iOS 16 has been out in beta for some time now and we’ve already seen glimpses of what Apple’s new mobile operating system has to offer both in visual and functional terms. One feature that many are anticipating with this release is the possibility of an Always-on Display, a feature that has been on Android phones for half a decade now.

In case you didn’t know, Always-on Display is a prominent option on phones with OLED screens. When enabled, you get a glimpse of what’s on your Lock Screen like date, time, and any pending notifications. But is this feature coming to iOS 16? That’s what we’ll be talking about in this post. 

Related: Does iOS 16 Have Interactive Widgets?

While Apple Watches have had an always-on display since 2019, the feature is yet to make its way to iPhones. There have been a ton of references to whether we may see an Always-on Display on iPhones soon with iOS 16. It was previously reported that such a feature may end up releasing with iOS 16 and since then, there have been indications of an always-on mode.

As shared by 9to5Mac, some iOS beta versions have internal codes that point to a new “Sleep” mode for wallpapers. This mode is activated for the default iOS 16 wallpaper and the clownfish wallpaper both of which have several dynamic elements that behave differently as you swipe on the Lock Screen.

Sleep mode will get activated when a user turns off the screen, possibly with the Side button. When this “Sleep” mode is active, some elements of the wallpaper go dark while others are faded, which means you’ll still see parts of your wallpaper even on the always-on screen. The feature should work like sort of a photo filter that tones down the colors of your wallpaper and darkens the overall picture as is evident from the image above. 

Since iOS 16 also offers Depth effect to add some depth to pictures you apply as wallpapers, there’s a chance that the always-on display may work with pictures that a user sets as their wallpaper, not just Apple’s own backgrounds. Besides the toned-down wallpaper, the Always-on display would also host the clock, date, and some widgets so that the user can get a quick glance at their iPhone without needing to turn on the display. 

Related: Does iOS 16 Have Split Screen? All You Need to Know

No. Currently, no version of the iOS 16 beta has a toggle to enable the Always-on display. With the developer beta 6 of the operating system already out, we are yet to see any instance of the option inside the Settings app on any device. 

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 14 lineup is expected to arrive later this year with better display technologies, one of which is the support for ultra-low refresh rates of 1 Hz. A useful trait of having low refresh rates is that it drains less battery, even when the display is always turned on.

Since the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are expected to be the first devices to come with 1Hz refresh rate displays, you can expect the Always-on Display feature to come enabled with them. 

While low refresh rates can be beneficial for saving battery life, the most important requirement for an always-on screen is whether or not the display underneath supports it. For always-on mode to work, your phone needs to have an OLED display which, unlike a traditional LCD, can deliver the deepest blacks and lower brightness. Since the diodes in an OLED display light up only when there’s a subject to show, the part of your screen that’s completely in black remains unlit, thus saving battery. 

Apple’s existing iPhones come with Super Retina / XDR displays that feature OLED technology. The iPhones that support them are:

Although this constitutes a significant bunch of iPhones, it’s not certain whether all of these iPhone models will feature an always-on display in the future. Among the ones listed above, the ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ Max stand a high chance of getting this feature as both the devices offer advanced ProMotion displays that support a long range of refresh rates that can toggle anywhere between 10Hz and 120Hz. 

While a 10Hz display would consume more energy than a 1Hz display, the margins are quite thin. The low refresh rates make the iPhone 13 Pro lineup contenders for getting the always-on display feature when iOS 16 releases. 

That’s all there is to know about Always-on Display on iOS 16. 

Ambivalent, unprecedented, and on the run from everyone's idea of reality. A consonance of love for filter coffee, cold weather, Arsenal, AC/DC, and Sinatra.

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