Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners often face the urge to see time without touching the device. Always On Display (AOD) allows you to display the dial, notifications and other information on a locked display. This is not only convenient, but also adds aesthetics to the gadget, turning it into a stylish accessory even in your pocket or on the table.
The way this is done depends on the type of matrix that's installed. AMOLED It allows individual pixels to glow independently, making the function energy efficient. IPS-The backlight screens work constantly, which quickly puts the battery down, so on such models the functionality is often limited or absent.
In this article, we’ll explore how to activate Always On, customize dial styles, and optimize power consumption. You’ll learn about the hidden capabilities of MIUI and HyperOS shells that will help personalize the look of your smartphone.
Checking compatibility and display type
Before you look for settings, you need to make sure that your device technically supports displaying information on the screen off. The key factor here is the type of matrix. AMOLED-displays (Super) AMOLED, Fluid AMOLED) perfect for AOD, The black pixels are completely off and do not consume energy.
LCD (IPS) devices typically don't have a standard Always On Display, which would have to have the entire panel illuminated to display the image, which is not feasible from a standalone perspective, but some models can mimic this mode by tapping the screen for a short time.
How do you know exactly the type of matrix?
It is worth considering that even if there is AMOLED-In the case of a matrix, the manufacturer may programmatically restrict the function to certain regions or firmware versions, in which case users have to resort to third-party solutions or change the region.
Activate Always On Display through Settings
If your device supports a function, you can activate it through the system menu, and the path may vary slightly depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS, but the logic remains the same. You first need to get into the lock menu.
Go to Settings, then select Lock Screen. In the list that opens, look for Always-on or Always-on display. Switch the slider to active position. Then the default watch style will appear on the locked screen.
☑️ Incorporation algorithm AOD
The same menu often provides a schedule setting, so you can choose Always to keep the dial on around the clock, or set a time interval, such as 8:00 to 23:00, and also use 10 seconds after touch, which saves charge by turning on lights only when you interact.
⚠️ Warning: Always on Display can increase battery consumption 5-15% daily depending on the brightness and complexity of the selected dial.
Style customization and personalization of the dial
Xiaomi's shells offer a wide range of visual design options. In the AOD settings menu, you'll find a style gallery. Classic analog hands, minimalistic digital watches, and animated images are available. Some styles respond to notifications by changing color or shape.
For more customization, you can use the Topic app, search inside the theme store for "Always On" or "AOD," and you'll find thousands of custom dials created by the community, and installing this package will add new options to the system menu.
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Use dark dials with minimal parts for maximum battery power savings. AMOLED-screen.
The Smart Always On feature, which allows you to display information about calendar, steps, weather or headphone charging status, can be set up in the display settings in the AOD menu.
Use of the Application Topics for Enhanced Opportunities
The standard feature set sometimes seems limited. Themes is a powerful tool that is often overlooked. You can find not just static pictures, but complex interactive scenes, like a dial showing the phase of the moon in real time or animations of rain in the appropriate weather.
When downloading new styles, pay attention to the rating and number of downloads. This ensures the quality of execution and no errors in the code of the dial. After installing the theme, remember to use the Always On Screen component if the system offers a choice.
| Style type | Energy consumption | Informativeness | Example of use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital minimalism | Low. | Time, Date. | Office, meetings. |
| Animated GIF | High-pitched | Visual effect | Entertainment |
| Info-style | Medium. | Weather, Steps, Battery | Sport, daily life |
| Classic watches | Low. | Time. | Strict style |
Check the permissions that the theme requests when installing.
Problems with AOD and how to solve them
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the function is turned on, but the screen goes out or does not light up at all. A frequent reason is aggressive battery optimization. The system can force the background processes responsible for illuminating the pixels to save charge.
To solve the problem, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Battery. Find the system process associated with the lock screen (often called Wallpaper and Always-on) in the application list and set the background activity restriction to No Limits mode.
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Aggressive energy saving is the main reason for switching off Always On Display on Xiaomi smartphones.
Another reason could be the Do Not Disturb or Sleep mode enabled, in which the system automatically turns off visual notifications and often turns off AOD to keep the user out of the way. Check the schedule of these modes in the audio settings.
⚠️ Warning: If the screen burns out or if artifacts of the image appear, immediately turn off Always On Display.This may indicate a matrix defect or overheating.
The Impact of Always On Display on Screen Resource
There is a myth that permanent work is AOD It causes the matrix to burn out quickly. AMOLED-The screens are equipped with protection technologies, such as pixel shifting (Pixel Shift), the image is periodically and imperceptibly shifted by several pixels to ensure that the load is evenly distributed.
However, static elements such as high-brightness watches could theoretically leave a mark after several years of active use, which manufacturers consider by limiting maximum brightness in AOD mode and using special subpixels.
To minimize the risks, it is recommended to use dark themes and not set the maximum brightness of the screen, it is also useful to periodically change the styles of the dials so that static elements do not “baked” in the same places.
What is screen burnout?
Alternative ways to display time
If classic AOD doesn't work for you or doesn't work for you, there are alternatives, and one of them is Double tapping, which allows you to quickly unlock the screen or just light it up for a few seconds to see the time, and that's the option on the Lock Screen menu.
Another option is desktop widgets, and although they don't work on a completely off screen, using a live wallpaper or a second hand clock widget on the home screen creates a similar sense of dynamic. IPS-screen.
You can also use third-party apps from Google Play that emulate how AOD works. They may be less optimized and consume more power, but provide unique functionality that is not available in stock firmware.