Why Xiaomi’s phone screen goes off when watching a video

When the screen of Xiaomi’s phone suddenly goes out while watching a movie or video, it can infuriate even the most calm user, interrupting the immersion in the story and forcing the frantic search for the on button. The problem is massive and affects various models, from the budget Redmi to the flagship Mi and Poco. Most often the root of the evil lies not in hardware failure, but in the software settings or conflict of Android system processes.

The MIUI shell (and its new version of HyperOS) has many power-saving features that sometimes work too aggressively, and the system may misinterpret your actions as being absent from the user or blocking the display from sensors, and understanding how these components work is the first step to fixing a problem without going to a service center.

The effect of the proximity sensor on the display lock

One of the most common reasons that the screen goes out is because the proximity sensor is incorrect, and it's located at the top of the front panel, and it's designed to turn off the display when you're holding the phone to your ear. But there's a software glitch in Xiaomi smartphones that often causes the sensor to think the phone is near your ear, even if it's on the table.

The system forcibly turns off the backlight, believing that the device is in your pocket or pressed against your head, and this is especially true for models with a virtual sensor operating through the screen, rather than through a separate window. If the display has a low-quality protective glass or thick film, this can distort the sensor readings, causing false positives.

⚠️ Attention: The use of thick protective glasses with a black frame that covers the top of the screen, in 80% of cases leads to permanent quenching of the display due to the locking of the proximity sensor.

To check if the sensor is the cause of the problem, you can use an engineering menu to see the current readings of the sensor in real time and see if it is stuck in a close state.

Timeout and energy saving settings

The second most important factor is the settings of the time before the screen is turned off. In the Settings menu → Screen and brightness → Sleep mode, the interval after which the display goes out in the absence of touch. If you choose the value of “15 seconds” or “30 seconds”, and you watch the video without interacting with the touch screen, the screen will go out naturally.

But there's a more subtle setup that's common with MIUI, called In Your Pocket mode, which is designed to prevent accidental tapping, but often doesn't work properly. If this feature is activated, the phone can lock even when it's on the surface, simply because the algorithm has deemed the lighting or proximity sensor conditions suspicious.

Also worth paying attention to is the power saving mode: When you activate the Ultra Battery Saver function or even the usual Charge Saving, the system can force the screen timeout to a minimum, ignoring your preferences, this is done to extend battery life, but creates discomfort when media consumption.

• 🔋 Check if the charge saving mode is enabled in the notification curtain.
• ⏱️ Increase the time to go to sleep mode to 2-5 minutes in screen settings.
• 🚫 Turn off the “Mode in your pocket” function in the “Screen lock” menu».
• 📱 Make sure that the video player application settings have no own time limits.

Conflicts between applications and video players

Often the problem is not with the system, but with the specific app you’re watching content through. Video players, browsers, and streaming services have their own screen controls (called wake locks). If an app is written with errors or has a conflict with the Android version, it may not be sending a “don’t turn off screen” signal to the system.

This is especially true in third-party players downloaded from unverified sources, or older browsers, such as the popular VLC or MX Player, which may behave differently from Xiaomi’s standard gallery player, and if the screen goes out in only one application, the problem is localized in its code or cache.

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Try running the same video in another player, and if the standard video or gallery app has a stable screen, you should reinstall the problem app or clear the data.

The accumulated cache of applications can also cause system functions to malfunction, and cleaning up data often helps restore the wake lock mechanisms that are responsible for keeping the display awake while playing content.

Problems with system updates and drivers

New versions of MIUI or HyperOS sometimes bring bugs that developers don’t catch in beta. Update may contain errors in display drivers or power management module. If the problem occurs immediately after the firmware update, there is a high probability of a software conflict.

In some cases, settings reset helps, but most users have to wait for a patch from the manufacturer. However, there is a technique of rollback on the previous version or flashing through Fastboot, which can fix the error if it is not hardware.

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If the problem started immediately after the system update, don’t rush to carry the phone for repair – in 70% of cases, it is a software bug that will be fixed in the next security patch.

Hardware malfunctions of the plume and display

Physical failure is also not excluded: If the screen goes out chaotically, is accompanied by flickering or changing color before turning off, it can be a violation of the plume of the display. When the contact contact drops or gets moisture, it can oxidize or move away, which leads to loss of the backlight control signal.

It's also worth checking the on button. Mechanical wear or sticking of the button can cause it to send a lock signal spontaneously, which often happens after sand or moisture enters the key area.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone falls or gets wet, disassembling the device yourself can lead to the final failure of the device.

Diagnostics of hardware at home are limited, but you can carefully (without fanaticism) press the top and bottom of the screen. If this causes the suppression or appearance of artifacts, the problem is precisely in the hardware - either in the display module itself or in its connection to the motherboard.

Third-party applications and optimizers

The apps you install for “phone speeding up,” “memory cleaning,” or brightness control may conflict with Xiaomi’s system settings, which often take precedence over standard OS features and can force the screen to save energy while ignoring running processes.

Antivirus and security tools can also block video players from operating, considering their activity suspicious if they consume a lot of resources. Check the list of recently installed applications and try to remove those that have access to screen or system control.

To make a final check, you can run your smartphone in Safe Mode, which is only the system applications that are downloaded, and if the screen stopped going out in Safe Mode, it's one of the apps you installed that's to blame.

How to Calibrate the Approach Sensor Properly

If the diagnostics show that the sensor is the problem, you can try calibrating it software-based. This is a standard procedure for Xiaomi devices, which often solves the problem of false positives. You don't need root rights, just use the standard engineering menu.

The calibration process takes only a few minutes, and it's important to do it in a clean screen and in good light, but without the direct sunlight that might interfere with the sensor.

1. Open the phone application (caller).


2 Enter the code ##64663##




3. In the test menu, select "Proximity Sensor".




4. Press the "Calibration" button ).




5. Close the sensor with your hand, then remove your hand.




6. Wait for the message "Pass" (Successful).

After a successful calibration, be sure to restart the device, which will cause the system to reread the new sensor parameters. If the calibration does not help or ends in an error, it may be physically faulty or contaminated from the inside.