Karine Honma
Learn 5 ways to reduce Always-On Display battery use by changing wallpapers, clock styles, Battery Saver settings, and how the feature runs.
Already set up brightness, scheduling, and "Tap to Show" on your Always-On Display and still feel like the battery drains faster than it should? The problem might not be how long the screen stays on, but what it displays.
Elements like the wallpaper, the clock's design, and even which app you use to keep the screen on all affect how much power you use — even with the same number of hours on screen.
Here are five adjustments that target that side of the problem, including one for anyone whose phone offers no customization options.
If you've already gone through the settings in our other guide and want to go further, the next step is to look at what the Always-On Display actually draws on screen—because that matters just as much as how long it stays lit.
Many people personalize their Always-On Display with a background image, without realizing that's exactly what costs the most battery. A wallpaper lights up substantially more pixels than a plain dark background, according to Gadget Hacks, which calls this swap the highest-impact change available for anyone trying to save battery on the feature.
Swapping the wallpaper for a solid black background is the simplest change on this list — and also the one with the most noticeable payoff.
The clock style you pick also directly affects battery use. On AMOLED screens, pixels that are switched off draw no power at all — a clock with white text on a black background uses very little, while animated or colorful styles light up far more pixels at once, as Gadget Hacks explains.
That holds whether you're using the native Always-On Display or an app like StandBy Mode: among the available clock faces, the simplest, animation-free ones are always the most efficient choice.
Instead of manually remembering to disable Always-On Display when the battery is running low, you can let the system handle it. On Samsung phones, Battery Saver mode turns the Always-On Display off completely when enabled, according to SamMobile.
It's a useful safety net for anyone who doesn't want to give up the feature day to day, but also doesn't want to keep an eye on the battery percentage at all times.
When a phone already has a native Always-On Display, it's worth using it instead of a third-party app—even if the app offers more customization. Third-party implementations tend to be heavier and less efficient than the manufacturer's built-in version, according to XDA Developers.
That doesn't mean apps like StandBy Mode aren't worth it — they're still the right pick for phones without a native Always-On Display, or for features the system doesn't offer, like the calendar widget or Command Center. But if the phone already supports the feature natively, that route tends to use less power.
Some phones, like Google Pixel devices, offer no customization options for Always-On Display at all —no wallpaper, no clock style, no scheduling. In these cases, Gadget Hacks recommends tracking battery drain for a few days and, if the drop is noticeable, simply turning the feature off.
With no way to adjust what the screen shows, monitoring the actual result and deciding from there is the only way to know whether the feature is worth keeping on for your specific phone.
Always-On Display's battery impact isn't just about how long it stays lit — it also comes down to what it shows: a wallpaper, a busy, colorful clock, or a third-party app all weigh more than they might seem to—still wondering about the feature's overall battery impact? We cover that in our Always-On Display FAQ.
Want something added to the app? Leave your suggestion on UserJot (standbymodepro.userjot.com) — that's how most of this app got built.
Want this on your phone? StandBy Mode turns your charging phone or tablet into a clock and widget display. It runs on Android 7 or newer and is free to download, with in-app purchases.
My work moves between two great passions: Content Marketing and Copywriting. I’m driven by a constant desire to keep learning and by honesty in everything I do. I’m passionate about discovering the power of words and well-crafted content. I’ve collaborated with agile startups and agencies with large client portfolios. Each experience has brought me new learnings, new challenges, and a lot of satisfaction — and coffee ☕. Here you’ll get to follow a bit of my professional journey. But if you want to know who I really am — the creative, curious, and restless Karine — let’s grab a coffee, online or in person.
