While the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge haven't received a ton of new proprietary software and features, these smartphones still feature some intriguing new features. Chief among them, of course, is the Always On Display function.
Taking advantage of the strengths of AMOLED displays, Always On Display constantly uses part of the screen to display various information, such as the calendar, time or notifications. This feature takes advantage of AMOLED displays' ability to illuminate only a small portion of the pixels without draining too much battery power.
It is worth noting that the concept on which the above function is based is by no means new - Nokia was able to implement it a long time ago, and plus, many applications can do the same. Yes, that's right - there are some great Always On Display alternatives you can try on your Android device. Needless to say, they should be used specifically with AMOLED displays!
Function
Always on display
(AOD) is a smartphone feature that displays limited information on the phone screen while it is locked, i.e. The display is in sleep mode. In some shells this feature is called Ambient Display or Active Display.
Thanks to the Always on Display function, the screen does not turn off completely when locked - it displays the time, date, battery status and notifications from applications. The displayed information can be edited in the phone settings by adding or removing some items.
What it is
A feature called Always On Display works when the display is turned off and allows the user to quickly access some valuable information: current time and date, battery charge indicator, messages in the form of notifications and a player with the ability to switch songs. The entire list can be independently modified by the user at his discretion. The idea is this: you pick up the device and see some information without having to unlock it. Thanks to this function, it is possible to make the process of use as convenient, simple and clear as possible and, in addition, save battery power.
The listed advantages are achieved as follows:
- AMOLED displays use a minimum number of pixels and only a few colors. In normal operation, the entire screen with all possible colors is used.
- Thanks to the presence of a system that tracks the position of the device, the function does not work when the phone is in a pocket or bag, since the user is not in contact with the screen, which means there is no waste of energy.
- The processor operates at a low frequency, because displaying information on the screen requires minimal costs.
Principle of operation
The function does not work equally on all phones - on some models the information is always displayed, on some - temporarily, after receiving a notification.
Battery consumption when using Always on Display is minimal, and the convenience of using the gadget increases significantly. If you check your smartphone for notifications or to view the time several dozen or hundreds of times a day, then Always on Display will be even more beneficial in terms of battery consumption.
Always on Display works adequately only on smartphones with AMOLED screens, since it is these displays that allow you to waste a minimum of battery power due to the backlighting of specific pixels. And on the screen with Always on Display, very few of them are lit. This is impossible on IPS screens - all pixels are illuminated at once, including black ones, which leads to a decent battery consumption. However, some smartphones with IPS have Always on Display in one form or another. You can find out more about the difference in battery consumption on smartphones with IPS and AMOLED screens in a separate publication - “Dark theme and battery consumption. IPS vs AMOLED"
ClockPlus DayDream
Download: free
The ClockPlus DayDream app actually acts as an extension to the Daydream feature that can be seen in almost every Android device. Typically, you'll have somewhat limited choices once you activate Daydream, but the ClockPlus app can provide a nice level of customization. With its help, you will know about system notifications and battery level, you can choose an analog or digital clock, and also adjust the brightness level of the display.
ClockPlus DayDream
Enabling and configuring Always on Display
Now I have only one smartphone with Always on Display support at hand - Samsung Galaxy M21. Let's look at enabling and configuring the function using this gadget as an example.
Enabling and setting:
- Go to settings. Search for “Always on Display” settings or go to the “Lock screen” section.
- Drag the slider to the “On” state opposite “Always on Display”.
- Go to settings by clicking on the text “Always on Display”.
- Screen display options:
- Touch to Display – You need to touch the screen to display the information for 10 seconds.
Always display – information will always be visible on the phone screen if it is turned on.
- Show according to schedule – display Always on Display at a specific time. For example, you can set the display from 7 am to 12 midnight. And the rest of the time, when you are sleeping, Always on Display will not work, so as not to waste battery power.
- Clock style - here it is worth remembering that the fewer pixels on the screen are lit, the less battery power will be consumed. But in fact, you shouldn’t limit yourself - all the options offered are adequate. You can also customize the color of the displayed information. The darker the better for charging the battery, but it’s also worth considering that Always on Display has lower brightness, so the difference here is insignificant.
- Also in the Lock Screen Settings section there are FaceWidgets - quick access to useful information on the lock screen and Always on Display. Here you can connect music, today's schedule, next alarm and weather. Initially, this is all enabled for the regular lock screen, but you can also do it for the Always on Display mode.
Options 1 and 3 are for true economists, option 2 is standard.
AcDisplay
Download: free
AcDisplay is not quite an always-on display application, but it is still a lock screen replacement. AcDisplay can light up your device display when you receive notifications and remind you for a preset period of time. By the way, don't be fooled into thinking that AcDisplay is just a lock screen app! This app has an active mode that uses your smartphone's sensors to display the lock screen only when you need it most, such as when you pick up your smartphone from a table or take it out of your pocket. In addition, you can set a background image, and if you are concerned that it will affect the power consumption, then you do not need to worry - you can set it so that it is displayed only while the smartphone is charging.
AcDisplay
Personal opinion
If you have a smartphone with an AMOLED screen and Always on Display support, then I would advise you to at least test this function for a few days. If you like it, leave it, if you don’t like it, turn it off. It's simple.
I myself tried Always on Display on the Galaxy M21, and would gladly leave it, but my personal phone does not have Always on Display. You can install a special application, but for an IPS screen this also means crazy battery consumption.
How to enable AOD
The process of enabling the previously mentioned option does not take much time and effort. As a rule, the answer lies in the main settings menu, but all subsequent actions after entering it differ depending on the manufacturer and model of the gadget.
Samsung
It is convenient to enable AOD mode on Samsung products through the main settings menu. The search bar is located centrally at the top of the screen. You need to enter the name of the Always on display function in it and open the menu of the same name. Activate the switch to enable the option. In the same section you can configure various widget parameters.
Xiaomi
The manufacturer of this equipment sells many models, including smartphones with an AMOLED display. They are the ones who actively support the option described in this article. Gadgets with such a display use a small number of pixels and therefore load the processor very little, resulting in minimal energy consumption during operation. Activating the function is not difficult. First of all, you need to go to the settings menu and go to the screen section there. In the window that opens, you will immediately be offered an option to automatically turn on the screen. In the special Play Market store you can download the application and use it to perform more detailed AOD settings. According to the developers, it requires no more than three percent charge, which is significantly less compared to IPS matrix screens.
How to activate this new mode?
As we say, this is a new screen mode that has been introduced in the latest Realme UI updates . Therefore, we recommend that you check before we have the latest firmware installed on our phone. If so, we should do the following:
- Enter your Realme settings
- Access "Display & Brightness"
- Tap Always On Screen.
Now that the feature is activated, you just need to select the content. We can choose to display:
- Watch
- Time
- Battery
- Notifications
Or turn off all this content and activate the "Mantra" function at the bottom which allows us to constantly display a message on the screen. You just need to click on this feature to see the preview to be able to edit the text that will be displayed, the color, flat or gradient, text alignment, font type and its size.
Enable AOD on Samsung
Open “Settings”.
In the search bar we write “always on display” (without quotes) and select the item of the same name.
We enable the function using the switch.
Here you can also fine-tune the parameters, for example, add useful widgets:
Which smartphones support Always On Display?
Not so long ago, the number of smartphones was small, today the situation has changed radically. And it's not that many companies have started supporting AOD - everything is simpler: today you can download the application for your smartphone if it uses an AMOLED display. Simply download it and then customize it to your liking. One such application is called Always On AMOLED.
The application has a lot of settings.
And, most importantly, it really works - the information is reflected on the display.
So if you wish, go to the Play Market and download the application.
