Stop the screen brightness from dimming on your Galaxy phone or tablet

Galaxy S21 Ultra with Display settings

Galaxy phones and tablets have adjustable displays, so you can change the brightness level based on the lighting and your surroundings. However, if your screen is constantly dimming and you'd like it to stop, we've got a few tricks for you to follow.

Check the proximity sensor

The proximity sensor is located at the top of your phone or tablet, near the camera. On phones, it activates during calls and will shut off the phone's screen when the phone is close to your face, so you won't accidentally touch the options when talking. It also detects the level of ambient light while the device is in use.

Z Fold devices will have a sensor on both the main screen and cover screen. The Z Flip series only has one on the main screen.

If your phone keeps randomly shutting off or dimming, check to make sure that the proximity sensor is not blocked by a case or screen cover. Clean it with a dry microfiber cloth.

Proximity sensor highlighted on a Galaxy S21 Ultra

Turn off the Adaptive brightness setting

If you notice that your screen gets dark and then brightens, it's due to the Adaptive brightness feature which changes the screen's brightness based on the amount of light detected. This feature is designed to help save battery power while keeping the screen brightness comfortable. You can shut it off if the current lighting conditions cause it to change frequently.

Navigate to Settings, and then tap Display. Tap the switch next to Adaptive brightness to turn the setting off. Then, adjust the Brightness bar until you've reached your desired level of brightness.

Switch next to Adaptive brightness highlighted on a Galaxy phone

Increase the screen timeout

By default, your Galaxy phone or tablet's screen timeout is 30 seconds, meaning the screen will turn off automatically after this amount of time. If this is too fast, you can adjust the screen timeout to be longer.

Navigate to and open Settings. Tap Display, and then tap Screen timeout. From there, choose your desired amount. The maximum screen timeout is 10 minutes.

A list of times that can be chosen for Screen timeout on a Galaxy phone

Keep screen on while viewing

Note: This feature may be called "Smart stay" on previous OS versions.

The Keep screen on while viewing feature detects when you are looking at your phone's screen and will keep the screen turned on regardless of the screen timeout setting. You should activate this feature if you'd like your phone to stay on continuously as you use it.

Navigate to and open Settings. Search for and select Keep screen on while viewing, and then tap the switch next to "Keep screen on while viewing" to active the feature.

Switch next to Keep screen on while viewing highlighted on a Galaxy phone

Auto lock when screen turns off

Note: This feature may be called "Lock automatically" on previous OS versions. The Secure lock settings will only appear if you have a lock screen set up.

When you have a lock screen set up, your phone will automatically lock itself after a set amount of time. However, with the Secure lock settings, you can adjust the length of time your device will remain unlocked after the screen switches off.

Navigate to and open Settings. Tap Lock screen, and then tap Secure lock settings. Enter your security credentials, and then tap Auto lock when screen turns off. Next, choose your desired amount of time before the phone locks. The maximum amount is 30 minutes.

Auto lock when screen turns off highlighted on a Galaxy phone

Use a different Power saving mode

Note: You can only adjust the settings when Power saving is off.

Some power saving modes will make your phone's screen dim in order to save battery life. However, you can turn off Power saving if you prefer a brighter screen.

Navigate to and open Settings. Tap Battery and device care, and then tap Battery. Tap Power saving, and then choose your preferred settings. Finally, tap the switch at the top of the screen to turn on Power saving.

Power saving options switched on with a Galaxy phone

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