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Settingly

Display and appearance

Always-On display

Most people call this the screen that never fully goes dark.

Instead of going black, the Lock Screen dims to a very low refresh rate and keeps showing the time, your wallpaper and your widgets.

Available

This setting is present on your iPhone.

  • We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.

Where to find it - iOS 16 and later

  1. Settings
  2. Display & Brightness
  3. Always On Display

What it does

The display drops to around one refresh per second and reduces brightness dramatically. It turns itself fully off when the phone is face down, in a pocket, connected to CarPlay, or when you walk away with a paired Apple Watch.

On later releases you can keep the Always-On behaviour but hide the wallpaper or the notifications.

What changes

When it is on

The Lock Screen stays faintly visible. Battery use rises slightly.

When it is off

The screen goes fully black when it locks, exactly like older iPhones.

Should you turn it on?

Good reasons to turn it on

  • The time and your widgets are readable at a glance.
  • Live Activities stay visible during a delivery or a match.

Good reasons to turn it off

  • It costs measurable battery over a full day.
  • A faintly glowing phone on a bedside table is distracting.
  • Wallpaper visible on a desk can reveal more than you want.

Battery

Costs you something

Privacy

Costs you something

Performance

No real change

Cellular data

No real change

Storage

No real change

Out of the box: On, on models that support it.

What your iPhone needs

  • Needs an iPhone with an Always-On display

Questions people actually ask

Does Always-On display drain the battery?
Yes, a small but real amount. Turning it off is one of the simplest battery wins on a Pro model.
Why is my Always-On display black?
It switches off in a pocket, face down, in Sleep Focus, in Low Power Mode, and when a paired Apple Watch moves away.

If it is not working

  • If the screen goes fully black anyway, check for a paired Apple Watch that has left the area, face down placement, or a Focus that hides it.
  • Sleep Focus turns it off by design.
  • Not available on any iPhone without the required display hardware.

Related settings