How to permanently remove the screensaver from the screen of the Xiaomi TV: from simple ways to radical

The screensaver on the Xiaomi TV is one of the most annoying features that users face, which not only appears with long inactivity, but also interrupts watching movies, broadcasts or games if the system considers the content “inactive.” Unlike smartphones, where the screensaver is turned off with a pair of taps, on Xiaomi TVs (especially on models with MIUI TV or Google TV), this process is hidden in the depths of the menu – or not at all in the standard settings.

Complicating the problem is that the manufacturer regularly updates the firmware, changing the layout of options. What worked on the 2020 Mi TV 4S may not work on the Xiaomi TV A Pro 2023. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways, from basic to technically complex, including hidden commands for the engineering menu and manual editing of configuration files.

1. Standard disabling of the screensaver through the settings of MIUI TV

On most Xiaomi models (e.g. Mi TV 4A/4S/4X, Xiaomi TV 5/5 Pro), the option is hidden in the energy saving section. Importantly, on TVs with Google TV (e.g. Xiaomi TV A2 4K), the path will be different - more about this below.

Instructions for MIUI TV:

1. Open Settings (cog on the home screen or the Settings button on the remote).
2. Go to the system and the device → Energy saving.
3. Find the Screensaver (or Screensaver) and select Never.
4. Save the changes and restart the TV (Settings → About TV → Reboot).

If the saver item is not on the menu, then your model uses an alternative interface.

• 🔍 Settings → Display and sound → Sleeping mode. → Screenshot
• 🔍 Settings → Smart assistant. → Eco-regime → Turn off the screensaver
• 🔍 On some firmware, the option is called Screen Off Timeout (in the English menu).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi TVs with firmware older than 2021 (e.g. Mi) TV 4A 32") a standard shutdown may not work due to a bug in the system.

2. disable the screensaver on Xiaomi TV with Google TV (Android TV)

Xiaomi TVs based on Google TV (such as Xiaomi TV A2 4K or Xiaomi TV Q2 QLED) use a different shell, where the settings of the screensaver are hidden deeper.

Step-by-step:

1. Press the Home button on the remote to open the main menu of Google TV.
2. Go to Settings → Device and General → Screen and energy saving.
3. Find the item Sleep mode → Savage (Daydream).
4. Choose Never or Turn Off.
5. Return to the Screen and Power Saving and turn off the Automatic Screen Shutdown option (if any).

If there is no Daydream, try an alternative path:

• 🔧 Open the Settings. → Annexes → System applications → Daydream.
• 🔧 Press Stop and Disable.
• 🔧 Restart the TV.

Important: On some firmware, Xiaomi blocks Daydream from disabling through the menu, in which case only manual editing of settings or factory resetting will help.

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If after turning off the screensaver returns after 10-15 minutes, check the settings HDMI-CEC in the Settings menu → Devices → HDMI. Turn off the option Control over HDMI – sometimes it resets the activity timer.

3.Use of the engineering menu (for advanced users)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use the Service Menu, which is suitable for most Xiaomi TV models, but you need to be careful – incorrect changes can lead to system failure.

Instructions:

1. Turn on the TV and go to any channel or menu.
2. On the remote, consistently press: Menu → Settings → All Settings → General → About → Press OK 5 times in a row at the "Model" item (For some models, the combination may differ - see the table below).
3. The engineering menu will open. Go to Picture → Screen Saver.
4. Set the Off value for parameters: 📺 Screen Saver Timeout → 0 📺 Eco Mode Screen Saver → Disable

Save the settings and restart the TV.

⚠️ Note: Do not change the Backlight, Panel Aging or Factory Reset settings in the engineering menu unless you understand their meanings.This can lead to permanent damage to the matrix or reset of all color calibrations.

4. Manual editing of configuration files (for technical specialists)

If none of the previous methods worked, you'll have to edit system files, which requires root access or use of ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for users familiar with the command line.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Debugging. USB TV-wise: 🔧 Go to Settings. → On TV. → Build number and press 7 times to activate Developer Mode. 🔧 Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and enable debugging by USB.

Connect the TV to your PC via USB (or Wi-Fi if supported).

adb shell


su




mount -o rw,remount /system




sed -i 's/ro.screensaver.enabled=1/ro.screensaver.enabled=0/g' /system/build.prop




sed -i 's/persist.sys.screensaver=1/persist.sys.screensaver=0/g' /system/build.prop




reboot

After the reboot, the screensaver will be disabled at the system level.

Alternative method (if there is no root):

• 📄 Open the file. /data/property/persist.sys.screensaver through ADB and change the meaning of c 1 on 0.
• 📄 Or run the command: adb shell setprop persist.sys.screensaver 0

⚠️ Warning: Editing system files can lead to loss of warranty and unstable TV operation.Before changing, make backup files command: adb pull /system/build.prop build.prop_backup

Install ADB PC-only|Enable debugging on USB TV-wise|Make a backup of files|Check for root rights (if necessary)-->

5. Reset to factory settings (radical method)

If the screensaver appears due to a firmware failure or setting conflict, a complete reset will help, which will remove all installed apps, accounts and personal data, but return the TV to the “out of the box” state.

How to reset your settings:

1. Open Settings → About TV → Reset settings.
2. Select Delete All Data (or Factory Data Reset).
3. Confirm the action by entering PIN-code (if installed).
4. Wait for the process to complete (5-10 minutes) and reset the TV.

After discharge:

• 🔄 Do not update the firmware immediately - check if the screensaver has disappeared.
• 🔄 If the problem came back, it means it is embedded in the current version of the software. In this case, only a rollback of the firmware will help.

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The factory reset removes not only the screensaver, but all the data you have saved: Wi-Fi passwords, Netflix/YouTube accounts, audio and image settings. Write down important settings in advance!

6. rollback of firmware or installation of custom version

On some Xiaomi TV models (especially Mi TV 4S and Xiaomi TV 5 Pro), the screensaver appears due to bugs in the latest updates. The only solution is to roll back on the old firmware version or install an alternative one (for example, LineageOS for TV).

Instructions for rollback:

1. Download the necessary firmware version from the official Xiaomi website (TV section).
2. Unpack the archive and copy the update.zip file to the flash drive (FAT32 format).
3. Connect the flash drive to the TV and go to Settings → About TV → Software Update → Local Update.
4. Select the update.zip file and confirm the installation.
5. After the reboot, check for a screensaver.

For custom firmware installation:

• 🛠️ Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool.
• 🛠️ Install. TWRP Recovery for your model (see instructions on the XDA Developers).
• 🛠️ Use an alternative firmware (for example, ATV Custom ROM).

⚠️ Note: Installing unofficial software will void the warranty and may result in a device blink (completely inoperable). Use this method only if you have exhausted all other options.

7. Alternative solutions: how to bypass the screensaver without turning off

If you can not remove the screensaver, you can use bypass methods that mimic the user's activity:

• 🎮 Connect a game console (such as Xbox or PlayStation) – it will send a signal HDMI-CEC, prevent the appearance of a screensaver.
• 🖱️ Use a wireless mouse connected via Bluetooth, and a cursor movement every 5 minutes will reset the timer for inactivity.
• 📱 Install Keep Screen On from Google Play (works on Xiaomi) TV Google TV).
• 🔄 Set up automatic channel switching in the Settings menu → Broadcasting → Timer.

For owners of Xiaomi TV Box (for example, Mi Box S):

• 📦 Open the Settings. → Screen and sound → Sleep mode and choose Never.
• 📦 Install the app TV Stay Awake from Google Play.

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If you’re watching movies from an external drive, try using the VLC app instead of the standard player. In its settings, there’s a Disable screensaver option in the Interface → Main interfaces section.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the screensaver on Xiaomi TV