How to turn off standby on Xiaomi phone: all ways

Standby (or sleep) on Xiaomi smartphones is an energy-saving state that the device goes into when it is inactive for a long time. Most of the time, the phone automatically wakes up when you press the power button or touch the screen, but sometimes users are faced with a situation where the screen remains black and the device does not respond to standard actions, this can be due to MIUI failures, a discharged battery or conflicts with installed applications.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to turn off standby mode on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones, including software methods through system settings and hardware solutions (for example, forced reboot). We will pay special attention to the nuances for different firmware versions (MIUI 12-14) and models where the logic of sleep mode may differ. If your smartphone is getting stuck in standby mode and does not respond to buttons, here you will find a solution.

What is Xiaomi’s standby mode and why it doesn’t turn off

Sleep mode is the low power state that a smartphone enters when it locks the screen.

• 📵 Display and backlighting is turned off.
• 🔋 Background processes are stopped (except for critical ones, for example, alarm clocks).
• 📡 Communication modules are partially deactivated (Wi-Fi, mobile network goes into low-consumption mode).

On Xiaomi smartphones, standby mode may not work properly for the following reasons:

• 🔄 Failure in MIUI: Firmware errors (especially in beta versions) sometimes cause the phone to “hang” in sleep mode.
• 🔋 Critical Charge Level: If the battery is discharged below 5%, the device may not respond to the power button.
• 📱 Hardware problems: Failure of the on button or the display plume.
• 🛠️ Application conflict: Some programs (such as optimizers or antiviruses) block the exit from sleep mode.

Before you start a forced shutdown, try the standard method: press the power button for 10-15 seconds. If that doesn't work, go to the methods below.

Method 1: Standard exit from standby mode (for operating devices)

If your phone responds to taps but the screen doesn’t turn on immediately, follow these steps:

1. Press the power button once. On most Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10, POCO X3), this is enough to unlock the screen.
2. If there is no reaction, press the power button for 3-5 seconds until the turn off menu appears. Then select Restart.
3. On models with a fingerprint scanner (such as the Xiaomi 12T), try unlocking your phone with a touch of the sensor.

If the screen is black, but the phone vibrates or makes sounds when you press the buttons, the problem may be the backlight of the display.

• 🔦 Hold your phone to a bright light source (like a flashlight) at an angle, and if the image is barely noticeable, the plume or backlight inverter is faulty.
• 🔊 Try calling from another device, and if you're calling but the screen doesn't turn on, it confirms the hardware problem.

Connect your phone to charge for 10-15 minutes

Try pressing the power button + volume increase (for some models)

Check if the charging indicator is on (if the cable is connected)

Make sure the power button is not jammed mechanically-->

Method 2: Forced reboot (if the phone doesn't respond)

If Xiaomi’s smartphone is completely “hang” in standby mode and does not respond to buttons, perform hard reset (forced reset).This method works on all models, including the Redmi 9, POCO F3, Xiaomi 13 and others.

Instructions:

1. Press the power button + volume button at the same time.
2. Hold them for 10-20 seconds until the phone vibrates and reboots.
3. After the MI logo appears, release the buttons.

Some models (such as the Redmi Note 8 Pro) may require a Power + Volume combination, and if you're not sure, try both combinations one by one.

Attention! Forced reboot doesn't cause data loss, but if the phone was in the process of updating the system, it could cause MIUI to malfunction.

⚠️ Note: On non-removable models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi 11), long-term button retention can cause the battery to overheat.

Method 3: Disable Standby mode via Fastboot (for advanced users)

If the phone is responding to a connection to the computer but doesn’t turn on, you can try to bring it out of sleep via Fastboot mode, a method that is suitable for users familiar with ADB and Fastboot.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (preferably original).
2. Open the command line (cmd) on your computer.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: fastboot devices If the device is determined, move to the next step. If not, try another combination of buttons to log in to Fastboot (usually Power + Volume Down).
4. Run the reboot command: fastboot reboot

If the phone is not detected in Fastboot, but the computer makes the connection sound USB-Devices - the problem may be in the drivers.Install official Xiaomi drivers from the site MIUI Download.

fastboot oem reboot-recovery

This will put the device in recovery mode, from where you can reset or restart.-->

Method 4: Configure standby parameters in MIUI

If the phone turns on but goes into standby mode too quickly (for example, the screen goes out after 5-10 seconds), the problem may be in the power saving settings.

1. Go to Settings → Display.
2. Select the "Sleep Mode" option.
3. Set the desired time before automatically turning off the screen (30 seconds or 1 minute is recommended).
4. Return to the main settings menu and go to Battery and Performance → Battery Mode.
5. Turn off the option Ultra-Economic Mode or Super Energy Saving if it is active.

On some MIUI 13/14 firmwares, additional sleep settings are hidden to open:

1. Enter the sleep request in the search for settings.
2. Select Advanced Sleep Settings (Advanced Sleep Settings).
3. Turn off the Deep Sleep option if it is enabled.

On models with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2 processor (e.g. Xiaomi 12 Pro, 13 Ultra), deep sleep can cause you to freeze when you leave standby mode, in which case it is recommended to turn it off completely.

Method 5: Checking for hardware malfunctions

If none of the software methods worked, the problem could be the hardware.

• 🔋 Battery Failure: Bloating or Failing the Battery Can Block the Phone from Normal Operation.
• 🔌 Power button problems: Mechanical damage or oxidation of contacts.
• 📱 Display plume failure: A common problem after falls or moisture hit.
• 🔌 Power controller malfunction: In this case, the phone may not respond to charging and buttons.

How to diagnose:

• 🔍 Light a flashlight on the screen at an angle - if the image is barely noticeable, the problem is in the backlight.
• 🔋 Connect your phone to charge for 1-2 hours, if the indicator does not burn, there may be a malfunction of the battery or the power board.
• 🔊 Try calling the phone from another device, and if it rings, but the screen doesn't turn on, the problem is the display or the plume.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone overheats when you connect to a charger or makes uncharacteristic sounds (cracking, hissing) - immediately turn it off. This may indicate a short circuit in the battery or board.

For accurate diagnosis, it is recommended to contact the Xiaomi service center.

Prevention of standby hanging

To avoid repeated problems with the standby mode, follow these recommendations:

• 🔄 Update regularly MIUI: New firmware versions fix energy saving errors. Check the updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 📱 Do not use unofficial firmware: Custom ROM (LineageOS may conflict with sleep drivers.
• 🔋 Watch out for charge levels: Don't let the discharge below 10-15%.Deep discharge can damage the power controller.
• 🛠️ Disable Aggressive Optimizers: Apps like Greenify or Battery Doctor can block sleep.
• 🔌 Use Original Chargers: Poor-quality cables and power supplies can cause power controller malfunctions.

In the models with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra, Redmi K50) Recommended to disable the Always On Display function (AOD), This feature may conflict with sleep patterns on some firmware.

💡

If the phone often freezes in standby mode after the MIUI update, reset to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset) this will delete user data, but restore the stability of the system.

FAQ: Frequent questions about standby on Xiaomi