Xiaomi Active Screen: How to Enable and Configure Always On Display

Owners of modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO Often faced with the desire to personalize the locked state of their device.A feature known as Active Display or Active Screen allows you to see the time, notifications and other useful information without having to unlock the gadget. This is not only convenient, but also adds premium to the device, especially on models with a high-end AMOLED-matrix.

However, despite the popularity of the technology, finding specific settings in the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS is difficult. Menus often change their location, and item names may vary depending on the regional firmware. In this article, we will discuss all the available activation methods, finesse of settings and possible reasons why the function may not work.

Now, it's worth noting that an active screen isn't just a static picture, it's a dynamic interface that responds to your actions, like lifting your smartphone or touching your display, and understanding how it works will help you set up your device to save battery power while still being informative.

What is Always On Display and How Does it Work for Xiaomi?

Technology Always on Display (AOD) based on features OLED and AMOLED The matrices used in most of the flagship and mid-range smartphones of the Chinese manufacturer. LCD-screens where the lights are constantly lit, AMOLED Each pixel is lit independently, so you can display information on a black background without actually using energy on the rest of the screen.

When you turn on this feature, the smartphone goes into a special standby mode. In this state, the processor locks, but the display continues to display your chosen watch style, date or animation. The system cleverly manages resources: if the phone is in your pocket or face down, the screen goes out completely to prevent accidental switching on.

It is important to distinguish between Active Screen and Always Screen On. In Xiaomi terminology, Active Screen often involves waking up the display when you receive a notification or lift the device and then fading after 10 seconds. Always On mode means that the watch burns constantly until you unlock the phone.

• ⏰ Energy savings: Black pixels on the AMOLED No current consumption, which makes the function safe for the battery.
• 🔔 Instant Access: You see missed calls and messages without touching your phone.
• 🎨 Customization: The ability to upload your images or choose from hundreds of ready-made themes.
• 📱 Informativity: Displaying the charge level of Bluetooth headphones and pedometer directly on the lock.

⚠️ Note: The function is only available on devices with AMOLED or OLED If you have a budget model with a IPS-screen (for example, some versions of Redmi Note with a LCD), system means to enable a real Always On Display will not work, as it requires the illumination of the entire screen, which will quickly drain the battery.

Step-by-step: Enable through standard settings

The most reliable and secure way to activate the feature is to use the built-in system settings menu. The interface may vary slightly depending on the shell version, but the overall algorithm of actions remains the same for all current versions of MIUI 12, 13, 14 and HyperOS.

To start, unlock your smartphone and find the Settings app on your desktop. You don't have to search for deep engineering menus, everything is hidden in the personalization section. Scroll down the list of major categories until you find the item associated with the lock screen. In newer versions of firmware, it is often called the Lock Screen, and in older versions it could be inside the Wallpaper and Personalization section.

Inside this menu, you'll see an Active Screen or Always-on display switch. Once the slider is activated, the system will suggest you choose a display style. You can leave a standard watch or go to a gallery of themes where animated options are available, often created in collaboration with well-known brands or artists.

After choosing a style, note the additional options below. You can adjust the function time. The default mode is "10 seconds after touch", which is the optimal balance between convenience and autonomy. If you want your watch to burn constantly, choose the appropriate item, but remember to use energy.

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Use dark styles with minimal color elements. The fewer bright pixels on the screen, the lower the battery consumption in Always On Display mode.

Set up styles, schedules and exceptions

Customization flexibility is something that users value the Xiaomi ecosystem for: You can make the screen behave differently at different times of the day or under different conditions, which is especially useful if you don't want the phone to glow at night in the bedroom.

In the active screen settings menu, look for Schedule, where you can set time slots for when the function is active, for example, it makes sense to turn on the display from 7:00 a.m. to 23:00 p.m. At night, the phone will go into complete blackout, which will not interfere with your sleep.

Also worth paying attention to is the "Exceptions" or "Smart Scenarios" section, which can automatically turn off AOD if the smartphone is in your pocket (the proximity sensor is closed with a cloth) or if the phone is lying face down on the table, which prevents false positives and unnecessary energy consumption.

For those who like to change the design, there is a theme store available. If you search for a theme store, type in "Always On" or "AOD" and you'll find thousands of options. Some of them are interactive, such as when you charge the screen, you can see lightning animations on the screen, and when you have low battery power, you can see a warning indicator.

Using the “Themes” application to expand opportunities

A standard set of watches can seem boring, and here comes the Themes system app, which loads the main content for the active screen, and many users don't know that styles can not only be downloaded, but also created by yourself or edit existing ones.

Open the Themes app and go to the profile (human icon). From the menu, select Settings and make sure that resource downloads are enabled. Then search for "AOD" or "Active Display." You'll see categories with free and paid themes. Paid ones often contain more complex animations and soundtracks when you wake up.

Once the theme is loaded, it automatically applies to the lock screen. If that doesn't happen, go to the theme settings, select "Apply" and make sure the tick is next to "Block Screen" and "Active Screen." Some third-party themes may require additional permissions to work properly.

⚠️ Warning: Third-party themes from unofficial sources may contain code errors, (lead to) increased battery consumption or even a cyclical phone restart (bootloop.

There is also the option of creating your own style through the Mi Theme Editor on PC, but it requires graphics skills and an understanding of the MTZ file structure. For most users, there will be a rich selection in the online directory.

Advanced Methods: Third-Party Apps and ADB

If you don’t have enough standard functionality, or if you want to implement specific scenarios (such as real-time currency or weather displays), you can use third-party solutions, but this requires caution, as interference with system processes can be unstable.

One popular solution is Always On AMOLED (or its analogues), which creates a layer on top of the system that mimics native AOD. It often requires permission to "mask over other windows" and constant operation in the background, which can be aggressively offloaded by the MIUI energy saving system.

For experienced users, a method of activating hidden functions is available through ADB (Android Debug Bridge by connecting your phone to your computer and enabling debugging USB, You can send a command to force the hidden menus to be turned on, for example, the command adb shell settings put secure. doze_enabled 1 can activate the system Doze mode, which underlies the operation of the active screen.

adb shell settings put secure doze_enabled 1


adb shell settings put secure doze_pulse_on_double_tap 1

Using the engineering menu with code ##6484# (not working on all models) sometimes allows you to turn on the test modes of the display, but this is risky. APK-files from trusted sources such as Google Play or 4PDA.

Problem Solving: Why the Active Screen is Not Working

Even with the right settings, users can experience a screen that doesn't light up. The most common reason is an aggressive energy-saving system. MIUI and HyperOS are known for killing background processes to save charge. If the system decides that the display process of the watch is not critical, it will stop it.

Check the battery settings. Find the Themes app or system service that controls the lock screen, and set the power saving mode to No Limits. Also make sure that Auto Start is enabled.

The second common problem is that the Do Not Disturb or Sleep mode is turned on, and in these modes, the phone specifically turns off all the indicators so as not to disturb the owner. If you want to see notifications even in silence, add important contacts to the Do Not Disturb mode exception list.

• 🔋 Energy Saving: Check if ultra-energy saving mode is enabled, which turns off all visual effects.
• 🛑 Blocks: Do Not Disturb, Sleep, or On the Plane can be blocked AOD.
• 📉 Battery Charge: When Charged Less 15-20% The system can automatically disable the function to save the phone.
• 🔄 System bugs: After updating the firmware settings may be lost, re-activation is required.

The impact of Always On Display on smartphone autonomy

The issue of battery discharge remains the most acute when discussing active screens. Many users are afraid to turn on the feature, believing that the phone will run out in half a day. AMOLED-Matrices are very effective, but the devil lies in the details of implementation.

If you use 10 seconds after touch, you'll lose no more than 1-2% of your charge per day, which is almost imperceptible. However, the "Continuously On" mode, with bright animations and high refresh rates, can eat up to 10-15% of your charge per day of active use, a significant difference that needs to be considered.

Also consider battery age: On older devices where battery wear is already high, turning on any background features will accelerate the point where the phone has to be charged twice a day. On new devices with 5,000mAh batteries and above, the impact is minimal.

⚠️ Warning: A long static image at maximum brightness (although rare, but possible when crashed) could theoretically cause burn-in pixels to burn out. AMOLED Use dark themes and change styles occasionally.

To sum up, the smart setting of the active screen makes using a Xiaomi smartphone much more comfortable without having to sacrifice a whole day of autonomy.

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Optimal setting for balance of convenience and battery: 10 seconds after touch + Work schedule from 8:00 to 23:00 + Dark style of design.