Modern smartphones line Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO flashy AMOLED-It allows you to see the time, notifications and widgets without unlocking the device, but for many users, the constant glow of the pixels becomes a source of discomfort or causes a quick battery discharge.
Owners of gadgets often wonder how to remove the active screen on Xiaomi to extend the autonomy of the work or just get rid of unnecessary visual information in the dark. Disabling the feature does not require deep technical knowledge, but the solutions may differ depending on the version of the MIUI operating system or the new HyperOS.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to deactivate this mode, you will learn how to adjust the display schedule so that it does not burn at night, and what to do if standard settings do not help. Completely disabling Always On Display is guaranteed to reduce power consumption in standby mode by 15-20%.
What is Always On Display and Why Disable It
Technology Always on Display (AOD) It was designed to provide quick access to basic information, and in this mode, the screen of the smartphone is running at a minimum brightness, highlighting only the pixels needed, OLED-The matrix still consumes energy even when displaying a static image.
The main reason users want to turn off this option is autonomy, because if you actively use navigation or play resource-intensive games, every minute of battery life saved becomes critical, and the constant glow in total darkness can interfere with sleep or distract attention.
While modern Xiaomi panels have protection against static images, long-term display of the same elements (watches, logo) at maximum brightness can lead to the appearance of a residual “ghost” image over time.
- 🔋 Significant battery life savings during the day
- 🌙 No light pollution in the bedroom at night
- 🛡️ Reducing the risk of pixel burnout on older devices
- 🧹 Reducing distractions and notifications
And the psychological aspect is that when the screen is always on, you have the illusion that the phone needs attention, and when you remove the active screen, you reduce the digital noise, and you can focus on your current tasks without being distracted by flashing lights.
⚠️ Note: Some budget models with IPS-The Always On Display function is software-emulated and can heavily load the processor, causing the case to heat up.
Basic disabling through theme and screen settings
The easiest and most obvious way to remove the active screen is to use the standard settings menu. The MIUI and HyperOS interface may be slightly different visually, but the logic of actions remains the same for all current versions of the firmware. You will need access to the personalization section.
To start, unlock your smartphone and find the Settings app. Search by settings for Always On or AOD. The system will automatically redirect you to the desired section. If the search doesn't work, the path may look different depending on the regional version of the software.
In the menu that opens, you'll see the main switch of the function. Before you turn it off, look at the additional settings. Often, users simply turn off the function, not knowing they could leave it, but limit the time of operation, which allows you to save the functionality, but remove the active screen at night.
If you use a third-party theme, it may have its own lock screen settings, in which case the standard menu may not override the theme settings, and it is recommended to temporarily switch to the standard theme “Classic” or “Standard” to check if the theme does not block system settings.
- 📱 Open “Settings” on the main screen
- 🎨 Go to the section "Wallpaper and personalization»
- ⏱️ Find the item “Always on screen and lock»
- 🔌 Transfer the switch to the "Off" position»
After these steps are done, the screen should go out immediately after locking the device. If you see that the backlight still lights up when notifications arrive, check the Notifications and Status Bar section. There may be an option called Backlight at Notifications that works independently of AOD.
Setting up the display schedule
Shutting down the feature completely isn't always the best solution. Many users prefer to keep the screen active but limit it to a certain number of hours, a perfect trade-off between functionality and energy savings.
In the Always Screen settings menu, find Schedule, and here you will find several options: Always On, Set Time, or Sunrise to Sunset, which is particularly convenient because the phone will use geolocation to determine the sun’s activity time.
If you select the "Set Time" mode, you will need to manually set the intervals, for example, from 08:00 to 23:00. The rest of the time the screen will be completely black, which will eliminate any problems with sleeping or accidentally turning on in your pocket.
Why can't the schedule work?
The schedule may not work if the system is timed down or synchronized over the network is disabled. AOD.> Importantly, when you set your schedule, the system can ask for permission to access your location, which is necessary for sunrise to sunset mode to work properly, and without that permission, your phone will use your current time zone, which is also a valid option. Operational mode Description Impact on the battery Always on Screen is on 24/7 High Set Time Works in selected hours Average Sunrise/Sunset Automatically Sun Average 10 Seconds Only When Touching Low Mode Use «10 The second" (or "touch") is the most energy efficient. The screen only lights up when you pick up the phone or tap it. This completely removes the active screen at rest, leaving the ability to quickly check the time. Pocket mode and proximity sensor One of the frequent problems users face is the unwanted turn on of the screen in the pocket. Even if you remove the active screen, the proximity sensor can fire mistakenly due to dust, cover or software failure, causing the display to light up. The "Mode in the pocket" function is designed to block accidental taps and turn on the screen. However, on Xiaomi smartphones, it sometimes works incorrectly. If the screen lights up, the version is called "Disolated by the camera's switch on, try the top area of the camera, where it is located in the switch on." If this feature is already enabled but the problem persists, it makes sense to reset sensor settings through an engineering menu or calibration app. 🧼 Wipe the top of the screen from contamination 📱 Remove the protective glass if it covers the sensor ⚙️ Check the sensor in the engineering menu 🔄 Also worth checking the cases installed. Some dense or magnetic cases can interfere with sensors. Remove the accessory and see if the problem disappears. If so, the reason lies in the mechanical impact on the phone body. Use of energy saving mode Built-in optimization mechanisms MIUI And often, you automatically turn off the beautiful but energy-intensive functions when you have low battery power, and you can take advantage of that by setting up the automatic power saving mode. When you activate Power Saving or Ultra-Saving mode, the system forcibly disables Always On Display, background synchronization and reduces brightness. This is an effective way to remove the active screen if you're on the road and can't charge the device. You can set this mode to automatically turn on when you reach a certain percentage of charge (for example, 20% or 30%). In this case, once the battery sits down to the specified mark, the active screen will disappear without your intervention, saving the charge for calls. ⚠️ Note: In ultra-saving mode, notifications from messengers may stop coming, as background activity of applications is limited. There is also a “Sleep Mode” that can be activated on a schedule (for example, at night). In this mode, the phone goes into a deep sleep state, disabling all network modules and the screen. It's a radical but effective way to keep things quiet and charge-free. Sometimes users want to remove the active screen not for the sake of saving, but because they're confronted with artifacts. If a watch or icon has a faint footprint that's visible even on a white background, these are the first signs of a die-off. In that case, you need to immediately turn off the AOD and let the screen "rest." There are video applications that run different colors around the screen, trying to restore the uniformity of the pixels, but their effectiveness is questionable. If the screen is not really effective, then dynamically, it doesn't burn out after the system, then the clock is often, or it doesn't burns off. In these cases, cleaning the system cache or, in extreme cases, resetting to factory settings helps. Before drastic measures, try simply changing the theme to the standard one. Check if you have any third-party screen control applications installed. The conflict between the system manager Xiaomi and third-party software can lead to incorrect operation of the proximity sensor and constant burning of the display. 🎨 Change the static style of the watch to a dynamic one 📉 Reduce the brightness of Always On Display in the settings 🗑️ Remove recently identified topics from unofficial sources 🔄 Regularly rebooting your smartphone (at least once a week) also helps clean the system cache and prevent the accumulation of errors in the operation of display drivers. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Why after the shutdown AOD It could be a "Rise to Turn on" or a "Double tap" function. Check the "Block Screen" section and turn off these options. It could also be intrusive notifications from apps. Does turning off Always On Display affect warranty? No, changing the display software settings, including disabling AOD, is a regular function of the system and does not affect the manufacturer's warranty obligations. AOD In the standard settings Xiaomi this option is not, but some third-party themes in the theme store MIUI They support monochrome time and date display. How many percent of the battery eats the active screen per night? Depending on the model and brightness, an active screen can consume between 3% and 12% of battery power in 8 hours of sleep. Disabling the function significantly prolongs the time of operation. AOD screen-wise IPS? Nana IPS-full-screen AOD It is not possible due to the peculiarities of technology (inability to turn off individual pixels), on such models Xiaomi emulates a function, simply turning on the backlight for a short time, which greatly consumes charge.