If you recently purchased an Apple Watch Series 5 or later, you may have noticed that the screen stays on all the time. You may not like this and might want the screen to light up only when you raise your wrist. This is possible if you turn off the Always On Display feature on your Apple Watch.
In this article, we'll provide step-by-step instructions for disabling the Always On Display feature on your Apple Watch. You may also have concerns about the additional battery usage this feature causes on your Apple Watch, and we'll address that as well. But first, let's understand what the feature is on your Apple Watch.
What is Always On Display on Apple Watch?
When you enable Always On on your Apple Watch and place your wrist down, the contents displayed on your Watch Face will dim, but the screen will stay on at all times.
Complications such as timers and stopwatches display information rounded up to the next minute. However, complications that display real-time data, such as the compass and noise, do not remain active. Information from app complications will update every few seconds or every minute.
However, the Always On Display ensures that accidental taps are ignored when your wrist is down. Furthermore, you can access all complications and use the Notification Center and Control Center even when your wrist is raised. Simply press the Digital Crown or raise your wrist to bring your watch to full brightness.
If you don't like the above features and want a simpler experience, here's how to turn off Always On Display on your Apple Watch.
How to stop my Always On Display from staying on
Here's how to turn off Always On Display on your Apple Watch directly and via your iPhone.
Using Apple Watch
Step 1: Click on digital crown To run the app library.
Step 2: Open Settings app.
Step 3: Click on Display and brightness.
Step 4: Click on Always on.
Step 5: turn off toggle switch Always on.
Using the Watch app on iPhone
Step 1: Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Click on Display and brightness.
Step 3: Click on Always on.
Step 4: turn off toggle switch Always on.
Now, let's take a look at how to adjust the Always On Display on your Apple Watch.
Tip: You can also enable Theater Mode on your Apple Watch from Control Center to temporarily disable Always On Display.
Customize Always On Display on Apple Watch
If you don't want to disable Always On Display entirely, you also have the option to adjust and restrict the content displayed on your Apple Watch when your wrist is raised. This way, you can adjust the always-on feature to show you the time.
On Apple Watch
Step 1: Click on digital crown to turn on Application Library.
Step 2: Open Settings app.
Step 3: Click on Display and brightness.
Step 4: Click on Always on.
Step 5: Scroll down to find Different settings To always adjust playback.
Here's what each of the three options does:
- Locate Show complications data Turn off complication data if you don't want to see it while lowering your wrist. However, you can also turn off Complexity data For some specific applications.
- Locate Show notifications Turn off notifications if you don't want to see them while your wrist is down. However, you can also turn off notifications for just a few specific apps.
- Locate Show apps Turn off the switch to hide all apps from the Always On Display. However, you can also show specific apps on your watch face while lowering your wrist.
Using the Watch app on iPhone
Step 1: Open Watch app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Click on Display and brightness.
Step 3: Click on Always on.
Here's what each of the above options does:
Step 4: Scroll down to find Different settings To always adjust playback.
- Locate Show complications data Turn off complication data if you don't want to see it when you lower your wrist. However, you can also turn off complication data for specific apps.
- Locate Show notifications Turn off notifications if you don't want to see them while your wrist is down. However, you can also turn off notifications for specific apps.
- Locate Show apps Turn off the switch to hide all apps from Always On Display. However, you can also choose specific apps to appear on your watch face when your wrist is lowered.
Always On Display turns off, saving battery on Apple Watch
We used the Apple Watch Series 7 with and without the Always On Display for a week to understand battery usage patterns. We found no significant increase in battery life without the Always On Display.
On days when we used the Apple Watch with Always On Display, we had 10-15 percent battery left at the end of the day. However, when we turned off the Always On Display, we had about 25-30 percent battery left at the end of the day. Ultimately, we had to plug it in before we started our day in the morning.
However, this may vary depending on your Apple Watch model, battery capacity, and battery health. Therefore, you can turn off Always On Display and see the change in battery life yourself. But if you want to save battery power, your best bet is to Enable Low Power Mode on Apple Watch.
If you have any further questions, please take a look at the FAQ section below.
Frequently asked questions about Always On Display
Apple Watch
Q1. Does Apple Watch SE have an Always On Display?
The answer: No, the Always On Display feature is not available on Apple Watch SE.
Q2. Can I change the color of the Always On Display?
The answer: No, you cannot change the color of the Always On Display exclusively. Colors are subject to your watch face customizations.
Q3. Do all watch faces work with Always On Display?
The answer: Yes. All watch faces will work on Apple Watch with Always On Display.
Get information when you need it.
If you're worried about people glancing at your Apple Watch, consider turning off the Always On Display. Besides, wouldn't it be better if information and numbers were only displayed when you looked at your watch face? Isn't that what these "smartwatches" are all about?
