out when you tilt the phone or when you put it on the table, it's the proximity sensor or the gyroscope that's one of the few problems that you can't fix software (just changing or turning off the sensor).
6.Overheating: When the phone is 'protected' from heat
Xiaomi (especially models with Snapdragon 7xx/8xx processors) are prone to overheating under prolonged loads. When the temperature of the chipset or battery exceeds 45-50 ° C, the system activates emergency mode, which can include forced shutdown of the screen, while the sound continues to play, as the audio processor operates separately.
How to check the temperature:
- 🌡️ Install the app AIDA64 or CPU Monitor and look at the temperature CPU Battery during the playback of the video.
- 🔥 If the temperature is above 50°C - the problem of overheating.
Decisions:
- 🧊 Take off your cover and let the phone cool down.
- ⚙️ Turn off background processes: Settings → Annexes → Auto-start (disable unnecessary ones).
- 🎮 If overheating occurs in games or heavy apps, lower your graphics settings or use Game Turbo (built-in) MIUI optimisation).
- 🔧 In the extreme, apply trottling through ADB: adb shell settings put global thermal_engine_enabled 0 (disables the thermal control system - the risk of overheating and battery damage!).
7. Hardware malfunctions: when the "iron" is to blame
If all the software methods have been tried, but the screen still goes out, the problem may be in the hardware.
| Symptoms. | Probable malfunction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The screen goes out when you press a certain area. | Display plume or matrix damaged | Replacement of screen or plume |
| The problem occurs after a fall/hit | Microcracks on the board or the collapse of contacts | Diagnostics at the service center |
| The screen goes out only when charging is connected. | Failure of the power controller | Replacement of the controller or battery diagnostics |
It is difficult to diagnose hardware problems on your own, but there are several tests:
- 🔦 Light a flashlight on the screen after fading - if the image is barely visible, the problem is in the backlight (faulty). LED-driver).
- 🔊 If the sound continues and the screen is black, it is likely that the plume or graphics chip is to blame.
- 🔌 Connect the phone to PC through ADB and check the logs: adb logcat | grep -i"display" (look for errors like DisplayPowerController or DisplayPowerController" HWC).
⚠️ Warning: If the screen goes out with a characteristic click or crack, it is a sign of a short circuit in the plume or matrix!
8. Advanced Solutions: ADB, Logistics and Custom Firmware
If standard methods have failed, it is time to move on to advanced tools, and below are methods that require technical knowledge, but often solve problems where other methods are powerless.
1. Disable screen timeout via ADB
Sometimes the system ignores the timeout settings on the menu to force the screen to turn off:
adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 3(Value 3 – the screen is always on when connecting to a charging or USB.)
2. Checking logs for errors
To understand what exactly causes the screen to turn off, look at the system logs:
adb logcat -d | grep -E"sleep|display|power"Look for lines like:
- going to sleep because of timeout → time-out.
- proximity near → sensing.
- Thermal shutdown → overheating.
Installation of the custom core
On some devices (such as the POCO F3 or Redmi K40), the problem is solved by installing a custom core with a corrected display driver.
- 🛠️ FrancoKernel (optimized for performance).
- ⚡ Perseus (Improved Nutrition Management).
⚠️ Warning: Installation of a custom core requires an unlocked bootloader and may result in loss of warranty.
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If you're not sure about your ADB or custom firmware skills, you better go to the service. The wrong commands can turn your phone into a brick.