SAMSUNG GALAXY
How to customise the Always On Display on a Samsung Galaxy
In short
Open Settings, Lock screen and AOD and tap Always On Display. Choose When to show (for example Tap to show or Always) and switch Show Now bar on or off. Samsung says the Always On Display uses the lock screen clock, so change the clock in the lock screen editor.
The Always On Display shows the time and notifications on a dark screen while the phone is locked. One UI 8 and 9 keep only a few options on its own page; the clock comes from the lock screen.
6 of 6 steps show a real screenshot from our Galaxy A57 5G (One UI 8.5) and Galaxy S26 (One UI 9.0).
Steps
- 1
Open Lock screen and AOD
Open Settings and tap Lock screen and AOD.
- 2
Open the Always On Display settings
Tap Always On Display, as Samsung says. Samsung also gives a second way: search Settings for Always On Display. If the tap switches it off instead, switch it back on and use the search.
- 3
Find When to show and Show Now bar
The Always On Display page opens. Below the On switch and a preview, our Galaxy S26 listed Show Lock screen wallpaper, Erase background, Show Now bar and When to show, which read Tap to show. There were no clock styles or colours on this page.
- 4
Choose when to show it
Tap When to show. On our Galaxy S26 it was set to Tap to show. The other choices are Auto, Always, As scheduled and For new notifications. Under Auto, the phone says it shows all the time unless it detects that you're sleeping, or that it's face down or in a dark place and hasn't moved for at least 5 minutes.
- 5
Switch the Now bar on or off
Samsung says One UI 7.0 added Show Now bar to these settings. Tap the Show Now bar switch on the Always On Display page. It was on on ours.
- 6
Change the clock in the lock screen editor
Samsung says that from One UI 6.1 the Always On Display uses the lock screen clock. On our Galaxy S26, tapping the clock in the preview did nothing. Go back, tap Edit Lock screen, then select the clock and change its style, and tap Done.
If you do not see this option
- No When to show row Samsung lists When to show for Galaxy devices with One UI 6.1. On our Galaxy A57 with One UI 8.5 it is below Show Now bar. Source: Always On Display on your Galaxy phone or tablet
- No clock style on the Always On Display page Samsung says the Always On Display uses the lock screen clock from One UI 6.1, so the style is chosen in the lock screen editor. On our Galaxy A57 the Always On Display page lists only Show Now bar and When to show below the preview, with no clock row. Source: Always On Display on your Galaxy phone or tablet
If this does not work
- The settings page does not open Samsung says that if the Always On Display has been switched off, you must turn it back on to reach its settings. It also suggests searching Settings for Always On Display.
- Nothing shows on the dark screen Samsung says the Always On Display switches off whenever a Power saving mode is on. Turn Power saving mode off.
Good to know
To switch the Always On Display off completely: how to turn Always On Display on or off on a Samsung Galaxy phone.
About this guide
- Device
- Android
- Shown on
- Samsung Galaxy A57 5G (SM-A576B), One UI 8.5, Android 16, Samsung Galaxy S26 (SM-S942N, Korean model), One UI 9.0, Android 17 (build CP2A.260605.016.S942NKSU5BZJB)
- App
- Settings
- Path
- Settings › Lock screen and AOD
- Real screenshots
- 6 of 6 steps
- What we did
- Observed: looked at each screen, changed nothing
- Checked
- November 2026
- Sources
- 2 official, linked below
The screenshots are from a Samsung Galaxy S26 with One UI 9.0 and Android 17, in Dark mode, apart from steps 1 and 6, from our Galaxy A57 with One UI 8.5. Samsung says which screens and settings you see can depend on the software version and phone model.
Sources
Links checked November 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.Did this guide work for you?
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