Xiaomi AOD: A Complete Guide to Always On Display

Owners of modern Xiaomi smartphones often notice additional widgets, watches or notifications on the screen of a locked device that continue to burn even in sleep mode.This feature, known as AOD (Always On Display), turns the black screen into an information bar, allowing a glance to know the time or receive a notification without unlocking the phone. However, many users still wonder whether it is worth turning on this option for fear of the display resource.

The technology is based on the features of AMOLED-matrix, where each pixel is individually illuminated, which means that to display static elements such as watch numbers or battery icons, you do not need to light the entire screen, which minimizes power consumption. In the shells of MIUI and the new HyperOS, AOD is implemented extremely flexible, offering dozens of styles, the ability to download your own images and smart activity management.

In this article, we will discuss in detail how Always On Display works, why it is safe for modern screens and how to configure the function so that it pleases the eye, rather than saving battery power idle. You will learn how to create your own dials and understand when it is better to turn off the function for maximum autonomy.

Technological basis: how AOD works on AMOLED

To understand the technology, you have to look at the physics of the display. IPS-screens where the lighting is lit throughout the matrix area evenly, in AMOLED In the case of a panel, each pixel is a separate light source. When you see a locked Xiaomi time written in white on a black background, the only subpixels that actually burn are the ones that form the numbers.

The rest of the screen remains completely off, consuming negligible amounts of power, which is why Always On Display is technically impossible on budget models. IPS-screens without significant damage to the battery — there would have to highlight the entire area of the matrix, even if you display a small text. OLED/AMOLED This is done at the hardware level.

⚠️ Attention: Despite low power consumption, statically depicting the same bright elements for thousands of hours can cause pixel burnout to be uneven. Xiaomi's system automatically shifts the image every few minutes to prevent this effect.

The system optimization algorithm is constantly analyzing the contents of the screen. If you use standard themes, they already contain built-in protection mechanisms. However, when using custom images, it is important to ensure that bright elements do not stay in one place for too long. Modern display controllers at Xiaomi automatically reduce the brightness of AOD to the minimum comfortable level after 10 seconds of inactivity.

Where to find and how to enable the feature in MIUI and HyperOS

Activation of the always-on display mode may vary depending on the firmware version and regional model of your smartphone. In most cases, the path lies through the main system settings. You need to go to the Settings menu → Screen and brightness → Always-on Display and lock screen. In some versions of MIUI, this item may be called simply "lock screen".

Once you log in, you'll see the activation switch, but just turning it on isn't enough for us to use it comfortably. The system will suggest you choose a display style or download your own. If you don't see this item in the specified places, search by settings by typing "AOD" or "Always on."

It is worth noting that some global versions of firmware can be reduced in functionality compared to the Chinese versions. If standard means to enable AOD fails, you can use the Themes application, where the profiles section often hide additional lock screen settings.

Set up styles, schedules and smart scripts

Flexibility of customization is the main strength of implementation AOD The user is not limited to a static picture. The style selection menu offers options with a second hand, pedometer display, Bluetooth headphone battery status, and even animated ones. GIF-picture.

The schedule section deserves special attention, so you can set your phone so that the screen only lights up at certain times of the day, such as 8:00 to 23:00, which saves you energy at night when you sleep, and does not bother with the bright glow in the dark bedroom.

There's also Schedule mode, in which the screen only lights up when you pick up the phone or when a new notification comes in, going out after 10 seconds, which is a trade-off between functionality and energy savings.

For advanced users, the AOD Style feature is available, which allows you to combine different widgets: weather, currency rates, the charge of the Mi Band smartwatch. You can create a unique dial that will display exactly the information that is important to you at first glance.

The impact of Always On Display on smartphone autonomy

The question of battery discharge is the most talked-about issue among users who are first encountering the acronym AOD. Indeed, any burning pixel consumes energy. The actual consumption depends on the brightness, number of active elements and type of theme used. Simple black and white watches with minimalist design consume significantly less than color animated wallpaper.

Tests on Xiaomi 13 and Redmi Note 12 Pro series show that AOD can consume about 10-15% of battery power in 24 hours in "Constant" mode, while "On Event" or "On Schedule" mode reduces consumption to 3-5%, which is an acceptable cost for convenience for many users.

⚠️ If you notice that the phone discharges much faster than usual (more than 20% per day when downtime), try to turn off the phone. AOD This will help diagnose whether the function is causing the problem or whether it is the background process of another application.

It is important to consider the age of the battery. On new devices with a capacious battery of 5000 mAh, the effect of AOD is less noticeable than on older models with a worn-out battery of 3000 mAh. For owners of older smartphones, it is recommended to use event activation mode.

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Use dark AOD themes. The smaller the area of the luminous elements and the darker they are (closer to black), the less power the screen consumes. Avoid bright red and white static elements.

Creating your own AOD style through the Topics app

The standard functionality is sometimes not enough, and here comes the official Theme app, which has a separate style store for Always On Display, where you can find thousands of design options created by both Xiaomi designers and the community.

To set a new style, open the Themes app → Profile (bottom right) → Settings → Create a new AOD style (the path may vary). Here you can upload your own photo, overlay your watch and widgets on it, selecting font and color. The system will cut the extra and adapt the image to the screen format.

There are also third-party apps from Google Play, such as "Always On" AMOLED", which provide even more customization options, including display GIF-They can use more resources than a native solution.

• 🎨 Personalization: The ability to use a pet or family photo as a watch background.
• ⚙️ Functionality: Adding calendar widgets, pedometer and headphone charge level.
• 📉 Optimization: Automatic nighttime dimming for eye comfort.
• 🔄 Dynamics: Support for animated elements (in paid themes).

Frequent problems and ways to solve them

Despite the system's fine-tuning, users may face a number of common problems, such as spontaneous shutdown or failure after a system update, and first check whether the power saving mode is activated, which forcefully shuts down AOD to save charge.

Another common problem is flickering or color displaying incorrectly, which may be because the theme you choose is not optimized for your particular screen model, and the solution is simple: change the AOD style to a standard one or download another from the official directory.

If the feature stopped working after the MIUI update, try clearing the theme and Xiaomi Services app cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find the right services, and select Clear Cache. Device reset also often resolves software failures.

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In 90% of cases, AOD problems are solved by changing style to standard or turning off power saving mode. Complex hardware malfunctions of the matrix are extremely rare.

Sometimes users complain that AOD doesn't turn on when the phone is down on the table. This is a standard behavior: the proximity sensor and the accelerometer detect the position of the device and extinguish the screen so as not to waste charge. If you want the screen to burn even in this position, you should find the "Ignore Position" option in the AOD settings (not available on all models).

Comparison of AOD implementation on different Xiaomi models

The implementation of the feature depends on the class of the device. flagships of the Xiaomi 13/14 Ultra series have the most advanced features available, including the Always-On Retina Display with increased frequency of sensor survey and complex animation. Budget models of the Redmi Note series often have a simplified version with a basic set of dials.

Owners of foldable smartphones like the Mi Mix Fold get unique AOD use cases when an external screen displays an app preview or widgets not available on the internal display, demonstrating how the technology adapts to the device's form factor.

Below is a table comparing the capabilities of AOD across different device lines:

So if Always On Display is critical to you, you should pay attention not only to the processor, but also to the type of matrix you have installed. AMOLED is a prerequisite for comfortable use of this feature.