How to keep your phone screen on: Android and iPhone

Phones are tuned to lock quickly. That is great for security and battery life, but frustrating when your hands are covered in flour, you are reading a long article, or you want a step-by-step guide to stay visible. Here is how to extend the time your screen stays on, without leaving it that way forever.

iPhone and iPad

Open Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock and choose a longer time, or Never. If Auto-Lock is greyed out, Low Power Mode is probably on, because it limits Auto-Lock to 30 seconds. Switch it off under Settings → Battery first.

Safari on iOS 16.4 and later also supports the Screen Wake Lock API, so a web page can ask the phone to stay awake without you changing any setting. That is the cleanest option for recipes and similar short sessions.

Android

Go to Settings → Display → Screen timeout (the path varies slightly by manufacturer) and select the longest value available, commonly 10 or 30 minutes. Many phones also offer Screen attention or a similar feature that keeps the display on while you are looking at it, using the front camera.

If you have enabled Developer options, there is a Stay awake toggle that keeps the screen on while the phone is charging. It is useful for a phone used as a dashboard or a nightstand display. It is a developer tool, so turn it off again when you are done.

Chrome on Android has supported the Screen Wake Lock API for several years, so a web tool can keep the screen awake while that tab is in the foreground.

Using a browser tool on a phone

1. Open the tool in your browser and tap the main button to start a session.
2. Leave the tab in the foreground. Mobile browsers release the lock when you switch apps or lock the phone by hand.
3. Choose a timer if the option is offered, so the screen returns to normal behaviour automatically.
4. Close the tab or tap the button again when you are done.

Protect your battery

The display is the biggest consumer of power on a phone, so keeping it on will shorten battery life noticeably. A few habits help:

• Lower the brightness. This saves far more than any other setting.
• Plug the phone in for long sessions, such as using it as a kitchen display.
• Use dark mode on OLED screens, where black pixels use almost no power.
• Set a timer instead of leaving the screen on indefinitely.

Common problems

The screen still turns off. Check Low Power Mode or Battery Saver, which can override wake requests. The tool stops when I open another app. This is expected: the page is no longer visible, and browsers release the lock. My phone gets warm. A bright display left on for a long time generates heat, so reduce brightness or take breaks.