Beam Notes is designed to keep your screen awake while you are on the recording screen. However, some device, browser, or security settings can override this behaviour and cause your phone to lock unexpectedly.
If this happens, here are the most common causes and how to fix them.
1. Browser limitations
Some mobile browsers handle the wake lock feature differently. Chrome and Edge may behave slightly differently when keeping your screen awake.
What to try
Record using a different browser on your phone
If you only have one browser:
Close all tabs
Force quit the browser
Reopen it, return to Beam Notes, and start a new recording
2. Battery saver or low power mode
When battery saving mode is active, or your phone is low on battery, your device may force the screen to lock regardless of what Beam Notes requests.
What to check
Go to Settings and search for Screen Timeout, Auto-lock, or Display
Increase timeout to 5 to 10 minutes or set it to Never while supervising the recording
Ensure your phone is sufficiently charged
3. Samsung and Android battery optimisation
Some Samsung devices aggressively stop background processes, including screen wake behaviour, even while the screen is active.
Samsung-specific steps
Go to Settings → Device care → Battery → App power management
Remove Microsoft Edge from Deep sleeping apps
Add Microsoft Edge to Apps that will not be put to sleep
This helps ensure your browser stays active during recordings.
4. Organisation or device security policies
If you are using a device managed by your organisation, enforced security settings may override Beam Notes attempts to keep the screen awake.
What to do
Contact your IT department and ask whether screen timeout policies are enforced on work devices or browsers
5. Switching apps or receiving notifications
Navigating away from the Beam Notes recording screen can cause the device to lock, microphone permissions to be revoked, or the recording to pause.
Best practices
Stay on the recording screen at all times
Turn on Do Not Disturb
If you switch apps accidentally, return and tap Resume
Anything said while off the recording screen will not be captured.
Still having issues? Run a quick wake lock test
If you have reviewed the steps above and your device still locks, please run a quick test to help determine whether the issue is caused by your device settings or by Beam Notes.
How to test
Visit the following website, which demonstrates modern web app capabilities including the wake lock function that allows web pages to keep your screen awake:
https://whatpwacando.today/wake-lockTick the box next to Prevent your screen from locking
Leave the page open and check whether your screen stays awake
What the result means
If your screen still locks on this page, the issue is likely related to your device settings or your organisation’s IT policies
If your screen stays awake on this page but locks when using Beam Notes, further investigation may be required
Help us investigate further
If your screen stays awake during the wake lock test but locks when using Beam Notes, please contact our support team so we can escalate the issue.
Email support@beam.org with the following information:
Device make and model
Browser and browser version
A link to the Beam Note where the phone locked, if possible
Your organisation’s screen-locking policies. If you are unsure, please contact your internal IT help desk
This information helps us identify whether the issue is device-specific, browser-related, or requires a product-level fix.
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