Xiaomi’s Active Screen (Always On Display): Full Guide 2026

If you are a Xiaomi smartphone owner with AMOLED-And you've probably noticed that even when it's off, it can show time, notifications, or animations. It's not a magic feature, it's a technology called Always On Display (AOD), It's called "Active Screen," but how does it work in practice? Should it be used all the time? And why on some Redmi models? POCO There's no option at all?

In this article, we will analyze all the nuances in detail: from technical implementation to hidden settings. MIUI, You will learn how the active screen affects battery autonomy depending on the processor model (for example, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs Dimensity 9000), and why on budget smartphones with a high-end battery. IPS-And then we'll reveal the secrets of how to get around the constraints. MIUI old-device.

Unlike static screensavers on lock screens, Always On Display on Xiaomi is a dynamic system that adapts to your habits. It can show not only the time, but also the weather forecast, steps with the Mi Band, the status of the connection to the Xiaomi Home or even the animation of charging. However, not all users know that the setting of this feature is hidden in the depths of the user. MIUI It requires the right approach – especially if you want to save battery life.

It is important to understand: the active screen is not just a “beautiful chip”, but a tool that can both simplify interaction with a smartphone and reduce its operation time from a single charge. Next, we will understand how to balance between convenience and autonomy, and also answer the question why some flagships (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) are on the same platform) AOD It works differently than the Redmi Note 12 Pro.+.

What is an Active Screen on Xiaomi and How Does It Work?

Always On Display (AOD) — This is a mode in which a part of the pixels AMOLED-And the screen stays on even when the smartphone is locked, and unlike fully activated, it only uses individual pixels, which saves a lot of energy, and this technology is made possible by the peculiarities of organic LEDs, where each pixel is powered by a single pixel. AMOLED It's independently illuminated, and the black on that screen is just the pixels that are off.

On Xiaomi smartphones, the active screen is implemented through the corporate shell MIUI. Depending on the device model and firmware version, different display options are available to the user:

• 🕒 The clock + date – classic version with analog or digital clock.
• 📱 Notifications - badges of unread messages (SMS, Messengers, missed calls).
• 🌡️ Weather and steps - temperature, humidity, data from a fitness bracelet.
• 🎨 Customization – the choice of watches, colors, animations (on the new flagships).

Xiaomi has two approaches to implementation. AOD:

1. Hardware – when a separate low-consumer screen controller is responsible for the display (for example, on Xiaomi 14).
2. Software – when the main processor is involved, which increases battery consumption (typical for budget models).

Interesting fact: on some devices (for example, POCO F5 Pro) the active screen can operate in Always On with Fingerprint mode, i.e. it can only be turned on when the fingerprint sensor is touched, thus saving charge while maintaining convenience.

What Xiaomi models support an active screen

Not all Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with the function Always On Display. AMOLED- super AMOLED-screen. IPS-matrices (e.g. on Redmi) 10A or POCO M5) They are not physically supported AOD, They have a single light for the entire screen, not a pokpixel.

Here is the current list of lines and models with support for active screen (as of 2026):

Note that even if your model is on the list, the feature can be disabled by default. e.g. on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ active screen is hidden in lock screen settings and requires manual activation.

There's also a nuance about regional firmware, some devices for the Indian or Chinese market. AOD It can be blocked by the manufacturer (for example, by the POCO M6 In this case, changing the firmware region or installing custom MIUI.

How to turn on and configure the active screen on Xiaomi

You can activate Always On Display on supported models through standard settings MIUI. Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Open Settings → Lock screen (or Security and Lock on older versions of MIUI).
2. Select Always On Display (in Russian firmware may be called "Active Screen" or "Display when blocked").
3. Activate the switch at the top of the screen.
4. Customize the appearance: 🕘 Watch style – analog, digital, minimalist. 📅 Date and weather – display of additional information. 🔔 Notifications – app icons with unread messages. 🎨 Color scheme - adaptive (under wallpaper) or fixed.
5. In the Schedule section, select when to work. AOD: 🌙 Always around the clock. ⏰ Scheduled – for example, only at night. 🔋 Only when charging - saves battery.

New flagships (such as Xiaomi 14) have additional options available:

• 🖼️ Dynamic wallpaper — AOD fitting in with the main wallpaper.
• 🎵 Music widget - player control without unlocking.
• 🔄 Animations – smooth transitions when showing notifications.

Make sure that:

You're using the original firmware. MIUI (Custom may not support AOD)

The screen of your smartphone — AMOLED (Check in the settings → The phone. → Characteristics)

Battery level above 15% (on some models) AOD shut off)

Power saving mode is enabled (if not — AOD may work unstablely)-->

After inclusion AOD The screen is running out quickly, try to limit the function's time, for example, set the schedule from 20:00 to 8:00 - this is enough to see the time at night, but the battery will not be wasted during the day.

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Xiaomi. 13/14 The series has a hidden setting: if you touch the screen twice in mode AOD, It's going to show you a full lock screen with a weather widget and quick action, and it's convenient for quick access to the camera or flashlight.

The Effect of Active Screen on Autonomy: Myths and Reality

One of the biggest fears of users is that Always On Display dramatically reduces the time of a smartphone, and let's see how that's true.

According to the DXOMark laboratory tests (2023), the impact of the AOD The autonomy depends on three factors:

1. Screen type - on LTPO AMOLED (Xiaomi 13 Ultra: Minimum consumption due to dynamic refresh rate.
2. Processor - Snapdragon chips 8 Gen 2/3 optimized AOD Better than Dimensity 9000.
3. Brightness – the brighter the active screen, the more power consumption (configure to 30-50% brightness).

Here are the real battery consumption figures (tested on Xiaomi 13 Pro with a new battery). MIUI 14):

As you can see, even in the most “sweet” mode. AOD adds 15-20% And by comparison, an hour of active social media use eats about one hour of daily consumption. 10-12% So if you charge your smartphone once a day, AOD It will not be a critical factor.

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On battery-powered devices 5000 mAh (e.g. Redmi Note) 12 Pro+) influence AOD Autonomy is almost imperceptible - the difference is 1-2 hour of operation with intensive use.

However, there are exceptions:

• 🔋 On smartphones with less battery 4000 mAh (e.g. Xiaomi) 13 Lite) AOD may reduce the time of work for 10-15%.
• ❄️ In cold weather (below) -10°C) battery consumption with AOD increases 1.5-2 time-in-time AMOLED-matrix.
• 🔄 With frequent notifications (more than one) 50 The processor wakes up more often, which adds 5-7% flow-through.

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If you notice that the smartphone began to discharge too quickly after turning on AOD, Check if the application background sync is working at the same time. → Accounts and synchronization for unnecessary services.

Hidden functions and life hacks for active screen

MIUI It offers a few hidden customization options for Always On Display that many users don't know about:

1. Set-up through ADB (power-user)

If your firmware does not have some options AOD, They can be unlocked through ADB. For example, you can turn on animations on models where they are disabled by default:

adb shell settings put global aod_mode 1


adb shell settings put global aod_animation_enabled 1

After completing these commands, restart your smartphone. Note that not all commands work on all models, and using them can cause crashes.

2. Use of third-party themes

At Tema Store (theme store) MIUI) There are special themes with unique styles for AOD. To find them:

1. Open the Topic app.
2. In the search, always enter on or AOD.
3. Download your favorite theme and apply it to the lock screen settings.

Activation AOD loose-leaf

If you use custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the active screen may not work. AOD Enabler. Install it via Magisk Manager and restart the device.

4. Saving battery with the help of "Smart" AOD"

Some of the firmware has a Smart feature AOD, It turns on the screen only when you receive notifications or put your hand in front of your smartphone, and you can activate it through the engineering menu:

##36446337## → Hardware Testing → AOD Settings

Common problems with AOD and their decisions

Despite the convenience, Always On Display on Xiaomi sometimes fails, and here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

1. Active screen is not switched on

• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone – sometimes a banal rebut helps.
• 🔋 Check the charge level – on some models AOD shuts down when the charge is below 15%.
• 📱 Update. MIUI — In older versions of the firmware there are bugs with AOD.
• 🛠️ Reset the lock screen settings in Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting lock settings.

2. AOD flashes or spontaneously turns off

This is a typical problem for devices with MediaTek-processors (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro).+ Dimensity 1080, Solutions:

• 🔧 Turn off Adaptive Brightness in the Settings AOD.
• 🌡️ Check the temperature of the smartphone – when overheating AOD may be off.
• 🔋 Replace the battery if it is worn out (check in Settings) → Battery → Battery status).

3. Fast discharge of the battery with AOD

If the smartphone is running too fast:

⚠️ Note: Check if the background activity of the applications is not working at the same time. For example, Facebook or TikTok can constantly wake the processor, which increases the consumption of the processor. AOD into 2-3 Turn off background activity in Settings → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start.

Try it too:

• 🕒 Reduce display time AOD 10 seconds after the last interaction.
• 🎨 Choose a minimalist watch style (e.g. Digital watch without stopwatch).
• 🔄 Turn off the notification display in AOD — This reduces the number of wakes of the processor.

4. AOD Notices not showing notices

If only the watch is displayed on the screen but no notifications are shown:

1. Check notification settings for each application in Settings → Notifications.
2. Make sure to turn on the Show on the lock screen.
3. For instant messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) check the permissions in Settings → Confidentiality → Special access → Showing over other windows.

5. The screen does not go out completely (backlight remains)

This is a common problem for POCO F5 Pro and some Redmi models, because of the incorrect operation of the screen driver:

• 🔧 Turn on and off Read Mode in the notification curtain - sometimes it resets the backlight.
• 📱 Update your firmware to the latest version (in new updates) MIUI this bug has been fixed).
• 🛠️ Fastboot resets with data storage (fastboot erase cache).

Comparison of Xiaomi’s Active Screen with Competitors

Not only is Xiaomi's Always On Display technology available, but let's compare the implementation. AOD different manufacturers to understand the strengths and weaknesses of Xiaomi’s approach.

Xiaomi's main advantage is the flexibility of the setup. MIUI You can choose which notifications to show on AOD (For example, hide notifications from games, but leave messages from instant messengers.In addition, Xiaomi is one of the few companies that offers animations in Always On mode even on medium-budget devices (for example, Xiaomi is one of the few companies that offers animations in Always On mode, POCO F5).

However, in terms of stability of work Xiaomi is inferior to Samsung and Apple. S23 AOD It can run for months without crashes, while the Xiaomi 13 sometimes requires a reboot to restore function.It is also worth noting that on Xiaomi flagships (such as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra) AOD It consumes slightly more power than its competitors’ top devices, due to more aggressive optimization. MIUI.

Another key difference is the integration with the ecosystem. Only Xiaomi allows you to display the image of the image. AOD:

• 🏠 Status of Xiaomi Smart Home devices (for example, is the robot vacuum cleaner enabled).
• 👟 Data from fitness bracelets Mi Band or Xiaomi Watch.
• 🎵 Managing music with gesture support (double touch for pause).

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If you want maximum autonomy, but you want to see the time on the screen, choose Always On mode only when charging. This will save the battery during the day, but use it. AOD At night, when the smartphone is connected to the network.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About Xiaomi’s Active Screen