SOLVED! Screen Turns Off When Watching Video Android

This article explains what to do when Screen Turns Off When Watching Video on Android

Introduction

Android is an open source project, which means that when it is rolled out to different mobile device companies, it is tweaked for better optimization and user interfaces. Therefore, you see massive differences in android phones made by companies such as Samsung, Gionee, Sony, and Tecno.

Several things can cause problems associated with android devices, and they are categorized under: • Android Device Manufacturer: Because of tweaking, e.g., Samsung Note 7 catching fire because of its batteries • Android Operating System: Based on the source codes, e.g., Constant Crashing of Google Play Store

Cause of the Problem?

The screen of an android device turning off while playing a video is not a general issue (it only occurs among a few android users); therefore, it cannot be as a result of the Android Operating System’s code.

To further understand the cause of the problem, a question must be answered, Is the inbuilt android video player used in playing the videos?

If the normal video player was used and the screen keeps turning off, it confirms that it is an error due to the Android Device Manufacturer. Because, when watching a video, an android device’s inbuilt video player is programmed to operate without being bound by time.

Solutions

Providing a solution is in two ways which are:

Android Device Manufacturer If the problem occurred after you recently made an OTA (Over the Air) update, then the update might be the cause of the problem. To solve the problem, you can do two things which are:

Downgrading: If your device supports uninstalling the update, it is better to this. However, most devices do not and the second method might seem the better

Use a Custom ROM: Before embarking on this trip, note that after installing a Custom ROM, your device’s warranty is as good as gone. Android is an open source project, and many software developers can edit the codes to form whatever they like then release it to the public. A custom ROM is simply a firmware and must not be confused with the ROM (Read Only Memory) that is used in storing data on an android device. Based on the firmware, there are two types of ROM, the Stock ROM, and the Custom ROM.

The Stock ROM is the firmware that comes with the android device. A custom ROM can be installed for many reasons, such as it used to correct errors found in the stock ROM. The reason why it is ideal for solving the problem) or used in changing the appearance of the device. They are developed by people in the android community and are mostly free.

Installing a custom ROM must be carefully done, even though the process is easy and straightforward, the wrong procedure can lead to a condition known as BRICKING. Bricking is a process that renders the device inoperable. Another factor that can contribute to bricking is selecting an incompatible Custom ROM. There are many Custom ROMs, e.g., CyanogenMod, AOKP, Paranoid Android, and MIUI. To check whether your device supports a particular Custom ROM, you can check the XDA community.

If the problem started after you updated or downloaded an application, uninstall the application and the updates.

Based on the User

If the problem occurred because you were using other video players, try the following tips:

• Increase your Screen timeout: The screen timeout is a feature designed such that your android device screen turns off when not in use. It is a necessary feature that helps in conserving battery. If your video player is subjected to the android screen timeout, it might be the reason the video player turns off the screen after some moment of inactivity. To solve this problem, you have to change the screen timeout to a time that you think is acceptable. Navigate to Settings>Display and change it the time.

This solution is underhanded because the highest time allowed by android is 30 minutes, and most movies are more than 1 hour. However, it can help you in solving the problem, but after 30 minutes it requires you to continue tapping your screen

• Use the Stay Awake While Charging Mode: This solution is only applicable when charging, and does not let your device screen turn off. To switch the mode on, navigate to Settings>Developers Settings and on it. The developer settings is a mode hidden from basic android users, and to on it, go to Settings > About device and tap on the build number till you see a message that says you are now a developer

• Downloading New Video Players: Downloading a new video player is an ideal solution if the problem is due to the video player. Because the problem is not a common issue, it is hard to pinpoint and direct you to download a distinct video player. Nevertheless, video players such as MX player and VLC android are known to be very good at playing videos. There are also many others that you can help yourself by visiting the Google PlayStore.

• Downloading A Stay Awake Application: this option can be useful in the long run, and it involves downloading the Stay Alive app. The app can be likened to the screen timeout but a bit advance. It allows you to choose a screen timeout as the standard android timeout mode but also extends further to allow you to choose that the screen should never go off (even when not charging).

The application also has other features such as one that notifies you when the screen is consuming much battery. It also allows you to toggle between modes such as choosing the battery percentage that the screen must fall back to the original android screen timeout.