Skip to content
LogoTechnipages
LogoTechnipages
  • Topics
        • Android
        • Browsers
        • Gaming
        • Hardware
        • Internet
        • iPhone
        • Linux
        • macOS
        • Office
        • Reviews
        • Software
        • Windows
        • Definitions
        • All Recent Posts
  • Product Reviews
  • About

How to Set Screen Timeout on Samsung Galaxy S9

Mitch BartlettJanuary 4, 2019 Comments (17)

Set the amount of time that elapses before the Samsung Galaxy S9 times out and shuts off the screen with these steps.

Contents

  • 1 Set Screen Timeout
  • 2 Enable or Disable “Smart Stay”
  • 3 Disable Screen Timeout

Set Screen Timeout

  1. From the Home screen, select “Settings” > “Display” > “Screen timeout“.
  2. Choose one of the following:
    • 15 seconds
    • 30 seconds
    • 1 minute
    • 2 minutes
    • 5 minutes
    • 10 minutes

Enable or Disable “Smart Stay”

The Galaxy S9 has a feature that will detect if your eyes are looking at the screen. If your eyes are detected, the screen will not time out. Enable or disable this setting with these steps.

  1. From Home, select “Settings“.
  2. Choose “Display“.
  3. Set “Smart stay” to “On” or “Off” as desired.

Disable Screen Timeout

The Galaxy S9 does not have an option to completely disable the screen from timing out when the phone is not plugged in. You can however set the phone to never disable the screen when it is plugged in using these steps.

  1. Select “Settings” > “About phone“.
  2. Tap “Build number” 7 times to unlock developer mode.
  3. Now under “Settings” you have an option for “Developer options“. Under this menu, there is a “Stay awake” option.
Categories: Android

Author Mitch Bartlett

Through my career that spans over 20 years I have become an expert in Microsoft Systems Administration, Android, and macOS. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful knowledgebase for everyone.

You Might Also Like

  • Android: How to Disable Auto-Correct in Easy Steps

    Mitch BartlettAndroid
  • Google Maps: Clear Navigation and Search History

    Mitch BartlettAndroid
  • Android Restore Screen

    How to Backup Your Entire Android Device to PC

    Mitch BartlettAndroid
  • how to delete whatsapp messages for everyone after long time

    How to Delete Week Old WhatsApp Messages

    Madalina DinitaAndroid

Comments

  1. Ivory Alexander says:
    May 17, 2021 at 10:50 am

    I’m using a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 running Android 10 where do I find the build number because its not in the about phone section.

  2. Jamie says:
    December 7, 2020 at 12:49 pm

    This is one fatal flaw about my Samsung s9, along with the lack of width in space bar making.every.sentence.look.like.a.we.page. ????
    The auto timeout over 30 seconds is extremely annoying and an unnecessary waste of time when trying to navigate phone while doing life. Is this on EVERY Samsung phone or just s9? If later versions don’t struggle with this I will upgrade. But, please, for the love, Samsung how is it you can’t give us an override option that will actually STICK?!? ????

  3. Gregory A McGaw says:
    December 1, 2020 at 8:57 pm

    I have an unlimited data plan so I am not worried about overage costs. I can go to “Settings, Display, Screen Timeout” and change it to 5 minutes but it reverts back to the 30 second mode within a day or two.

  4. Joseph D Lindberg says:
    November 19, 2020 at 10:08 pm

    Ok i believe i have the same problem while im in a call, i need to type numbers, ex( press 1 for this!), the screen goes dim every 10 seconds, I’ve asked this ? Why, and how do I fix it, I’ve called Samsung, and t-mobile, asked for a tech and got advanced tech, in both companies even had them on the phone together, that was 6 months ago, alot of people have this problem! Almost everyone I know, and no answer, why or how to fix it! There used to be an app, i had that kept screen on but an update canceled the app! This has to be a serious issues for Samsung, or some kind of secrets being kept, employees that know why will be fired if it gets out! And the messed up thing they know this is seriously irritating, and gets people passed off, I believe they want to charge you one day, 1 or 2 dollars for every option you have on your phone, just like cable and satellite every channel!

  5. Mysterri says:
    August 7, 2020 at 6:23 am

    This has been my problem for more than a year. Thanks for putting it into words. But, still no fix,? Changing phone brands seems like the best option for me.

  6. Bob Wells says:
    July 13, 2020 at 2:34 am

    Hi Mitch Bartlett
    I think it may be time for a revisit on this one, on any S8 upward samsung, running android 9 one UI, the Dev mode under “stay awake” is “screen will never sleep while charging”, If you set adaptive brightness to off the phones still dim after 10 mins as per Charlie’s comment.
    The original question was how to get the screen to NEVER turn off which is what everyone here wants, and from scouring the net it looks like that is NTP (not technically possible).
    Please prove me wrong.

  7. SCOTT M CAMPBELL says:
    May 17, 2020 at 2:56 pm

    Even with developer option to stay awake my phone switches back to 30 second timeout!

  8. Chris says:
    May 4, 2020 at 3:42 pm

    When I go to settings/display my phone keeps saying ” Settings has Stopped ” close app. It won’t let me adjust my lkenght if time, it won’t allow me into the area at all

  9. Laurie says:
    May 2, 2020 at 12:30 pm

    I followed the instruction to disable screen timeout, but the description when in developer mode under “stay awake” is “screen will never sleep while charging”…I want to disable timeout when I’m using the phone, not when I’m charging the phone…what now?
    Thanks

  10. Samuel Peterson says:
    December 7, 2019 at 11:53 am

    Can’t turn off screen timeout?
    Welp, guess it’s jailbreak-time! Thanks for the great product Samsung!

  11. PH4S1N says:
    December 7, 2019 at 1:29 am

    It work when i charging but when i not charging it back to normal setting screen timeout

  12. julia ramos says:
    October 12, 2019 at 3:42 pm

    i cant set it so while im on phone the screen goes black. im doing work on phone that requires screen when in on phone. how do i fix it

  13. JD says:
    August 21, 2019 at 10:46 am

    My phone will not time out at the chosen 30sec time. It takes forever.

  14. Kyrie says:
    June 17, 2019 at 8:31 am

    Even if I set my screen to timeout after 10min. every morning I have to re-set this because it seems overnight it’ll “reset” itself to turn off after 30sec.

  15. David South says:
    June 4, 2019 at 1:32 am

    Download no screen off from play store
    This will disable screen time out,

  16. Mitch Bartlett says:
    April 22, 2019 at 9:58 am

    You may have Adaptive Brightness turned on. You’ll want to turn that off.

  17. Charlie Warren says:
    April 21, 2019 at 5:35 pm

    The Phone is Still Dimming… When I Get a Phone Call, but at Least It’s Not Black.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • error 400 when signing in

    Encountered Error 400 When Signing In to Microsoft? Here’s What You Can Do 

  • unable to create notebook error in onenote

    We Were Unable to Create Your Notebook Error in OneNote – Common Fixes 

  • error code 0x800704f8 fix

    Error Code 0x800704f8 – How to Fix 

  • back button in browsers doesnt work

    What to Do if the Back Button in Browser Doesn’t Work 

  • could not find this item

    “Could Not Find This Item” When Trying to Remove Files

profile pic

The Experts Behind Technipages

My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

Learn More

technipages logo white
linkedin icon

Technipages is part of Guiding Tech Media, a leading digital media publisher focused on helping people figure out technology. Learn more about our mission and team here.

© 2026 Guiding Tech Media All Rights Reserved

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

© 2026 Guiding Tech Media All Rights Reserved

Information from your device can be used to personalize your ad experience.
Do not sell my personal information.

Last Updated on January 4, 2019 by Mitch Bartlett