Apple’s new Always-On Display for the iPhone 14 Pro lineup, the feature only launched on iPhones this year, but the always-on display technology has been around for years on Android devices.
For example, on the Samsung Galaxy S22, the AOD exists as a separate entity from your usual lock screen, showing you limited information, such as the date and time, while your phone is still asleep. It works almost like a productivity feature, letting you quickly scan your phone for important stuff without bogging you down.
On the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple redesigned what the always-on display should be, for better or worse, depending on who you ask.
In Apple‘s vision for iOS 16, the always-on display is essentially a dimmed version of the lock screen: the date and time light up, but you can still see notifications piled up at the bottom of the screen, and your wallpaper has a little bit of it.
For some, that always-on display feature might be perfect. It lets you see what’s going on without having to tap the screen or wake your phone.
But for me, it’s a big “but”. If you think of the always-on display more as a productivity feature, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max don’t do that. It’s a little too distracting for me, with all the notifications piling up and waking up the screen, and it’s too bright, which is a problem if you’re sleeping with your iPhone on your nightstand.
Luckily, you can fix both by toggling a feature that not only completely blacks out most of your display, but also stops all notifications from distracting you — and it’s more than you might think more obvious.
How to make the iPhone‘s always-on display dimmer on iOS 16
To make your always-on display darker and less distracting, we’ll use Focus, which helps reduce distractions by muting most notifications on your iPhone, while allowing individual profiles and customization.
In the Settings app, go to Focus, then choose a profile: Do Not Disturb is the easiest option, but you can also choose Personal, Sleep, or Work. In any focus profile of your choice, tap Options, then toggle on Dim Lock Screen. Whenever this particular profile is enabled, your lock screen will dim, darker than usual.
To open your Focus profile, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to close Control Center, then tap Do Not Disturb or hold your finger on Do Not Disturb to open your other Focus profiles.
With the correct Focus profile selected, your iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max’s always-on display should now be completely black, showing only the date, time, and the Do Not Disturb icon.
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