Active screen in Xiaomi phones: why you need, how to configure and disable

Xiaomi smartphone owners often encounter the term “active screen” in their device settings, but not everyone understands what it is and how to use it. In fact, we are talking about the Always-On Display (AOD) feature, which displays key information on a locked screen — time, notifications, charge level — without having to “wake up” the phone. The technology has become the standard for the brand’s flagship models, but is also available in some budget lines, such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or POCO F5 Pro.

The function is not only convenient, but also economical: thanks to AMOLED-In the case of the screens (used in most modern Xiaomi), pixels are selectively illuminated, which minimizes battery consumption, but users are asking themselves: how to turn on the active screen, what settings are available, and should it be used constantly? In this article, we will analyze all the nuances - from technical features to hidden "chips» MIUI, which are not written in the official instructions.

Not all Xiaomi models support AOD. For example, in budget devices with IPS-matrixes (like Redmi 10A or POCO M5), the function is physically absent - such screens can not highlight individual pixels. But in Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Mix Fold 3 or Redmi K60 Pro, the active screen works out of the box and offers advanced customization options.

It's also important to distinguish between Always-On Display and Ambient Display (or MIUI's Waiting Screen), the first one showing information all the time, and the second one only when you receive notifications or when you pick up your phone, and both modes are set up separately, and the combination can both improve the experience and reduce battery life.

What is an Active Screen (AOD) in Xiaomi and how does it work?

Always-On Display (AOD) is a technology where part of the screen stays on even when the smartphone is locked. Unlike the classic sleep mode, where the display is completely turned off, AOD uses minimal backlight to display the time, date, notification icons and other widgets, the main advantage is instant access to information without unnecessary gestures.

In smartphones Xiaomi function is implemented on the basis AMOLED- or OLED-So you can actually save battery power by using a matrix where each pixel is illuminated independently, where the black areas of the screen are actually turned off, and the color areas (like the clock numbers) use minimal energy. IPS-The lighting system is fully functional, so AOD It is impossible without serious damage to autonomy.

The technically active screen in MIUI supports several modes:

• 🕒 The clock + Date – Minimalistic version with time and calendar.
• 📱 Notifications – displaying icons of unread messages (SMS, Messengers, missed calls).
• 🔋 Battery charge – percentage or battery icon.
• 🎨 Customization – the choice of watch style, color schemes, animations (available not on all models).

It's important: AOD It doesn't work when the lock screen is off. PIN-code, pattern lock or fingerprint, the function will be active, but if the lock screen is disabled (settings Settings). → Lock screen → Locking on activation, then and AOD stop showing.

What Xiaomi models support active screen (list of 2026)

The Always-On Display feature is not available on all Xiaomi smartphones. AMOLED- or OLED-Below is a table with current models (at 2026) where AOD guaranteed to work:

⚠️ Note: In the budget series (Redmi Note 12, POCO M5) and old models (until 2021) AOD It may be absent even if it is available. AMOLED. For example, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ has AMOLED-screen, but the function of the active display in it is not implemented at the firmware level.

To check for AOD support on your device:

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Scroll down to Always-On Display or Active Screen.
3. If there is no item, your model does not support the function.

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On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 12T Pro), the AOD option is hidden. To activate it, go to Settings → Special Features → System Settings → Always-On Display.

How to turn on and configure the active screen on Xiaomi

You can activate Always-On Display in MIUI in a few steps, and the instructions are universal for most supported models, but there may be minor differences in the layout of menu items.

Step 1: Enact the function:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select Always-On Display (or Active Screen in Russified Firmware).
3. Activate the slider at the top of the screen.

Step 2: Configure the information displayed:

• 🕐 Watch styles – a choice of pre-installed designs (analog, digital, minimalistic).
• 📅 Date - display format (day of the week, full date).
• 🔔 Notifications – Enabling/disabling icons for SMS, Calls, messengers.
• 🔋 Battery charge – percentage or icon.

Step 3: Additional options (not available on all models):

• 🌙 Schedule - Automatic Shutdown AOD nightly.
• 🎨 Color schemes – adaptation to wallpaper or theme MIUI.
• ⏳ Time Out – How many seconds after the lock is turned on AOD.

⚠️ Note: Some firmware (e.g. global version) MIUI 14 for POCO F4 GT) option AOD It may not be available even with hardware support, in which case it will help to install custom firmware (for example, Xiaomi.eu) or upgrade to the latest official version.

Battery consumption: how much "eat" the active screen

The main fear users have when using Always-On Display is to increase their charge consumption, and in practice, the impact on autonomy depends on three factors:

1. Screen type – AMOLED consumes less than previous generations of OLED.
2. Brightness – the higher, the greater the energy consumption.
3. Active elements – animations, notifications, and second hand watches eat more than static watches.

According to the test results (conducted on Xiaomi 13 Pro and Redmi K60 Ultra), the active screen in the medium mode (hours + notifications) reduces the time of operation by 3-7% in 8 hours.

• 📱 No AOD — smartphone ~1% charge in standby mode.
• 🕒 S AOD (Minimalist style – loss of style ~1.5–2% per hour.
• 🎆 S AOD + animations - up to 3% per hour.

To minimize the cost:

⚠️ Warning: Turn off the second hand and animations, which reduces consumption by 30-40%, and it is also recommended to use dark themes and watch styles with minimal illuminated pixels.

Hidden chips and active screen problems in MIUI

Xiaomi’s Always-On Display feature has a few hidden features and typical bugs that aren’t mentioned in the official guides.

Useful "chips":

• 🔄 Double touch to wake up - if AOD switched on, you can tap the screen twice to unlock the phone without a power button (setting in Settings) → Lock screen → Double touch).
• 🎵 Music widget – on some models (for example, Xiaomi 14) when playing music on the AOD displays progress-track and control buttons.
• 🌅 Adaptive brightness - in MIUI 14+ AOD It automatically gets muted in the dark.

Common problems and solutions:

• 🚫 AOD Not turned on – check if the lock screen is turned off (Settings) → Lock screen → Locking on activation. Also the reason may be the mode Saving charge.
• ⚡ Too fast discharge – turn off animations and second hand, reduce brightness AOD manually (if the option is available).
• 🔄 AOD spontaneously shuts down – update the firmware or reset the lock screen settings (Settings) → System system → Resetting settings → Reset the lock screen settings).

On models with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra), AOD may conflict with the Adaptive Update Rate function. If the screen starts to flicker, turn off the adaptive frequency in Settings → Display → Update Frequency.

Always-On vs Ambient Display: What’s the Difference and What’s Better

MIUI has two similar modes: Always-On Display (AOD) and Ambient Display (in Russian, "Waiting Screen"), which are often confused, but they work differently:

Always-On Display (AOD):

• ⏳ It works constantly after the screen is blocked.
• 🔋 Consumes more energy but provides information without delay.
• 🎨 More customization options (watch styles, widgets).

Ambient Display (Waiting Screen):

• 🔄 It only turns on when you receive notifications or when you pick up your phone.
• 📉 Less charge, but the data does not always show.
• ⚡ It is often used as a “lightweight” alternative. AOD budget-based.

What to choose?

⚠️ Attention: If you are critically autonomous (e.g. when traveling), use Ambient Display with the Up to Wake Up setting. AOD, But turn off the extra animations.

On flagships (Xiaomi 14 Pro, Mix Fold 3) you can combine both modes: for example, hold AOD during the day and switch to Ambient Display at night through a schedule.

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Ambient Display consumes 2-3 times less charge than Always-On, but requires additional actions (lift your phone, receive a notification) to activate.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the active screen in Xiaomi