The best 5 ways to change the screen timeout on Windows 11

Do you always get frustrated when the laptop or PC screen gets blank after a few seconds of inactivity on Windows 11?

This is a common scenario that most people have to deal with. As a result, they always try to keep the screen active by moving the mouse or pressing any random key. Although it might sound normal, you will be restricted in front of the device.

So, the best solution is to change screen timeout on Windows 11. But the question is how! To guide you properly on this aspect, we have explained the best five ways to increase or decrease the Windows 11 operating system screen timeout in no time.

Method 1: Navigate to device Settings to change the screen timeout

One of the easiest ways to change the screen timeout is through the device Settings. Following are the steps you need to follow.

1. Expand the Windows option and type Settings in the search bar, or you can directly open Settings by pressing Windows+I.

2. Navigate to System and then open Power & Battery.

3. Scroll down, and you will see the option for Screen and Sleep.

4. Click on it to expand the option, and there you will see different tabs.

5. Set the time for each with the help of the dropdown option.

6. Once done, close the Settings window; the screen timeout will change accordingly.

Method 2: Use the Control Panel on the device

Control Panel is another way to change screen timeout for Windows 11. If you haven’t tried this method yet, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Control Panel from the search bar in Windows 11.

2. Now navigate to Power Options from the list.

3. Click on Change from the option list on the left-hand side when the computer sleeps.

4. From the dropdown, select the required time for all four options, like turning off the battery display or when the system is plugged in for charging.

5. Once you are certain about the sleep time changes, click Save Changes, and the time will be saved.

Method 3: Relying on Terminal Window

If you want to avoid going through these lengthy processes, use the Terminal window to change screen timeout on Windows 11.

1. First, right-click on the Windows option. Once the menu expands, click on Terminal.
   
2. A black screen of Windows PowerShell will open.

3. You need to type in the command as: powercfg-change-monitor-timeout-ac 40. You can replace the number 40 with any value in seconds.

4. Once done, press Enter, and the timeout will change automatically.

Method 4: Navigate to Advanced Power Options on the device

1. Press Windows+R to open the Run window.
2. Once the dialog box opens, type in control.exe powercfg.cpl.

3. Press Ok and the Control Panel window will open.

4. Click on the option Choose when to turn off the display and select a certain time from the On Battery and Plugged In dropdown list.

5. Once done, click on Save Changes, and the time will be saved for display timeout.

Method 5: Modify the device’s Registry

The Registry is a hierarchical database for every operating system. You can easily alter the screen timeout for Windows 11 using this process. Following are the steps to be followed.

1. Open the Run window by pressing Windows+R.
2. Once the window opens, type regedit and click on Enter. This will open the Registry Editor on Windows 11.
3. You need to navigate to the following location: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99\8EC4B3A5-6868-48c2-BE75-4F3044BE88A7

4. Right-click on the Attributes option and then press Modify.

5. Once the dialog box opens, write 2 in the Value data and press Ok.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explained the best ways to change screen timeout on Windows 11. If you are a beginner, use the Settings or Control Panel option since they are the easiest. On the contrary, if you want the process quicker or have advanced knowledge about the device and operating system, you can follow any of the three remaining processes we have explained, like the Registry window or Command Prompt window.