Changing screen timeout on the Samsung Galaxy S5

Changing your display timeout will affect your battery life, though

One of the first things I did after getting a Samsung Galaxy S5 was extend the timeout period on the display. By default, the screen shuts off after 30 seconds of inactivity, which not only means you have to wake it up again by hitting the power button on the right side, but if you've got a lock code in place, you need to go through that rigamarole as well.

While this sort of flies in the face of our top tips for extending your Galaxy S5 battery life, you have to balance that with having your phone work the way you want it to work. If you find yourself bothered by the same thing, here's how you fix it.

  • Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the gear icon in the top-right. Tap the Display icon, which should be near the top.
  • Tap Screen timeout and pick however long you're comfortable leaving the display active. Remember, your battery will take a hit for leaving the display on for longer periods of time.
  • If you're feeling fancy, you can enable Smart Stay here as well. It will use the front-facing camera to figure out if you're looking at the screen, and if you are, it will keep the screen on. If you're not looking at it, the standard timeout period will kick in.

That's about all you need to know about keeping your screen awake long enough for your personal tastes and usage patterns. Personally, I tend to jump between my phone and other stuff often, so my wait time is higher. Other display options are available from the same section, including setting a screen saver when your device is charging, and enabling high touch sensitivity so you can use the Samsung Galaxy S5 with gloves on.

Take a look at the rest of our Galaxy S5 how-to content for more pointers.