Owners of modern Xiaomi smartphones often face a feature that changes the appearance of a locked device beyond recognition, we are talking about the so-called “Active screen” or Always On Display. This technology allows you to display time, date, notifications and even personal images on a turned-off display without having to unlock the gadget.
Many users confuse this option with a normal screen timeout or think it instantly lands the battery, AMOLED-The matrices used in most current Redmi and Mi models work differently than the older ones. LCD-Understanding how this technology works will allow you to personalize your device and make it more convenient to use without sacrificing autonomy.
In this article, we will discuss in detail what is hidden under this term, how to properly set the schedule and what styles are available in the shell MIUI or HyperOS. You will learn why black backgrounds actually save energy, and also get acquainted with the nuances of the approach sensors when the function is turned on.
The principle of technology operation on AMOLED matrices
To understand Active Display, you need to look at the physics of the screen. IPS-panels where the lighting is evenly lit throughout the area, AMOLED-The display is made up of millions of independent LEDs, each pixel is a light source and can be turned on or off individually.
When you activate the permanent display function, the smartphone doesn't keep the entire screen on. It lights only a tiny fraction of the pickels needed to render the clock numbers or notification icons. The rest of the matrix remains completely black and, most importantly, consumes no power, which is why the technology has become the standard for flagship and mid-budget devices.
The system automatically detects the position of the phone. If you put the device down or put it in your pocket, the light sensor and the accelerator will give a signal, and the screen will go out. This prevents accidental switching on and saves charge. However, it is worth considering that a static image at one point can theoretically cause pixels to burn out, so Xiaomi algorithms periodically shift the picture by several pixels, which is invisible to the eye, but prolongs the life of the matrix.
Main advantages and use cases
Turning on this feature turns your smartphone into a personal information center, so you no longer have to look for the device in your bag or flip it to find out the time, which is especially convenient in situations where your hands are busy or your phone is lying on the table during a meeting.
Visual notifications also allow you to instantly assess the importance of the message that you've received, so you can see the messenger icon or the name of the caller without touching the screen, and this reduces the number of unnecessary display switches, which can even save you charge, since full system start and unlock require more resources than a static picture.
- 🕒 Instant access to time and date without unnecessary action.
- 🔔 Quick visual control of incoming calls and messages.
- 🎨 Personalization of appearance with your own photos.
- 🔋 Energy savings compared to frequent full unlocking.
For people who use a smartphone as an alarm clock or a desk clock, this feature becomes indispensable. At night, the brightness automatically decreases to a minimum, so as not to interfere with sleep, but still remain readable.
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Use dark wallpaper for the active screen to minimize energy consumption as black pickles on AMOLED do not work.
Where to find settings and how to enable the function
The interface of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS may differ depending on the Android version, but the menu logic remains the same. To activate the mode, you don't need third-party apps or superuser rights. All the necessary tools are built into the system.
Go to the basic settings of the device. Find the partition that controls the screen and lock. Depending on the firmware region, it can be called "lock screen" or "lock screen and password." That's where the key switches are hidden.
Settings → Lock screen → Always-on display and lock screenIn the menu that opens, you'll see a slider on the switch, and when you activate, the system will suggest you choose a display style, you can have digital watches, analog, animated characters, and even upload your image, and you can also set your schedule so that the screen doesn't burn all night if you sleep.
☑️ Pre-insertion check
Set up styles, schedules and formats
Customization flexibility is a strong point of Xiaomi’s ecosystem, and you can choose what information will be displayed, and it can be just time, time with date, time with battery level, or step per day.
The schedule section deserves special attention. The default option is often "Turn on 10 seconds after touching," which means that the screen lights up when you pick up the phone and goes off if nothing happens, which is the optimal mode for balancing convenience and economy.
If you want to keep the information visible all the time, select "Always turn on" in which case it is recommended to set a time frame, for example, from 8:00 to 23:00, at night the function will turn off automatically.
| Setup parameter | Description of action | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|
| Always on. | The screen is continuously lit at a given time. | High. |
| 10 seconds. | Included when lifted or touched | Low. |
| Scheduled. | It only works during these hours. | Average. |
| Notifications | It only lights up when you have a new message. | Minimum |
Some models also have a "Raise to Power" feature, which uses a gyroscope to activate the backlight when you hold your smartphone in your hand, eliminating the need to press buttons.
Why is it that it doesn’t always work on display?
Impact on battery autonomy and consumption
The main fear of users is rapid discharge. Indeed, any additional processes affect battery life. However, as mentioned earlier, OLED technology minimizes this effect. The actual consumption depends on the brightness and number of active pixels.
If you use a simple black and white watch, it's about 1-2% per hour. If you use colored animated dials, your consumption can go up to 3-4% per hour. By comparison, just being on standby without Active Display costs about 0.5-1% per hour.
⚠️ Warning: With "Always on" mode on and low ambient temperature (below) -10°C) the battery may discharge more quickly due to the physics of the lithium-ion batteries, rather than the screen function itself.
To extend the life of a smartphone, the system can automatically shut down the function if the battery power drops below 20% or 15%, a critical threshold that can not be ignored to avoid being left without communication at the right time.
If you notice that your phone is running too fast, try switching to Event-based mode or shortening your operating hours, and it’s also worth checking if background processes are running that wake up the screen too often.
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The “On 10 seconds with touch” mode is the middle ground, providing functionality without significantly compromising autonomy.
Model compatibility and possible problems
The feature is not available on all devices of the brand. The main requirement is the presence of AMOLED or Super AMOLED matrix. Budget models with IPS (LCD) screens cannot technically implement a real Always On Display, since they require full-screen illumination.
Owners of the Redmi Note series (starting with the Note 8 Pro and later in AMOLED versions), Xiaomi Mi (starting with the Mi 9), as well as all flagships of the Xiaomi 12, 13, 14 and Ultra series support this feature natively. In some cases, on older models, the feature may be hidden software but is available through special themes.
Frequent problems include:
- 🚫 The screen does not light up when lifted - check the calibration of the proximity sensor.
- 🎨 Wallpaper is not displayed – image format is not supported or file is damaged.
- 🔋 Excessive heating – possibly a system process conflict or version error MIUI.
If the function disappeared after the system update, try to clear the cache of the Themes app or reset the lock screen settings to factory ones.