Why Does My Android Screen Keep Turning On by Itself? Here's How I Fixed It

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I didn't want my phone waking up for any reason unless I pressed the power button myself or if I was receiving a phone call.

After digging through the settings, I finally found the culprit.

After playing around with the settings, I realized there are a few features on Android that can cause this.

The main one on my phone was called "Wake screen for notifications." It was turned on by default under both the Home screen and Lock screen options.

That meant every time a text, email, or app alert came in, the screen would flash on. As soon as I turned this setting off, the problem stopped. Now my phone stays off until I want it on.

But that's not the only setting that can make your phone wake up on its own. Depending on your Android device, here are a few things to check:

Wake screen for notifications - This is the big one. Turn it off under Display or Lock screen settings.

Lift to wake / Double tap to wake - Some phones light up the screen when you pick them up or tap the screen. If you don't want that, switch these off.

Ambient Display / Always On Display - This shows the clock or notifications on the screen even when it's locked. Disable it if you want a completely dark screen.

Smart Stay / Smart Screen (mostly Samsung) - Keeps the screen on when it detects your face. Turn it off if you don't use it.

Android Auto / Driving Mode - Sometimes this setting forces the screen to stay on in the car. Check under Google settings or Connections.

Final Fix: Turn Off "Lift to Wake" on Android

On my TCL phone, the last setting that solved the problem was hidden under Settings → Buttons & Gestures → System Navigation → Gestures. Inside that menu, there's an option called "Lift to Wake." That feature was making the screen light up every time the phone was in the car holder. Turning it off stopped the issue completely.

Every Android brand has its own way of naming these features, but the idea is the same: if your screen keeps turning on by itself, look for anything related to "Lift to Wake," "Raise to Wake," or "Gestures." Switch those off and you'll finally have a phone that only lights up when you want it to.

If you're having the same problem I had--your phone screen turning on for no reason--go through these settings one by one. For me, simply switching off Wake screen for notifications fixed everything.

Now the only time my phone lights up is when I press the power button or get a phone call. Much better for driving, less distracting, and it even saves some battery life.

One more tip: I also don't like notifications showing up on my lock screen. If you feel the same way, you can fix that too. Just go to Settings → Notifications → Lock screen notifications and choose Don't show notifications or Hide content. That way your phone stays completely private until you unlock it yourself.

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