Smartphones are no longer just a means of communication, becoming information hubs that we check hundreds of times a day. One of the most notable visual features of flagship and mid-budget models is Always On Display (AOD), which allows you to see time, notifications and widgets without touching the screen. Xiaomi device owners often wonder how this feature works in the shell of MIUI or HyperOS, and whether it does not harm the device.
Xiaomi’s Always On Display feature is a display mode that only a small fraction of the pixels are active, displaying basic information in the background, which creates an “always on” screen effect while maintaining the aesthetics of the black background and minimizing power consumption compared to a fully active display.
It is important to understand that full support AOD Available mainly on devices with matrices AMOLED super AMOLED. It's these types of screens that allow individual pixels to be highlighted, leaving the rest black and off, which is critical to saving charge. IPS-panels this function may be absent or work in a reduced mode "screen lifting", as the backlight technology there is different.
Enabling this option opens up a wide range of personalization settings, allowing you to turn a locked screen into a unique interaction tool. You can choose to display only the clock, add a calendar, step counter, or even animated images. Let's figure out how to manage these settings and customize them to your needs.
The principle of technology operation on OLED and AMOLED matrices
To understand why Always On Display is so popular, you need to delve into the physics of the work. OLED-screens that are installed in most current models Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO. Unlike in the IPS-matrices, where the backlight burns throughout the screen area evenly, OLED-The panels are made up of millions of self-luminous diodes, and each pixel can be turned on or off, regardless of the neighbors.
When you activate AOD, the system doesn't keep the screen on as it's used to. Instead, it only powers subpixels that are supposed to display time digits or notification icons. The rest of the display stays completely black and, most importantly, the power consumption in this zone is zero. This allows you to achieve amazing results: even with round-the-clock AOD, the battery consumption is only 1-2% per hour, which makes it quite feasible to use the function.
⚠️ Attention: Prolonged display of a static image at high brightness could theoretically cause organic diodes to burn out. However, current Xiaomi algorithms automatically shift the image by several pixels every few minutes to distribute the wear evenly.
The process also takes into account refresh rate. On models with support for 120Hz or LTPO, in Always On Display mode, frame rates often drop to 1Hz or even 10Hz to further reduce power consumption. This means that the second hand can move in jerks, but the battery will last longer.
Why does AOD not work on IPS screens?
How to Enable and Configure Always On Display
Activation of the feature in the MIUI and HyperOS shells occurs through the standard settings menu, but the path to it may vary slightly depending on the version of the android. First, make sure that your smartphone supports this technology, and go to the personalization section.
Here is a step-by-step algorithm for turning on the mode:
- 📱 Open your smartphone settings and find the Wallpaper and Personalization section (or simply “Wallpaper").
- ⏱️ From the menu that opens, select Always on and Lock (sometimes called a Lock Screen").
- 🔘 Activate the top switch Always on screen by moving the slider to the right.
- 🎨 Click on Style to select the look of the watch, date or add a picture.
Once the baseline mode is enabled, the system will prompt you to select when the screen should light up. The default option is often "Within 10 seconds after touching", which is more like a screen lift function. For "Always On" mode, you need to choose the option "Selected Time" or "Always".
☑️ Pre-insertion check AOD
It's important to note that new versions of HyperOS may have changed the interface, so if you don't find a wallpaper item, try searching through a global search for settings by typing "AOD" or "Always on." Some custom themes may block standard AOD, so if you have problems, it's recommended to temporarily return the standard theme.
Scheduling and management of notifications
One of the main reasons why users refuse Always On Display is the fear of draining the phone by the evening.To avoid a situation where the smartphone sits at the most inopportune moment, Xiaomi developers have implemented flexible schedule management.
You can set the feature to only work during certain hours, like 8:00 a.m. to 23:00 p.m. while you're awake. At night, when you're asleep, the screen will completely go out, saving energy and not interfering with bright numbers in a dark room. To set up, go to the AOD menu, select a Schedule, and set time slots.
And then there's the smart notification mode, which is that the screen is always off, but it lights up for a short time when a new message or call comes in, and it's a trade-off that combines information and energy saving.
Notification settings in AOD allow you to:
- 🔔 Display the application icon from which the message came.
- 👤 Show the contact avatar and the sender name.
- 📝 Output a short text of the message (requires unlocking for full text).
- 🚫 Hide the content of notifications from selected privacy applications.
⚠️ Note: If you set the notification display, the screen will light up more often, which will increase battery consumption. In Schedule Only mode, notifications may not be displayed visually until the timer expires or you touch the screen.
The impact of Always On Display on the autonomy and resource of the screen
The issue of the function’s impact on the life of the device worries many Xiaomi owners. Let’s look at two aspects: battery autonomy and physical wear of the matrix.
As far as the battery is concerned, as mentioned earlier, the consumption depends on the brightness and the number of active pixels. A simple white watch on a black background consumes minimal energy. However, if you choose a complex color style with animation or photography, the consumption can increase in the amount of energy you need. 3-4 On average, a day's work. AOD In a gentle mode, the smartphone loses about 5-8% charge that for the battery capacity 5000 MC is a very acceptable display.
The effect on screen life (burnout) is also often exaggerated. Organic LEDs do degrade over time, but modern panels are designed to last tens of thousands of hours. The pixel shift mechanism, which shifts the picture unobtrusively to the eye, effectively prevents the appearance of static traces (burn-in).
The comparison of working hours is presented in the table below:
| Parameter | Permanent regime | Scheduled. | Notifications only |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery consumption | High-pitched | Medium. | Low. |
| Informativeness | Maximum | Tall. | Medium |
| The risk of burnout | Medium. | Low. | Minimum |
| Convenience | Always a time. | You can see it at the right time. | Only in the event. |
Personalization: Styles, fonts and third-party applications
Xiaomi's custom features offer a wide variety of designs, but enthusiasts often want more. On the style menu, you can find categories like Digital, Analog, Holiday, and even popular culture-inspired styles, many of which support interactivity: when you touch the screen, the watch can change color or animation.
For those who want to create a unique design, there are third-party apps from Google Play, such as Always On. AMOLED Screen Always On. They let you download your own GIF-It's important to remember that third-party applications don't have as deep access to the system as the native solution and can consume more resources.
When using custom styles through third-party software:
- 🎨 You can use any images from the gallery as a background.
- ⏱️ Transparency and brightness of each element is set separately.
- 🔄 Often you need to keep the application running in the background, which can be aggressively offloaded by the system.
- 🔒 Some functions may require special permits or work through ADB.
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Tip: To maximize battery savings, choose styles where only white or red pixels are active. AMOLED-Samsung and Xiaomi’s Red and Black Matrixes Consume the Least Energy.
Typical problems and ways to solve them
Despite the system’s fine-tuning, users may encounter problems when Always On Display stops working, turns on randomly or lands the battery quickly, most often due to energy saving settings or conflicting themes.
If AOD It spontaneously shuts down, check if the Ultra-Energy Saving mode is activated, and in this mode, the system turns off all background processes and visual effects to prolong the life of the phone. MIUI", which unloads the system process of locking the screen.
The main steps to troubleshoot:
- Make sure the proximity sensor is working correctly (the screen must go out in your pocket).
- Check the system updates in the About Phone section.
- Try changing the theme to standard.
- Reset the AOD settings to factory and reset.
⚠️ Warning: If the screen continues to burn in your pocket or bag, it may cause overheating and discharge, in which case immediately turn off the function and check the protective glass - it may block the light sensor.
In rare cases, cleaning the cache of the Wallpaper and Personalization system application helps. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find the right application and click Clear Cache. This will not delete your data, but can fix software failures.
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The main reason for disabling AOD is not screen wear, but aggressive battery optimization by a system or third-party memory cleaners.