You lock your phone, set it down, and the screen goes black. Then you want the time, so you pick it up, tap it, or press a button — dozens of times a day, just to glance at the clock or check whether anything arrived. Always On Display ends that dance: the time, date and notification icons stay faintly visible on the locked screen, so a glance is enough.
This guide covers which phones can use it, the exact steps for each brand, how the three versions differ, what it costs in battery, and what to do when it will not turn on.
Which phones can use Always On Display
| Phone | Support |
|---|---|
| iPhone 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max | Yes — on by default |
| iPhone Air | Yes — off by default |
| Other iPhones (iPhone 14, 15 and 16 non-Pro, and older models) | No — the setting does not appear |
| Samsung Galaxy S, Z Fold, Z Flip and most A series | Yes on most models — Samsung says only certain devices support it |
| Google Pixel | Yes — called Always-on Display, or Always show time and info on older models |
| Other Android phones | Varies — look in Settings for "Always On Display" or "Ambient display" |
Apple lists the supported iPhones on its brightness and display support page.
Always On Display on iPhone
On a supported iPhone the feature is on by default, so you may only need to check it is still on — or turn it back on after switching it off.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Display & Brightness.
- Tap Always On Display.
- Switch on Always On Display.
While you are there, two more switches decide what the dimmed screen shows: Show Wallpaper keeps your lock screen wallpaper visible in dimmed form, and Show Notifications keeps notification previews on the dimmed screen. Turn both off and the screen goes nearly black with just the time, date and widgets — the quietest version of the feature. If your wallpaper looks darker than expected at night, our guide to stopping wallpaper dimming in dark mode explains why.
Apple turns the display completely dark by itself in several situations: when the phone is face down or in your pocket, when Low Power Mode is on, when Sleep Focus is on, when a CarPlay session starts, while Continuity Camera is in use, when your paired Apple Watch is not nearby, and around your usual bedtime. That is normal behaviour, not a fault — the screen comes back the moment you pick the phone up. Apple lists every condition in its guide to keeping the iPhone display on longer. The display still locks on your usual schedule; to change how fast that happens, see our guide to changing the screen timeout on iPhone and Android.
Always On Display on Samsung Galaxy
Samsung's version is the most flexible of the three: it is on by default, and you can choose exactly when it appears.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Lock screen and AOD (on older One UI versions, tap Lock screen).
- Tap Always On Display.
- Switch it on.
If you cannot find it, use the search bar at the top of Settings and type "Always On Display" — Samsung's own support pages recommend this because the menu name changes between One UI versions. You can also swipe down twice for the quick panel and tap the Always On Display tile. Samsung documents the steps on its Always On Display support page.
Then choose when it shows, under When to show:
- Auto — the display hides itself in a pocket or a dark room and appears the rest of the time.
- Always — it stays on whenever the phone is locked.
- Tap to show — it appears for a few seconds when you tap the screen, then goes dark again. This is the battery-friendliest option.
- As scheduled — pick the hours it is active, for example only during the working day.
- For new notifications — it lights up briefly when a message arrives.
On Galaxy phones running One UI 6 or later, the Always On Display uses the same clock style as your lock screen, so set the clock once and both match. On the Galaxy S24 and S25 you can also switch on Show Lock screen wallpaper to keep your wallpaper on the dimmed screen. To change the clock itself, see our guide to changing the lock screen clock style on iPhone and Android.
Always On Display on Google Pixel
Pixel keeps it simple: one switch, no schedules and no extra modes.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Display & touch.
- Switch on Always-on Display.
On older Pixels the same setting has a different name and place: Settings > Display > Lock screen > Always show time and info. Either way it does the same job — the time, date and notification icons stay visible on the locked screen. Google documents the toggle on its Pixel display settings page.
iPhone vs Samsung vs Pixel: what is different
| iPhone | Samsung Galaxy | Google Pixel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where to turn it on | Settings > Display & Brightness > Always On Display | Settings > Lock screen and AOD > Always On Display | Settings > Display & touch > Always-on Display |
| On by default | Yes (off by default on iPhone Air) | Yes | Varies by model |
| What it shows | Dimmed lock screen: time, date, widgets, notifications | Time, date, notification icons, music controls | Time, date, notification icons |
| Schedule | No — Sleep Focus turns it off at bedtime | Yes — As scheduled, plus Auto and Tap to show | No built-in schedule |
| Custom clock | Via the lock screen editor | Same clock as the lock screen (One UI 6+) | Via the lock screen clock settings |
| Turns itself off | Face down, pocket, Low Power Mode, Sleep Focus, CarPlay, away from Apple Watch | Power saving mode | Battery Saver |
Battery use and screen burn-in: what to expect
Always On Display uses extra battery — part of the screen stays lit all day, so it cannot be free. How much depends on your phone, your brightness and whether it stays on all day or only on tap. Apple keeps the cost down by dropping the refresh rate as low as 1 Hz and dimming the screen; Samsung repositions the clock and icons slightly over time and says the feature is designed to use little battery. No manufacturer publishes a measured per-hour figure, so treat any exact percentage you see online as unverified — the honest way to judge it is to try it for two days and check your battery screen.
Screen burn-in — a faint ghost of the clock left on the display — is the worry people ask about most. Modern phones defend against it: Samsung shifts the image slightly over time, and the iPhone version dims the whole screen and drops to a 1 Hz refresh rate. That does not make burn-in impossible, only unlikely on a current phone used normally. If you keep one phone for many years and the display is on all day every day, Tap to show or a schedule is the cautious choice. For more ways to slow battery wear, see our guide to limiting charging to 80 percent.
Troubleshooting: when Always On Display will not turn on
The setting is missing. Your model does not support it. On iPhone that means any non-Pro model before iPhone 17; on Samsung and Pixel, some cheaper models omit it. Check the compatibility table above before anything else.
It is on, but the screen still goes black. Check the automatic switch-offs first: phone face down or in a pocket, Low Power Mode or power saving on, Sleep Focus on, Battery Saver on, or a bedtime routine active. On Samsung, make sure When to show is not set to Tap to show — with that mode the screen only lights up when you tap it.
It worked, then stopped. A software update can reset the toggle, and power saving modes switch it off silently. Turn the feature off and on again in Settings, then check that no battery saver is active.
It turns off at night. That is by design on iPhone — Sleep Focus and your usual bedtime switch it off. If you want the quiet hours to start later, adjust them in our guide to scheduling Do Not Disturb on iPhone and Android. On Samsung, check As scheduled in case a time window is set.
If the screen stays dark after all of that, restart the phone and check for a software update — and if the setting is still missing, the model simply does not have it.
FAQ
Does Always On Display drain the battery?
Yes, a little. Part of the screen stays lit, so the phone uses more power than with a fully black screen. Apple and Samsung both keep the cost low with a dim display and a very low refresh rate, and the lightest modes — Tap to show on Samsung, wallpaper and notifications off on iPhone — cut it further. No manufacturer publishes a measured figure, so judge it from your own battery screen over a couple of days.
Can I get Always On Display on a non-Pro iPhone?
No, not on older models. Apple limits it to iPhone 14 Pro and later Pro models, plus iPhone 17 and iPhone Air. The setting does not appear on iPhone 14, 15 or 16 non-Pro models, and no update adds it — it needs the Pro display hardware.
Will Always On Display burn my screen?
It is unlikely on a modern phone. Samsung moves the clock and icons slightly over time to prevent burn-in, and the iPhone version dims the screen and drops to a 1 Hz refresh rate. The risk is not zero over many years of all-day use, which is why Tap to show or a schedule is the cautious choice.
Why does my Always On Display turn off by itself?
It is designed to. On iPhone it goes dark face down, in a pocket, in Low Power Mode, in Sleep Focus, during CarPlay, and around bedtime. On Samsung it switches off in power saving mode and in a dark room when When to show is set to Auto. On Pixel, Battery Saver turns it off.
Can I schedule Always On Display?
On Samsung, yes — choose As scheduled under When to show and set the hours. On iPhone and Pixel there is no built-in schedule; on iPhone, Sleep Focus switches it off at bedtime instead.
Can I change the clock on the Always On Display?
Yes, through the lock screen clock settings on all three. On Samsung (One UI 6 and later) the Always On Display uses the same clock as the lock screen, so changing one changes both. Our lock screen clock guide covers the steps for each brand.