The situation when the screen of Xiaomi smartphone goes out at the most inopportune moment, familiar to many owners of devices based on MIUI. Users often face the fact that the display turns off while reading articles, browsing recipes or even navigating the menu. This is not just an annoyance, but a real problem that reduces the usability of the gadget. The main reason is often aggressive energy savings or incorrect sensors.
In the Android operating system that Redmi and POCO use, the system timer is responsible for the display activity, and if no user commands are received during a given period of time, the system forces the device to sleep, but in the MIUI shell, this process can be complicated by additional battery optimizers, which mistakenly mistake the absence of touch for the user's desire to turn off the screen.
Before you take any drastic measures, you need to understand what causes the rapid attenuation, which can be both a software bug after the update, and a physical feature of the proximity sensor that is blocked by the protective glass. In 80% of cases, the problem is solved by simply adjusting the timer settings or cleaning the area of the speaker-grid. Next, we will discuss all the diagnostic and setting methods in detail.
Basic setup of a sleep timer in the system
The first step should always be to check the standard time settings before going to sleep. In the Xiaomi interface, this option is often hidden in the submenu, and users may not notice that it is set to a minimum value. To change the setting, go to Settings → Screen and brightness → Sleeping Mode. Here is a list of time slots available to choose from.
Note that the range of available values may vary depending on the firmware version and device model. Usually, the system offers a time frame of 15 seconds to 10 minutes. If you need to keep the screen on continuously while using a particular application, this will not work with standard tools, you will need third-party software.
- 📱 15 seconds is the standard value for maximum charge savings, but often not enough to read.
- ⏳ 1 minute is the optimal balance between convenience and battery consumption for most scenarios.
- 🔋 2-5 Minutes – recommended if you use your phone as a display or read long texts.
- ⚠️ 10 minutes – an extreme measure leading to significant battery discharge when the phone is accidentally left on.
Importantly, some custom design themes can take over control of system settings. If you notice that the screen goes out faster than usual after changing the theme, try going back to standard Classic or Default design, and check if Do Not Disturb mode with special schedule settings is activated, which can force the screen to darken.
Problems with the proximity sensor and protective glasses
One of the most common reasons why Xiaomi's screen goes out quickly is because the proximity sensor is falsely triggered, and it's located at the top of the display, often hidden under the speaker grid, and its job is to turn off the backlight when you hold the phone up to your ear, and if the sensor "sees" an obstacle, it thinks the phone is near your ear, and it turns off the screen.
⚠️ Warning: Thick black-framed protective glass or improperly pasted film may overlap the sensor, in which case the screen will go out immediately after any action is completed or even during a call.
You can check the sensor using the engineering menu. To do this, open the Phone app and dial ##6484##. In the testing menu that opens, select Proximity sensor. Cover the top of the screen with your palm and remove it: values should change from 5.0 to 0.0. If there is no reaction or values do not change, you will need to calibrate.
To calibrate, in the same engineering menu, find the "Proximity sensor" and press the "Calibrate" button. Follow the instructions on the screen: usually you need to close the sensor and then open it. Once you have successfully calibrated, the system will retain new sensor parameters. If the software calibration does not help, it may be contaminated or physically damaged.
- 🧼 Clean – wipe the top of the screen with a microfiber, paying attention to the speaker area.
- 🛡️ Accessories Removal – temporarily remove the protective glass to eliminate its effect on the sensor.
- 🔄 Reboot – after calibration, be sure to restart the device to apply the changes.
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If the sensor calibration is reset after each reboot, try clearing the Settings app cache through the Apps menu → All Apps → Settings → Clear Cache →
Effect of energy saving mode on display
The MIUI's energy-saving algorithms are known for being aggressive, and when the battery is below a certain level (usually 20% or 10%), the power-saving mode automatically turns on, in which the system forcibly reduces screen time, reduces brightness, and limits background activity to extend the life of the device.
Users often forget that they have manually activated this mode and wonder why the phone is acting strange. You can check the status in the notification curtain or in the Settings → Battery section. If the leaflet battery icon or yellow indicator is on, then the restrictions are active. In Ultra mode, the screen can go out after literally 15 seconds of inactivity.
| Mode of work | Screen impact | Limitation of background processes | Recommended use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard. | No restrictions. | No. | Daily use |
| Energy conservation | Decrease in brightness, reduction of sleep timer | Moderate. | On charge. 20-30% |
| Ultra | Strong blackout, the screen goes out very quickly | Maximum. | Critical charge (<10%) |
In addition, there is a feature called Memory Optimization, which can also affect display behavior, which closes the background applications and can speed the transition to sleep mode for inactive windows. If you notice that the problem only occurs in certain applications, check their settings in the Battery section and select No restrictions.
Hidden Developer Settings
Specific settings for applications and reading
Often users are looking for a solution to a global problem, although the screen goes out only in one particular application, such as Reading or a browser. MIUI has built-in reading optimization tools that can conflict with the system timer. Some applications also have their own timeout settings, prioritizing the system settings.
The Security app (green lightning icon) has a Battery section, where you can customize the behavior for each application you install separately, find the problem program on the list and make sure it doesn't have strict restrictions, sometimes reinstalling the application or cleaning its data.
⚠️ Note: Book reading apps often have their own timer. Check the settings inside the reader itself, perhaps it has Autosleep or Sleep Mode enabled».
If you use your phone to navigate or browse recipes where touching the screen is rare, it makes sense to use special utilities that mimic micro-touching or play invisible video, preventing the inactivity timer from going off, but beware: constant use of such methods can cause the AMOLED or Super AMOLED matrix to burn out.
- 📖 Read Mode – Turn off Read Mode in screen settings if it activates automatically and changes display settings.
- 🎥 Video content – when watching a video, the screen should not go out; if it does, the problem is in the codec or a particular player.
- 🧭 Navigation – In maps, the screen should be on all the time; check the settings GPS and permissions for maps.
☑️ Diagnostics of screen problem
Hardware malfunctions and resetting settings
If the software methods don't work and the screen continues to go out chaotically, there's a high probability of hardware malfunction. Xiaomi smartphones sometimes have a "dump" of the display plume or oxidation of the contacts of the light sensor, this often happens after falls, moisture or just over time due to wear.
Before you go to the service center, you should perform a full Hard Reset, which will eliminate the possibility of deep system errors. Importantly, before reset, make sure to back up all data to the Mi Cloud cloud or to your computer, as all information will be deleted.
To reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. Once rebooted, the phone will be like new. If the problem persists even on a clean system without installed third-party applications, the diagnosis is unequivocal - you need to replace the display module or sensor.
If the phone is warmed to the top, thermosensors can initiate an emergency shutdown to protect the components, in which case the device should be stopped until the cause of the overheating is determined.
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If after a complete system reset (Factory Reset) the screen continues to go out on its own, the problem is hardware in nature and requires replacing the sensor or display plume in the service center.
Using third-party applications to control the screen
When MIUI is exhausted, Google Play apps come to the rescue, allowing you to flexibly adjust the display behavior by creating profiles for different situations, for example, you can make sure that the screen never goes out in the Yandex.Maps application, and in instant messengers you work on a standard timer.
One popular solution is the Keep Screen On app, which works on an accessibility service and prevents blocking while the app is open, a secure method that does not require superuser rights (Root).
Another option is macros, and automation applications like MacroDroid or Tasker can create a scenario where you can set a 30 minute sleep timer if you run X, which is a more advanced way of doing things that require initial setup but provide maximum control.
- 🛠️ Keep Screen On is a simple application with a minimum of settings, works on the principle of “on and forgot».
- 🤖 MacroDroid is a powerful tool for creating complex chains of actions and conditions.
- ⚙️ Caffeine – Adds a temporary button to the notification curtain to quickly extend the screen.
When using third-party software, remember battery consumption. A constantly running screen is the most energy-intensive element of a smartphone. It is more rational to set up automatic activation of such functions only when connected to a charger or Wi-Fi network.