Setting the screen off time on Xiaomi: all ways

Is your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO screen going off too fast, interfering with reading or viewing content? Or vice versa — want to save battery power by reducing display activity time? In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to change the timeout of the screen on devices with the shell of MIUI, including hidden settings and solutions for older models.

By default, most Xiaomi smartphones will shut down the screen after 30 seconds of inactivity, which can be changed in the range of 15 seconds to 10 minutes — or even turn off the automatic shutdown. However, not all users know that the setting can be hidden in different sections of the menu depending on the version of MIUI and device model. We will look at options for MIUI 12/13/14, as well as alternative methods through ADB and third-party applications.

It is important to consider that excessively increasing screen time accelerates battery discharge and can lead to burnout. OLED-On the other hand, too short a timeout makes it difficult to read or watch videos!

Standard method: changing the timeout through the MIUI settings

The easiest way is to use the built-in shell settings, and the interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the general logic holds.

1. Open the Settings app** (cog icon).
2. Go to Always Active Screen and Lock (on some models – Lock Screen).
3. Select Sleep Mode or Screen Timeout.
4. Set the desired time from the available options: 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 min, 2 min, 5 min or 10 min.
5. On some devices (for example, POCO F5), you can activate the option Do not turn off the screen when charging.

If you don’t have Sleep Mode on your menu, try an alternative route:

• 🔍 Settings → Display. → Additionally. → Screen timeout
• 🔍 Settings → System system → Advanced settings → Sleeping mode.

Update MIUI to the latest version

Connect the device to charging (recommended)

Close all background applications

Check the battery level (minimum 20%)-->

Note that on devices with MIUI 14 and later, the option may be called Automatic Screen Shutdown and be in the Screen and Brightness section. If you don't see the right item, search by settings (the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner).

Hidden settings: the developer's mode and ADB-team

If standard settings don’t offer enough flexibility (e.g., you need 1 minute 30 seconds instead of a fixed 1 minute or 2 minutes), you can use the developer mode or ADB-This will also help on devices with reduced settings (for example, on some models for the European market).

Method 1: Developer mode

Activate the developer mode if it is not already enabled:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times in a row until you become a developer!
3. Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
4. Find the screen timeout option in standby mode (could be called Sleep timeout in English firmware) and additional values are available here, such as 30 minutes or Never.

Method 2: ADB-Teams (for experienced users)

If you need to set an arbitrary timeout value (for example, 45 seconds or 3 minutes), this can be done through ADB. You will need a computer with Xiaomi drivers installed and USB debugging enabled on your phone.

Connect the device to the PC and execute in the command line:

adb shell settings put system screen_off_timeout 180000

Where 180000 is the time in milliseconds (in the example, 3 minutes).

• 🕒 15,000 - 15 seconds
• 🕒 60,000 - 1 minute
• 🕒 300,000 - 5 minutes
• 🕒 -1 — Turn off timeout (not recommended)

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Before using ADB, back up your settings through Settings → Additional → Backup. This will help restore standard settings in case of an error.

⚠️ Attention: Turning off screen timeout (-1) This mode can cause the device to overheat and the battery to wear faster.

Features on different models Xiaomi

The manufacturer often adapts the interface to specific product lines, and the key differences for the popular series are as follows:

On devices with MIUI for the global market (e.g. Xiaomi 12T), the menu may be in English. In this case, look for Sleep or Screen timeout. If your model is not in the table, search by settings - in MIUI it works even in English terms.

Xiaomi 13/14 Series

Redmi Note 11/12

POCO F3/F4/F5

Xiaomi Mi 11/10

Another model-->

Applications for flexible timeout setting

If the built-in settings don't work, you can use third-party utilities, which allow you to:

• 🔧 Set an arbitrary time (e.g. 2 minutes 15 seconds)
• 📱 Set up different timeouts for apps (e.g. 10 minutes for YouTube and 30 seconds for instant messengers)
• 🔋 Automatically increase the time when connecting to charging

Top.-3 tested applications:

1. Keep Screen On (free, rootless) Allows you to turn off timeouts for individual apps, for example, the screen will not go out while browsing Google Maps or watching movies in VLC.
2. Screen Timeout Settings (requires) ADB-Allows access to all possible timeout values, including non-standard (e.g. 90 seconds) and works without root, but requires a single setup through the ADB.
3. Tasker (paid, maximum flexibility) Allows you to create automatic timeout rules, such as: "If charging is connected and YouTube is running → set a 30 minute timeout."

⚠️ Note: Apps like Keep Screen On require permission to overlay other windows (in the Special Options settings.

To set non-standard values through Screen Timeout Settings, do:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm grant com.ubergeek42.weareallfriends android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
3. Restart the device and open the app – all timeout values are now available.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Sometimes the timeout settings don't apply or are reset, and let's look at typical situations and how to fix them:

Problem 1: Timeout resets after reboot

If your set time is reset to the default value (30 seconds), the reason may be:

• 🔄 Resetting settings through Settings → System system → Resetting settings (check if you did it accidentally).
• 📦 Clearing the cache of system applications (such as Settings or Lawnchair).
• 🤖 Conflict with optimization applications (e.g, MIUI Optimization or Security).

Decision:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Settings app (or Settings), open its page and click Storage → Clear cache.
3. Restart the device and set the timeout again.

Problem 2: No screen timeout item in settings

On some firmware (especially custom or European market) the option may be hidden.

• 🌐 Change region to India or China in settings (Settings) → Additionally. → Region: Reset the device after changing region.
• 🔧 Install an alternative launcher (such as Nova Launcher) that can provide access to hidden settings.
• 📱 Update MIUI Up to the latest version – in new builds, the option usually returns.

How to extend screen time without damaging the battery

Increasing the screen timeout inevitably leads to increased charge consumption, but there are ways to mitigate this effect:

• 🔋 Adaptive brightness: Include in Settings → Display. → Adaptive brightness: The system will automatically lower backlight in dark rooms.
• 🌙 Dark subject: On AMOLED-In the screens, black doesn't consume energy. Activate the dark theme in Settings. → Display. → Dark subject.
• ⚡ Energy saving mode: In Settings → Battery → Select Balanced Power Saving Mode – It limits background activity but does not affect the screen.
• 📵 Disable Always-On Display: If your device supports AOD (Constantly active screen, turn it off in Settings → Always active screen.

For devices with MIUI 14, smart power saving mode is available, it analyzes your habits and automatically optimizes battery consumption, including screen life, to turn it on:

1. Go to Settings. → Battery.
2. Activate the switch Intelligent energy saving.
3. Click on Settings next to this item and select Adaptive Screen Timeout.

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The optimal balance for most users is a timeout of 1-2 minutes with active use and 30 seconds in standby mode, which minimizes battery life without losing convenience.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions