Always On Display on Xiaomi: What it is and how to set up

Owners of the Chinese brand’s modern smartphones often encounter the acronym AOD in the settings lists or reviews of new models. Always On Display is a technology that allows the device’s screen to remain active even in sleep mode, displaying time, date, notifications and other useful information without the need to unlock the gadget. On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, this feature is implemented as part of the MIUI proprietary shell or the new HyperOS, offering a variety of personalization options.

The main feature of the technology is to use the capabilities of AMOLED-matrixes. Unlike traditional LCD-screens, where the backlight is lit throughout the display area, AMOLED-panels illuminate each pixel individually. This means that to display the black areas of the screen is almost no energy is consumed, which is why the “always on screen” has become the de facto standard for flagship and mid-budget models, allowing you to maintain an aesthetic interface and minimal energy consumption.

However, not all users immediately understand how to control this tool so that it does not cause a quick discharge of the battery. In this article, we will discuss in detail the principle of operation, the available design styles and the subtleties of setting up energy saving. You will learn how to make your smartphone screen truly informative and stylish, turning a black rectangle into a useful widget.

Principle of operation and compatibility with screens

The fundamental basis for Always On Display is the type of matrix you use. As mentioned, the technology is critically dependent on the pixel structure of OLED and AMOLED displays. In such screens, black is the physical absence of pixel glow. When you activate AOD, the system puts the screen into a state where only a few percent of the pixels that form the clock digits or notification icons remain active.

Technically, the process is controlled by a separate display controller, which takes on the task of updating the image without using the main processor of the smartphone at full power, which allows the system to remain in deep sleep, consuming only a tiny amount of power. If you have installed it on your device. IPS-matrix, full-fledged AOD It will not work, since to display black there still requires the work of background lighting, which will lead to instant battery discharge.

⚠️ Note: Try to activate Always On Display on devices with IPS-screens through third-party applications can lead to overheating of the case and critical wear of the battery in a matter of hours.

In the line of Xiaomi support for this feature is in the series Mi, Xiaomi (digital flagships), Redmi Note (starting with certain versions of the Pro) and POCO F/X. Users of budget models with LCD-screens are not available for native use AOD, Although sometimes you can find software emulators that are extremely inefficient.

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You can check your screen type in the specifications on the official website or using the AIDA64 app in the Display section.

How to Enable and Configure Always On Display

Activation of the feature on devices with a shell MIUI or HyperOS occurs through a single settings menu. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of Android, but the logic remains unchanged. You need to go to the Settings section, then select the Lock Screen (or Wallpaper and personalization in new versions) and find the subsection Always on screen.

Inside the menu, you'll see the activation switch. Once it's turned on, the system will suggest you to select the mode of operation. Options are available: "On 10 seconds after touching," "On 23:00 to 7:00" (night mode) or "On always." The latter option is the most popular, but requires attention to battery charge.

Next comes the look and feel adjustment phase. Xiaomi offers a rich selection of styles, from minimalistic digital watches to complex character animations. You can choose the color, font and even upload your own image, although the latter is less common in stock themes. Accessing an extended style library often requires a connection to your Mi Account account.

• 🕒 Classical watches: strict numbers or analog dial in the center or corner.
• 🎨 Thematic styles: Animations dedicated to holidays or collaborations with brands.
• 📸 Own photo: the ability to use the frame from the gallery as a background for a watch (not available on all models).
• 🔔 Notifications: Displaying icons of missed calls or messages under the clock.

Saving charge and optimizing the battery

The question of energy consumption is the most acute one in the discussion of Always On Display. AMOLED-And the technology, even if you run a fraction of the pixels, it consumes battery life. AOD can increase battery consumption in standby mode 1-3% per hour, which in terms of day gives a tangible loss of autonomy.

To minimize the impact on autonomy, Xiaomi engineers have implemented smart algorithms, such as the “Pack Recognition” feature, which uses a proximity sensor. If the phone is in your pocket or bag, the screen goes out completely, preventing false switching on and wasting energy. It is also useful to use a schedule by activating the display only during working hours or waking hours.

It's worth noting that AOD's brightness is often adjusted automatically depending on the lighting of the environment. The light sensor reduces brightness in the dark, which not only saves the battery, but also protects your eyes if you look at the phone at night.

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Using the “Tacularly” or “On Touch” mode allows you to save up to 80% of the energy that you could consume Always On Display 24/7.

Personalization: Styles, fonts and images

One of the strengths of implementing AOD in MIUI is the ability to deep customize. Unlike many competitors offering a static set of 5-10 options, Xiaomi’s ecosystem allows you to download thousands of themes through the Themes app. Search for themes just by typing in “AOD” or “Always On” to find thousands of design options.

Some styles are interactive. For example, when you receive a notification, animations can change, or watches can transform when you turn a smartphone. There are also styles that respond to the battery level by visually displaying the remainder as a filling scale or changing the color of the numbers.

For those who prefer minimalism, you can have color settings, so you can choose any shade from the palette to match the main wallpapers of the desktop, and this creates the integrity of the interface.

Always on Display Problems and Solutions

Despite the system's fine-tuning, users may face a number of problems, most often a spontaneous shutdown or no effect after activation, often involving aggressive battery optimization that "kills" the process responsible for displaying AOD to save charge.

To solve the problem, you need to go to the battery settings, find the Always On Screen (or AOD) process and set the background activity restriction in No Limits mode. It is also worth checking for system updates, since early versions of HyperOS have encountered bugs that have been patched in security patches.

• 🔋 Problem: AOD Solution: Check if the function is activated in the lock screen settings.
• 🌑 Problem: The screen goes out immediately after the phone is turned off.Solution: Disable the proximity sensor in the settings AOD Check a cover that can cover the sensor.
• 🔥 Problem: The phone is warming up in standby mode.Solution: Disconnect AOD And check the background apps, maybe the reason is not in the screen.

⚠️ Note: If after switching on Always On Display, the phone starts to run out of power 3-4 Disable the function immediately and check the battery usage statistics – it may be the fault of a third-party application that conflicts with the system.

Effects on pixel burnout (Burn-in)

There is a common myth that Always On Display is guaranteed to cause a matrix to burn out. The term "burn-in" refers to a residual image of static elements that remains on the screen even when you change the picture, which is a physical process of degradation of organic compounds in pixels.

Modern smartphones Xiaomi equipped with AMOLED-First, the system periodically (usually every 4 minutes) shifts the position of the image by several pickles, which is invisible to the eye, but prevents prolonged loading on the same group of subpixels. Second, the brightness of static elements automatically decreases over time.

The risk of real burnout with a regular AOD is minimal over the lifetime of the device (2-3 years), problems can only occur when using static images of maximum brightness for hundreds of hours without interruption, which is almost impossible in normal system operation.

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To maximize the life of the matrix, use dark AOD themes and avoid installing static logos with bright white contours for a long time.

Differences in MIUI and HyperOS

With the release of the new HyperOS operating system, which replaced MIUI, the approach to Always On Display has changed, the interface has become smoother, and the number of animations available has increased, and HyperOS has the ability to more flexible integration of AOD with widgets and live wallpaper.

The new shell has improved the algorithm for working with notifications: icons have become more informative, allowing, for example, to see the text of the message or the name of the caller without unlocking (with the appropriate privacy settings), and the logic of switching between styles has changed, so that the system can now offer a change of design depending on the time of day or wallpaper installed.

Users who have upgraded from older versions of MIUI may find that the settings menu is more logical and finding new styles in the theme store is faster, but the basic principle of working, which is tied to saving the energy of AMOLED-matrixes, has remained unchanged, which is good news for owners of devices of previous years of release.