To conserve battery life, most phones will turn off the display when not in use. However, just because the screen isn’t being physically touched doesn’t mean it’s not being used. To solve this issue, some Android phones have a feature that keep screen on when looking at it Android.
This feature was first introduced by Samsung and has since become available on other devices as well. Both Samsung Galaxy phones and Google Pixel devices now offer this convenient feature. We’ll guide you through how it works on both types of devices.
How to keep screen on when looking at it Android
Below are the ways to keep screen on when looking at it Android:
1. Keep screen on while looking at it Samsung
The Smart Stay feature uses the front camera to detect when you’re looking at your device and keeps the screen from turning off, regardless of the screen timeout setting.
To turn on the Smart Stay feature, follow these steps:
- Go to the Home screen.
- Tap on Menu > Settings > Controls > Smart screen > Smart stay.
When the feature is enabled, a green check mark will appear.
Please note that the Smart Stay feature may not work in the following situations:
- When the device is docked or not being held upright.
- When the front camera fails to detect your face and eyes.
- When the source of light is behind you or when using the device in low light conditions.
- When the front camera is being used by an app.
2. Google Pixel Screen Attention
Screen Attention (Pixel 4 and Later) Keep your screen on while you’re actively using it with Screen Attention. For optimal performance, it is recommended to use Screen Attention in well-lit environments but avoid direct sunlight.
To enable Screen Attention on a Google Pixel device (Pixel 4 and later), follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap on “Display.”
- Tap on “Advanced.”
- Tap on “Attention.”
- Toggle on the switch for “Screen Attention.”
After enabling this feature, your screen will remain on as long as you’re looking at it, using the front camera to detect your face. This can help save battery life by not turning off the screen when you’re actively using it.
This keep screen on when looking at it Android feature will have only a minor impact on your battery life as it utilizes the front camera. If you observe a significant decrease in battery life, you can simply turn it off and choose a longer screen timeout instead.
3. Keep screen on while viewing MIUI
Unfortunately, MIUI does not have such features that keep screen on when looking at it.
We’d update this article when MIUI releases this feature. Also, lots of screen-on third-party apps on the play store are not compatible with keeping your MIUI screen on for newer MIUI versions.
But you could do with the screen timeout adjustment for now. To change the screen timeout on a Xiaomi device running MIUI, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on “Display.”
- Tap on “Screen timeout.”
- Select the desired screen timeout from the options provided.
With this adjustment, you can set the screen timeout to a time that works best for you, conserving battery life and preventing the screen from turning off when you’re actively using the device. The options available may vary depending on the version of MIUI you’re running.
4. Third-party Android app
If you’re looking to keep your Android screen on for an extended time, you can use a third-party app to achieve this. There are a few options for this:
a. Wakey: keep your screen on
Wakey gives you control over your screen’s stay-awake time, allowing you to make the screen bright, dim, or even turn it off while still keeping the phone active and functional. You can also set Wakey to keep the screen on while using certain apps or games, during charging, or even when you’re looking at the device.
To manually enable Wakey, simply tap the large bulb icon within the app, and tap it again or use the notification to disable it when you’re ready. With Wakey, you can keep your screen on exactly when you need it, without having to worry about manually turning it off.
b. Stay Awake
Stay Awake is the perfect solution to keep your screen on when you need it. With a dedicated notification, you have complete control over the screen’s stay-awake status.
Key Features:
- Quickly open the app from the notification.
- Automatically start the app when the device boots.
- Automatically toggle the screen’s stay-awake status when the USB is plugged in or unplugged.
- Use the timer function for automatic deactivation.
Upgrade to Pro for even more benefits such as an ad-free experience, toggle the screen’s Stay Awake status directly from the notification for extra-fast access, and Quick Action, which allows you to add wakey to your quick actions menu above the notification bar for even faster access.
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