How to Keep the iPhone Screen On All the Time

Last Updated: July 25, 2019

Under normal circumstances, the fact that your iPhone will automatically turn off the screen and lock the device is a benefit. Reducing the amount of time that the screen is on will help you to get more life out of a battery charge, and it will also prevent accidental pocket dials and other problems that can occur when an iPhone is in a pocket or bag with an unlocked screen.

But situations can arise where you need the iPhone screen to stay on for a longer period of time, because you are looking at the screen without physically interacting with the device. Fortunately you have control over the setting that causes your iPhone screen to automatically turn off and lock. Our guide below will show you where to find this setting so that you can keep your iPhone screen on until you manually elect to lock it.

iPhone – Keep Screen On

1. Open Settings.
2. Choose Display & Brightness.
3. Tap the Auto-Lock button.
4. Select Never.

You can continue to the next section to see these steps with pictures.

How to Keep the iPhone Screen On Until You Manually Lock It

The steps in this article were performed on an iPhone 7 Plus in iOS 12.3.1. If you are using an older version of iOS and this setting is not located on the menu indicated in these steps, then continue to the next section where we will show you how to locate this option in some older versions of iOS.

Step 1: Touch the Settings icon.

Step 2: Scroll down and open the Display & Brightness menu.

Step 3: Select the Auto-Lock option.

Step 4: Tap the Never button to prevent your screen from turning off automatically.

As mentioned above, the section below will show you how to keep the iPhone screen on in the older versions of iOS.

Here is how to keep your iPhone screen from turning off (legacy iOS versions)-

1. Open the Settings menu.
2. Open the General menu.
3. Select the Auto-Lock option.
4. Select the Never option.

These steps are also repeated below with pictures –

Step 1: Tap the Settings icon.

Step 2: Scroll down and tap the General option.

Step 3: Tap the Auto-Lock option.

Step 4: Tap the Never option.

Your iPhone screen will now stay on until you elect to manually turn it off and lock the screen. You can do this by pressing the Power button on the top or side of your iPhone. Note that keeping the iPhone screen on for long periods of time is one of the biggest ways to drain your battery.

Have you been noticing that your iPhone settings change slightly when your remaining battery percentage gets low? Learn why your iPhone battery icon is yellow, and see what other settings are affected, as well as how you can turn this option on or off manually.