Ive been using iPhones for years, and I always turn off this major iOS feature

Date:
Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Description:
The iPhone's always-on display feature is potentially useful, but it also drains battery, and if you have an Apple Watch you probably don't need it.

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Id wager almost no one is using every iOS feature, and even the big ones wont appeal to everyone, so its perhaps unsurprising that theres at least one massive mode that I dont use at all.

That mode is the always-on display its one of the first things that I ensure is toggled off on any iPhone I use, and there are several reasons for that. But I dont actually think this is necessarily a bad feature, its just one
that I personally dont need, and one where the trade-offs arent worth it for me.

Below, Ive explained why I dont use this feature that some people swear by, followed by instructions on how to turn it off if you feel similarly. Why I turn off the always-on display

There are a few reasons why I dont like Apples always-on display feature, but the biggest is perhaps that it drains the battery faster than not having it on.

Now, iPhones particularly larger models like the iPhone 17 Pro Max tend to have fairly good battery life these days, but it still feels like one of the weak links, so anything that can further increase their stamina is beneficial to me.

Tests such as this video from PhoneBuff suggest the always-on display feature can use roughly between 0.6% and 0.8% of your phones battery per
hour, with the difference mostly coming down to whether you have the
wallpaper displayed. That might not sound like much, but it can really add up over time. The iPhone 14 Pro Max with its always-on display (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

So as someone who prioritizes battery life over almost anything else, its
an easy decision to keep the always-on display off.

But thats not the only reason I dont use it. I also frankly dont find it that useful. Sure, it provides a fast way to see notifications and the time, but you know what else provides that? My Apple Watch, so if youre wearing a smartwatch or for the time element any kind of watch theres not much here that you cant already see at a glance.

There is some information from widgets that may not be displayed on your wearable, but I can easily live without that it only takes a second to turn my phones screen on and check those anyway.

Finally, I simply find the always-on display a little distracting. Yes, its dimmed, but its still on, and that leads me to keep glancing at it in case theres a new notification. Which is a distraction I can live without. How to turn the always-on display off (Image credit: Apple)

If youre feeling similar, then its easy to turn the always-on display off. To do so, just follow these steps: 1. Open Settings 2. Tap Display & Brightness 3. Scroll down and tap Always On Display 4. Then turn the Always On Display toggle off Pro tip: customize it instead (Image credit: Apple)

The iPhones always-on display isnt an all or nothing feature, so if you like the idea of it always displaying the time but not notifications, or of it not showing the wallpaper to slightly lessen the hit on the battery, then those are options.

So to take a middle ground and have it on but not with every toggle enabled, do this: 1. Open Settings 2. Tap Display & Brightness 3. Scroll down and tap Always On Display 4. Then turn the Always On Display toggle on if its currently off 5. Then enable or disable the toggles in the Customize section to your liking Other battery-saving tips The iPhone 17 Pro (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

If your main reason for thinking twice about the always-on display is to save battery, then there are other battery-saving steps you can take as well or instead.

These include lowering the screen brightness, using adaptive power mode or
low power mode, turning off haptics, disabling the Hey Siri wake up method
for Siri, and if you have an iPhone with an OLED screen enabling dark mode.

Doing any or all of these should have an impact on your phones battery life, and help it last longer between charges.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/ive-been-using-iphones-for-years-and-i -always-turn-off-this-major-ios-feature


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