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How to change the screen timeout on a Samsung Galaxy phone

By Updated 15 November 20263 min read

Devices: Galaxy A57 (One UI 9) and Galaxy S26 (One UI 9.0) · Checked November 2026

Real screenshot · Galaxy A57, One UI 9

In short

Open Settings, Display, Screen timeout and pick a time from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. Keep screen on while viewing, on the same page, uses the front camera to keep the screen on while you look at it.

Well, there is nothing more annoying than the screen going dark just as your floury fingers reach the next line of a recipe. The screen timeout decides how long the screen stays on after your last touch. Shorter saves battery; if that is too fast, you can make it longer.

4 of 4 steps show a real screenshot from our Galaxy A57 (One UI 9) and Galaxy S26 (One UI 9.0).

Steps

0 of 4 steps
  1. 1

    Open Display

    Open Settings and tap Display.

    Android screenshot: Open Display
  2. 2

    Open Screen timeout

    Scroll down the Display page and tap Screen timeout. Ours read 30 seconds.

    Android screenshot: Open Screen timeout
  3. 3

    Pick a time

    Choose 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes or 10 minutes. Samsung suggests 1 minute or less to save battery.

    Android screenshot: Pick a time
  4. 4

    Keep the screen on while you look at it

    Keep screen on while viewing watches for your face with the front camera and keeps the screen awake while you're looking at it. It works less well in dim light.

    Android screenshot: Keep the screen on while you look at it

If you do not see this option

If this does not work

  • Keep screen on while viewing isn't keeping it on Samsung says it can struggle in dim light or if the front camera can't get a clear view of your face.
  • The screen turns off during a video in a browser Samsung says the screen typically stays on in apps such as YouTube, but a video in a browser without full-screen mode may still time out. Tap the video, then its full screen icon.
  • The screen goes off after 15 seconds anyway? Samsung says Power saving can drop the screen timeout to 15 seconds by itself to save battery. Turn Power saving off, or accept the shorter time while it is on.
  • The screen dims or goes black during calls or reading? Samsung says a case or screen protector covering the proximity sensor near the front camera can make the screen dim or switch off at random. Check it is uncovered and wipe it with a dry microfibre cloth.
  • The screen gets darker before it turns off? Samsung lists Adaptive brightness and Power saving as other causes of dimming. Adaptive brightness can be switched off under Settings, Display.
  • Longer times are missing on a work phone? An organisation that manages the phone can set a maximum screen timeout. Samsung's Knox Manage lets the admin enter that maximum, so ask your IT team to change it.

Good to know

Samsung says there's no way to switch screen timeout off altogether.

The change applies at once and stays after a restart. To go back to the default, pick 30 seconds again from the same list. A longer timeout means the screen stays on longer when you put the phone down, so there is a small privacy cost too.

To save more battery while the screen is on, see how to change the refresh rate on a Samsung Galaxy phone.

About this guide

Device
Android
Shown on
Samsung Galaxy A57 (SM-A576B), One UI 9, Android 17 (build A576BXXU6BZIE), Samsung Galaxy S26 (SM-S942N, Korean model), One UI 9.0, Android 17 (build CP2A.260605.016.S942NKSU5BZJB)
App
Settings
Path
Settings › Display
Real screenshots
4 of 4 steps
What we did
Observed: looked at each screen, changed nothing
Checked
November 2026
Sources
3 official, linked below

The screenshots are from a Samsung Galaxy S26 with One UI 9.0 and Android 17, in Dark mode, apart from step 1, from our Galaxy A57 with One UI 9.0. Samsung says which screens and settings you see can depend on the model and on the country it was sold in. We only looked at these screens on our phones and changed nothing.

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