If you own a Xiaomi smartphone, tablet or TV and stumble upon the term "Always-On Display" (AOD), but don't fully understand what it is, this article is for you. This feature is actively discussed on forums, but often users confuse it with locking the screen or energy-saving modes. In fact, the active screen is a separate technology that changes the interaction with the device, saving battery power.
In the Xiaomi ecosystem, the term is applied to two types of devices: smartphones (Redmi, POCO, Mi) and TVs (Mi TV, Redmi Smart TV). In both cases, the essence is one – displaying useful information on the screen in sleep mode, but the implementation is different. For example, on Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12 phones this can be time, notifications and animation, and on Mi TV Q2 – weather widgets or smart home management. Next, we will understand how the function works on different devices, how to set it up and what pitfalls to consider.
What is an active screen on Xiaomi smartphones
On Xiaomi smartphones, the Active Screen (or Always-On Display, AOD) is a mode in which part of the display remains on even when the device is locked.
- 🕒 Current time and date (with the option of display style selection).
- 🔔 Notifications of missed calls, messages or calendar events.
- 🔋 Battery level (on some models).
- 🎨 Personalized wallpaper or animations (e.g. on Xiaomi 14).
Technology is implemented thanks to AMOLED- or OLED-It's a screen where the pixels are individually illuminated, and it allows you to display information on a black background with minimal energy consumption. IPS-displays (for example, in the budget Redmi) function is either missing, or works differently – with the backlight of the whole screen, which eats more battery.
Important: AOD is not the same as notification highlighting (when the screen flashes when a new message is sent) or standby (when the display is completely off), it is a separate feature that needs to be enabled manually.
How to turn on the active screen on the Xiaomi phone
The instructions vary depending on the MIUI version and the smartphone model, and below is the universal algorithm for most devices (checked on MIUI 14 and later):
- Open the Settings → Screen.
- Scroll down and find the Active Screen (or Always-On Display) option.
- Activate the switch at the top of the screen.
- Set up the display: 🕐 Clock style (digital, analog, minimalist). 📅 Date and additional information (day of week, weather). 🔄 Schedule (only to be included at certain hours).
In some models (for example, POCO F5) The path may be different: Settings → Display. → Additionally. → Active screen. If you don't have a point, your device doesn't support function (usually budget devices with a low-end device). IPS-screen).
☑️ Preparation before inclusion AOD
⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with IPS-displays (e.g., Redmi) 9A) activation of the active screen can lead to increased battery consumption - up to 15-20% per night.
Active screen on Xiaomi TVs: features
On Mi TVs and Redmi Smart TVs, the active screen works differently — it's not a constant backlight, it's a standby mode with a widget. When you turn off the TV with the remote, the screen goes out, but some of the features are still available:
- 📊 Weather widget (temperature, forecast).
- ⏰ Alarm clock (if set up via Mi Home).
- 🏠 Smart home management (for example, turning on lights via voice assistant).
- 🎵 Music mode (playing audio with the screen off).
For activation:
- Go to Settings → System → Standby mode.
- Enable the Active Screen option.
- Select widgets to display (not available on all models).
On TVs with OLED-panels (e.g., Mi) TV Q2 75′′ the function works similarly to smartphones – with a constant backlight of the watch or logo. LED-The screen is completely turned off, but there is the possibility of controlling voice or through the remote control.
Why is there no active screen on my Mi TV?
Battery consumption and how to reduce it
The main fear of users is that the active screen eats up charge. This is true, but the scale depends on the type of display and settings:
| Screen type | Expenditure per hour (approx.) | How to reduce |
|---|---|---|
| AMOLED (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra) | 0.5–1% | Disable animations, use dark themes |
| OLED (e.g. POCO X5 Pro) | 1–1.5% | Reduce brightness, disable sensors |
| IPS LCD (e.g. Redmi 10) | 2–5% | Use only on a schedule |
Savings tips:
- ⏳ Set up a schedule (for example, only from 8:00 to 22:00).
- 🌑 Choose a dark topic. AMOLED That's 30 percent lower%.
- 🚫 Turn off the proximity sensor (if it interferes in your pocket).
- 🔄 Use adaptive brightness.
💡
On smartphones with MIUI 14+ there is a hidden setting: if you turn on Settings → Special features → Color inversion, the active screen will spend 10-15% less energy (but the colors will become negative).
Active screen problems and how to fix them
Sometimes the function doesn't work properly. Let's look at the typical errors and decisions.
1. Active screen is not switched on
- 🔌 Check if your model supports the function (the list of compatible devices is available on the official website). MIUI).
- 🔄 Update the firmware to the latest version.
- 🛠️ Reset the screen settings: Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting display settings.
2.The screen flashes or spontaneously turns off
- 📱 Make sure there is no physical damage to the display.
- 🔋 Turn off the energy saving modes (Settings) → Battery → Power regimens).
- 🛑 Check if a third-party app is blocking the feature (e.g. Greenify or Battery Saver).
3. Notifications are not displayed
- ⚙️ Go to Settings. → Notifications → Notification settings on the locked screen and enable the display for the desired applications.
- 📵 Reset the device.
- 🔒 Check if the password is not worth the notifications (in some banking applications).
⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI The Global Active Screen may conflict with the Second Space function. If you use it, try disabling or migrating the main notifications to the first space.
Comparison with competitors: who implemented the AOD better
Xiaomi is not the first company to implement Always-On Display.
| Brand | Features of AOD | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | Support GIF-Animations, integration with Bixby | Eats up to 2% charge per hour on older models |
| Apple (iPhone) | Minimalist design, exact synchronization with Apple Watch | It only works on iPhone 14 Pro and newer |
| Xiaomi | Flexible settings, support for widgets on TV, low consumption on AMOLED | No official GIF support, MIUI bugs below version 14 |
| OnePlus | Integration with OxygenOS, customization with Always-On Display Editor | Not available on budget models |
Xiaomi is favorably cross-platform — the feature is on smartphones, TVs, and even some smart watches (Mi Watch), but Samsung is leading in terms of customization, and Apple is in terms of stability.
💡
The main advantage of Xiaomi is that the active screen works even on budget models with AMOLED (for example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro), while competitors often reserve a similar feature for flagships.
The future of the active screen: what to expect from Xiaomi
In 2026, Xiaomi announced several new features for Always-On Display:
- 🤖 AI wallpaper generation: The screen will adjust the design to your habits (for example, show motivational quotes in the morning).
- 🌍 Local widgets: weather, currency rates and traffic jams in real time without unlocking.
- 🔒 Safe mode: concealing notifications when strangers are detected (via the front camera).
- 🎮 Playing AOD: displaying game statistics (for example, FPS into PUBG Mobile) while streaming.
These features are expected to first appear on flagships (Xiaomi 15, Mix Fold 4) and then “descend” to mid-range devices, and there are rumors of the introduction of an active screen on Xiaomi Book laptops – to display time and notifications in a closed state.
According to XDA Developers, MIUI 15 (slated for release in late 2026) will be able to adjust the color temperature of AOD separately from the main screen – this will help reduce the load on the eyes at night.