Stop iPhone from Dimming: Turn Off Sleep Mode & Auto-Brightness (2023)

Stop iPhone from sleeping and going dim while you're still using it.

By Rich Hall Updated 01/24/2023

Tired of your iPad or iPhone screen going dim or dark while you're using your device? The Auto-lock and screen dimming features can help you save battery, but can also be frustrating if you're trying to read an article! Below, we'll cover how to turn off Sleep Mode on your iPhone and how to stop your iPhone from dimming too quickly.

How to Keep Your iPhone or iPad Screen On

We've already given you the answer to "why is my auto-lock grayed out?", how to adjust your Lock Screen Notifications, and how to turn the brightness of your iPhone screen down or up from your Control Center. You can learn more about your Apple devices by subscribing to our free Tip of the Day. Now, we'll teach you how to turn off the auto-brightness feature and change your iPhone's Lock screen time, the amount of time between last use and when your iPhone and iPad goes to sleep. We've uncovered the controls for both Auto-Lock and Auto-Brightness on your smartphone and tablet; here they are.

How to Turn Off Your iPhone's Auto-Brightness Setting

To learn how to stop your iPhone from dimming, follow the steps below to disable the Auto-Brightness feature:

Open the Settings app.
Tap Accessibility.
Tap Display & Text Size.
Scroll all the way to the bottom and toggle Auto-Brightness off.

You can turn this feature back on at any time by following the steps above and toggling Auto-Brightness to the on position.

How to Keep Your iPhone Screen on Longer by Turning Off Sleep Mode Settings

In addition to going dim, your iPhone is set to automatically lock after 30 seconds. While the iPad and iPhone Auto-Lock setting won't affect your Netflix viewing, it will affect your reading. If you don't want to continuously tap your screen to keep the device from locking while you read the morning paper, you might prefer to turn off Auto-Lock, or at least delay the feature. Here's how to turn off or delay auto-lock:

Open the Settings app.
Tap Display & Brightness.
Tap Auto-Lock. If this option is grayed out, visit this Lock Screen settings tip to learn what to do.
Tap to set the lock feature to a time that works for you. If you set your iPhone's Auto-Lock to Never, make sure to lock your iPhone manually when not using it, otherwise you'll run down the battery.

That's how you turn off auto-lock and auto-brightness to avoid having your screen go dim automatically. Now you can enjoy your movie viewing and book reading without the hassle of your iPhone screen going dim or turning off.

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Author Details

Rich Hall

Rich Hall has written about Handheld and Pocket computers for the last 13 years. He is the Editor of Pocket PC magazine and former editor of The HP Palmtop Paper, the NEC Ultralite Connection and the HP Portable Paper. He began his career as a high school Math and English teacher. Rich lives in Fairfield, Iowa, with his wife, Lucinda, and their children, Robert and Ella. You can contact him at Rich@PocketPCMag.com.

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