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Android: Change the Screen Timeout Duration

If your screen keeps dimming or locking before you are done reading something, the screen timeout is likely set too short. This value decides how long the display stays lit without touch input before the phone goes into sleep mode. A timeout that is too long, on the other hand, drains battery and can leave the screen on in your pocket.

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Android 14 · Android 14
Adjust Screen Timeout Duration – Android 14: step 1 – Tap on Settings
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Android

Adjust Screen Timeout Duration auf Android

Screen timeout is the timer that decides how long your display stays active after your last touch. Once that time runs out, Android turns the screen off and puts the device into sleep mode to save power.

A short timeout is efficient for battery life but can feel annoying if the screen keeps locking while you read or fill out a form. A long timeout is more comfortable but keeps the display lit longer than necessary, which adds up in battery drain over a day.

Where to change it

The setting sits in the display options of the system settings, not in a separate battery menu. Open Tap on SettingsTap on DisplayTap on Screen timeoutSet the duration until the screen timeout. Pick a duration from the list; most devices offer options from 15 seconds up to several minutes, plus a 'Never' option on some phones.

If the screen still turns off earlier than the value you picked, check whether a battery saver mode or an app-specific power restriction is overriding the setting. Screen timeout only controls idle behavior — apps that actively keep the display on, like video players, use a separate wake lock and are not affected by this value.

Frequently asked questions

Video and camera apps normally request a wake lock that keeps the display on regardless of the screen timeout value. If a video app still times out, it is not respecting that wake lock and the standard Screen timeout value applies instead.