Always On Display (AOD) allows you to get basic information from your Samsung Galaxy phone without having to turn on the screen. The type of information available on this display mode includes missed calls, notifications, and time plus more.

This feature will reduce the number of times you have to unlock your phone. You won’t get sucked into the social media rabbit hole when all you wanted to do is check the time. Here is all you need to know about Always On Display on your Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet.

How to Turn On or Turn Off Always On Display

Before proceeding, you should note that AOD will eat into your phone's battery life. Samsung Galaxy devices come with AOD turned on by default. If yours is inactive, follow these steps:

  1. Turn your screen on—whether locked or unlocked and swipe down to access the Quick Panel.
  2. Tap the Always On Display icon to turn it on or off.
  3. Alternatively, unlock your phone and go to Settings.
  4. Type Always On Display on the search bar to locate the setting.
  5. Tap the setting from the search results and then toggle the switch on the right on or off.

Adjusting Always On Display Settings

After enabling AOD on your Samsung Galaxy, you can customize it to your liking by adjusting a few settings.

  • You have to choose between showing both the Home button and clock, the Clock only, or the Home button only alongside your notifications.
  • You can use Tap to show if you want AOD to be visible only when needed. Using this setting will help in conserving power.
  • Using Show as scheduled lets you run AOD during specific hours of the day.
  • You can play around with the Clock style settings to get the desired aesthetic look of your clock in AOD. This setting also lets you add photos from your gallery including GIFs for an animated AOD.
  • Toggling Show music information will show you the details of the music or podcast that you are listening to.
  • If you want to adjust the AOD brightness manually, you’ll need to turn off Auto brightness and double tap the clock when in AOD mode.

Activating power saving mode on your Samsung Galaxy will automatically deactivate Always On Display. We recommend using the Tap to show option to save on power because AOD can be a major battery hog on Samsung devices. Turning it off altogether can extend your battery life by several hours on any given day.

Be More Productive With Samsung’s Always On Display

With Always On Display, you’ll only pick up your phone when absolutely necessary. You don’t have to manually check for notifications. A quick tap or glance at your screen will get you all the information you need.

If there’s a notification you were expecting, you can check your phone and vice versa. As a result, you can focus on other tasks without the temptation of opening unproductive apps when you grab your phone.