Galaxy Watch · Display & Sound
Show a dimmed watch face when the screen isn't active
Always On Display (AOD) keeps a simplified, dimmed version of your watch face visible at all times instead of the screen going fully black, so you can glance at the time without raising your wrist or tapping the screen.
What you should know
- Go to Settings → Display → Always On Display and toggle it on or off.
- Not every watch face supports a distinct AOD layout — some show a simplified version automatically, while others require you to design the AOD style in the watch face's customization screen.
- AOD can be scheduled to specific hours under the same menu if you want it active only during the day, for example.
Always On Display meaningfully increases battery drain compared to leaving it off — expect a noticeable reduction in screen-on-time-per-charge with AOD enabled continuously.
Why it matters
AOD is one of the most requested smartwatch features but also one of the most misunderstood battery trade-offs — knowing exactly how much it costs, and that it can be scheduled rather than left on 24/7, lets users keep the convenience without tanking battery life.
Best practices
- If battery life is tight, disable AOD and rely on raise-to-wake instead — it recovers a meaningful amount of screen-on-time.
- Use the scheduling option to run AOD only during waking hours rather than overnight when no one is looking at it.
- Pick a watch face with a purpose-built low-power AOD layout (usually marked in the watch face gallery) rather than one that just dims the full-color design, for better legibility and lower drain.
Common problems and fixes
- AOD looks blank or shows only the time with no other complications
- This is normal for many watch faces — not all complications (weather, heart rate, etc.) are rendered in the low-power AOD layout by design; switch faces if you need more info visible at a glance.
- Battery drains much faster after enabling AOD
- This is expected behavior, not a bug; disable AOD or schedule it to fewer hours if the drain is unacceptable for your usage pattern.
Tips and tricks
- Some third-party watch faces from the Galaxy Store offer more customizable AOD layouts than Samsung's built-in faces — worth exploring if the stock AOD styles feel too limited.
Frequently asked questions
Does AOD work with every watch face?
Most Samsung-made faces support AOD, but some third-party faces don't implement a dimmed layout at all, in which case the screen simply goes black when inactive.
Related settings
- Display & BrightnessGalaxy Watch display brightness can run on auto-brightness (using the ambient light sensor) or a fixed manual level, and pairs with separate controls for how the screen wakes and how long it stays lit.
- Watch FacesGalaxy Watch faces can be changed directly on the watch by touching and holding the screen, or browsed and customized in more depth through the Galaxy Wearable app's Watch faces tab, where you can also download additional designs.
More Display & Sound guides for Galaxy Watch
- NotificationsGalaxy Watch notifications mirror your phone's notifications by default, but which apps are allowed to reach the watch — and how they're displayed — is managed per-app through the Galaxy Wearable app, not the watch's own settings.
- Sound & HapticsGalaxy Watch sound and haptic settings control the volume of ringtones and alert sounds separately from vibration strength, and include a system-wide mute plus a dedicated "good vibrations only" style silent mode.