To turn on always-on display (AOD) on most smartwatches, open Settings → Display on the watch (or in its companion phone app) and toggle Always On to on. The exact wording differs by brand—Apple calls it “Always On,” Samsung and Wear OS use “Always On Display,” and Garmin lists it under “Always-On Watch Mode”—but the feature does the same thing: it keeps a dimmed watch face visible instead of blanking the screen when your wrist is down. Below is exactly where to find the setting on each major platform, how to customize what stays visible, and how to manage the battery cost.
- AOD lives under Settings → Display on every major platform
- It typically reduces battery life, so pair it with power-saving habits
- You can often hide sensitive complications and notifications while the screen is dimmed
What always-on display actually does
A standard smartwatch screen sleeps to save power and only wakes when you raise your wrist or tap it. Always-on display keeps a low-brightness version of your watch face lit continuously, so you can glance at the time without a wrist flick. Manufacturers achieve this with low-power OLED/AMOLED or memory-in-pixel (MIP) panels that refresh less often and dim inactive pixels. The trade-off is battery drain, which is why AOD is off by default on some models. If you care about runtime, it helps to understand how displays factor into overall endurance—our guide comparing battery life across smartwatches puts the cost in context.
How to turn on always-on display, by brand
Enabling AOD takes under a minute. Use the steps for your platform below.
Apple Watch
Always On is available on Apple Watch Series 5 and later (excluding the first-generation SE and SE 2, which lack the low-power panel). On the watch, open Settings → Display & Brightness → Always On and turn it on. From here you can also choose whether complications, notifications, and apps stay visible or hide until you raise your wrist. You can mirror these controls in the Watch app on your iPhone under Display & Brightness. New to the platform? Our walkthrough on setting up an Apple Watch for the first time covers the initial pairing.
Samsung Galaxy Watch (Wear OS)
On Galaxy Watch models, open Settings → Display → Always On Display and toggle it on. Some versions let you choose “Show always” versus “Tap to show,” and a few offer a scheduled window so AOD only runs during the day. You can also manage it from the Galaxy Wearable app on your paired phone.
Other Wear OS watches (Google Pixel Watch and more)
Most Wear OS 3/4 watches follow the same path: Settings → Display → Always-on screen (wording varies slightly by maker). Toggle it on, then check the watch face itself—some faces include their own “always-on style” option that controls how the dimmed version looks.
Garmin
Garmin uses different terminology. On AMOLED models (such as the Venu and newer Forerunner and fenix lines), open Settings → Appearance → Watch Face → Always On, or look under Settings → System → Always On Watch Mode depending on the model. On older MIP-display Garmins the screen is technically always visible already, so there is no toggle—the backlight is what turns on and off.
Customize what stays on screen
Once AOD is enabled, tailor it so it is useful without oversharing:
- Hide sensitive complications: On Apple Watch, individual apps and complications can be set to stay visible or blur when your wrist is down—handy if a complication shows calendar details or messages.
- Hide notification content: Keep alert previews from lingering on a dimmed screen in a meeting or on public transit.
- Pick an AOD-friendly face: Faces with a simple, high-contrast dimmed state read more easily and can use fewer lit pixels than a photo or animated face.
- Set a schedule if offered: Some Galaxy and Wear OS watches let AOD run only during waking hours, which trims overnight drain.
Managing the battery cost
Because AOD keeps pixels lit, it draws more power than a screen that sleeps—how much depends on the panel, face, and how often you actually raise your wrist. Manufacturers rarely publish an exact AOD-versus-off battery figure, so treat any single number with caution and judge it against your own routine. If you want AOD without a big runtime hit, these habits help:
- Choose a darker watch face; black pixels on OLED use little to no power.
- Lower overall screen brightness a notch.
- Enable AOD only during work hours if your watch supports scheduling.
- Turn AOD off temporarily when you switch on a low-power or battery-saver mode.
For a broader set of tactics, our 12 proven tips to improve smartwatch battery life goes well beyond the display.
Troubleshooting: AOD won’t turn on or keeps shutting off
If the toggle is missing or the feature isn’t behaving, work through these checks in order:
- Confirm your model supports it. Apple Watch needs Series 5 or later (not the SE models); many budget and older watches simply lack a low-power panel. Check the manufacturer’s spec page for your exact model.
- Update the software. AOD options and reliability fixes ship in watchOS, Wear OS, and Garmin firmware updates. Update the watch and its companion app.
- Turn off battery-saver mode. Power-saving and “low power” modes suppress AOD by design. Disable them, or raise the battery threshold that triggers them.
- Check for a schedule or theater/cinema mode. A scheduled AOD window, sleep mode, or theater mode can blank the screen at certain times.
- Verify the watch face supports AOD. A few third-party faces don’t offer a dimmed state; switch to a built-in face to test.
- Restart the watch. A reboot clears many display glitches after an update.
- Reset display settings. As a last step, toggle AOD off and on, or reset settings to defaults if the option appears stuck.
If the trouble is that the watch loses connection to your phone rather than the display itself, our Bluetooth connection fixes may be the better starting point.
Frequently asked questions
Does always-on display drain the battery fast?
AOD uses more power than a sleeping screen because pixels stay lit, but the impact varies widely by watch, face, and usage. Darker faces, lower brightness, and scheduling can soften the hit. Manufacturers don’t always publish an exact figure, so gauge it against your own day-to-day charge cycle rather than a fixed percentage.
Which smartwatches support always-on display?
Apple Watch Series 5 and later (excluding SE models), Samsung Galaxy Watch, Google Pixel Watch and most Wear OS 3/4 watches, and Garmin’s AMOLED models all support AOD. Older MIP-display Garmins are effectively always readable already and have no separate toggle. Always confirm on your model’s official spec page.
Can I hide notifications and personal info while the screen is dimmed?
Yes on most platforms. Apple Watch lets you keep complications, notifications, and apps hidden until you raise your wrist, and several Wear OS watches offer similar privacy controls. This is worth setting up if you use your watch in public or in meetings.
Why is there no always-on toggle on my watch?
Either your model lacks the low-power panel required for AOD, the feature is disabled by a battery-saver mode, or your firmware is out of date. Check the manufacturer’s specifications for your exact model, update the software, and disable any power-saving mode, then look again under Settings → Display.