Use the steps below to make the iPhone screen stay on for longer even when you aren’t touching it.
Open the “Settings” app.
Select the “Display & Brightness” option.
Choose the “Auto-Lock” option.
Tap the “Never” item in the list.
The steps in the section above were performed on an iPhone 11 in iOS 13.4.1, but will also work on other iPhone models using the most recent versions of the iOS operating system.
If your iPhone screen is too bright or dim, then read our how to adjust brightness on iPhone 13 article and see how to change it.
Electing to keep the iPhone screen on in this manner can significantly drain your battery. The screen display is the biggest battery drain on the device, so you may want to have a charging cable or portable charger handy if you are planning to have the screen illuminated for a while.
The available options for making the iPhone screen turn off include:
- 30 seconds
- 1 minute
- 2 minutes
- 3 minutes
- 4 minutes
- 5 minutes
- Never
Once the screen is locked, either because you chose an option other than “Never” above, or you manually locked it by pressing the Power button, you will need to use Touch ID, Face ID, or your device passcode to unlock it.
Some apps like Netflix, Hulu, and other video streaming apps or games, can override any screen lock settings that you have. I have found that I need to make my screen stay on most frequently when I’m following an instructional how-to guide or a recipe, and may not be able to touch the screen for a couple minutes.
Related Guides
- How to make your screen turn on when you pick up your iPhone
- How to rotate the screen on an iPhone
- How to turn off vibrate on an iPhone
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.