Apple fans who recently upgraded to an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max were gifted the ability to keep their phone screen dimly lit even when locked, but some are not liking the always-on display feature and would prefer to do away with notifications and the bright background when they’re trying to focus or rest. With the recent release of iOS 16.2, this option has become available. Now, when an iPhone 14 Pro gets the operating system upgrade, users can keep the always-on display activated and further tweak related settings to suit their preferences better.
The always-on display feature that came with iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models — and is turned on by default — now has its own settings page, where people can easily enable or disable the function as well as hide wallpaper and notifications. To find it, launch the Settings app and go to ‘Display & Brightness.’ Scroll down and tap ‘Always On Display.’ Here, users can switch the ‘Always On Display’ toggle to the off position. Alternatively, they can keep the feature enabled and switch off either ‘Show Wallpaper,’ ‘Show Notifications,’ or both.
What Happens When You Modify Always-On Display Settings
When the iPhone’s always-on display is turned off, the phone screen will turn completely black both when the power button is pressed or the lock screen is automatically triggered. When the user picks up the device, taps the screen, or presses the side button, the motion will activate the screen and show the chosen lock screen wallpaper, along with the time, date, and any active widgets. This option is useful for people who are easily distracted and would like to only see iPhone activity when they are actually handling it.
Those who want to keep the always-on display setting enabled can lessen the busyness of the iPhone screen by disabling either or both the appearance of the lock screen wallpaper and notifications. When the background image and notifications are both hidden, the screen is kept black with only the time and date visible. The separation of the two main lock screen elements with their own switches enables any iPhone user to prioritize whatever their usual reason is for checking their phone screens at a quick glance.
People who keep the always-on display feature — along with the new settings — fully enabled need not worry about it causing significant battery drain. It automatically turns the display dark when there’s no need for it. Certain situations trigger this automatically, such as leaving your iPhone face down on a surface or keeping it in your bag or pocket. The always-on display also turns off when it detects the iPhone is idle and hasn’t been used for a certain period of time, when it’s currently running in Low Power Mode, when Sleep Focus is enabled, or when it is moved away from a paired Apple Watch. In addition, it also shuts off when the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max’s CarPlay and Continuity Camera features are in use.
Source: Apple