Unlocking the Magic of Always On Display: A Complete Guide for Android Users

Smartphones, which have kept evolving as a sort of hybrid between the phone and the computer, have now turned into our personal accessories, which reflect our personality and style. Out of the abundance of the options that modern devices give us, one of the most convenient and stylish ways to get access to important information at a glance is called Always On Display (or AOD). Although this feature began its journey in the elite world of Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro series at 2022, it’s nothing new for Android users. Mid-range Android devices have been experiencing this feature for years which can go under different names depending on the brand, such as the Ambient Display (Samsung) or Active Display (Google).

Always On Display: A Glimpse into Your Phone’s Soul

Always On Display (AOD) keeps your phone’s screen alive by maintaining it in a low-power state so that it can show you the time, date, unread notifications, battery charge percentage and other status indicators. As you might have expected, many phones with AMOLED displays support it in some way or another because AMOLED displays can support it quite effectively. Not all phones are designed with this feature in mind, nor is the level of customisation as high across the board.

The Essence of Always On Display on Android Phones

Mainly, AOD keeps power usage to a minimum and lets you see important information without your phone having to wake up. An implement that is more intelligent and closer to us It’s highly optional; you can make it your own phone wallpaper and rename it to anything you like – but it would be directly served by the system. Over time, AOD has matured and has remarkably reduced power usage. Then again, it may be a good idea to take your phone’s battery life into account if you intend to keep AOD on throughout the day.

Dive Into Your Phone’s Heart: Checking Battery Health

Keeping a handle on your battery’s health is important before you begin tapping into the power of Always On Display; a battery that’s in good health can help ensure that features such as AOD don’t drain your device’s battery life too quickly.

Customizing Always On Display Across Brands

Samsung: A Canvas for Your Creativity

Good news for users of Samsung phones, most Galaxy models have a feature called the Always On Display (AOD) that you can customise by scheduling the display to turn on, changing the theme, adjusting brightness and so on. One UI 6.1 brought the setting for Clock style from the Customisation menu into the **Edit Lock screen** section, making customisation easier.

Google Pixel: Simplicity Meets Efficiency

If you’d prefer the ‘pared down for maximum utility’ (to borrow a phrase from an old Google Chrome ad) route to Always On Display, Google Pixel is the way to go. Instead of a Pixel Watch-like experience, you get a clean, simple face that shows the basics (time and date) and notifications, letting you know at a glance what you’re due. The ability to add personal touches might be extinguished (there you go, another old Chrome commercial phrase!), but your information is there under your eyes.

OnePlus and Xiaomi: The Innovators

While OnePlus is highly selective about the AODs it offers (especially within the Nord series), its customisation suite is on par with that of Xiaomi. Xiaomi, on the other hand, colours outside the lines by offering vibrant themes and colours for your AOD – something you won’t see in grayscale modes like that of yesteryear.

Activating and Deactivating Always On Display

However, toggling AOD on and off is slightly different from brand to brand; for the Samsung Galaxy, you will need to dive into the settings to get to the treasure trove of AOD settings where you can personalise an AOD, schedule the times it’s activated or simply turn it off to conserve battery. Xiaomi fans can look for AOD under the ‘Lockscreen’ setting.

Beyond the Display: Personalizing Your Android Phone

Always On Display is just one example: let us not forget, there’s no shortage of ways to tweak your Android handset, from screen brightness to on-screen or overlay styles, let alone the overall look of the device. It can be yours to play with, whether you’re on a last-gen handset or the cutting edge, running Android 12 or 13.

Exploring the Heart of Your Android Device: The Phone Itself

In short, the phone is becoming a window to the world, and a manifestation of our identity and interests. Whenever a phone feature makes information relevant or meaningful, more personal, or more cozy, it’s an Always On Display of functionality. As we probe further into the future of Android phones, let’s remember that all of this is indebted to powerful underlying technologies that underpin every single interaction and make every customisation a reality.

But learning to love the Always On Display is an important step toward learning how to use our devices as they were meant to be used, as windows into a world that we can interact with a mere glance. Go into the settings. Get to know your options. Let your phone do what it does best with Always On Display, and help yourself to a phone you can truly live with.