How to Lock Screen on iPhone 14

One of the biggest new features added to the iPhone 14 Pro and its larger Pro Max sibling is a new Always On display mode – but what if you’re not a fan?

As the name suggests, this feature keeps the screen always on, so the clock and various widgets are always visible even when the phone is locked.

It’s a neat trick and one that’ll be familiar to anyone who’s used one of the best Android phones recently. But it does use more battery and it might be an annoyance to some. Thankfully, turning it off is very easy. Here’s how.

What you’ll need: 

• An iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max

The Short Version 

• Unlock the phone
• Open Settings
• Scroll down to the Display and Brightness
• Toggle off the Always On option

1. Step
   1

   Unlock your iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max

   

   To get started, unlock your iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max. By default, Apple has left the Always On display turned on, so it’ll be on when you set up the phone for the first time.

   

2. Step
   2

   Open Settings

   

   On the Home Screen, look for the Settings app – this is represented by an icon that looks like a small cog. Tap it, and the app will open.

   

3. Step
   3

   Scroll down to the Display and Brightness

   

   Once in Settings, swipe and scroll down until you find an option called Display and Brightness. This is where all the options relating to the screen live. Tap the option.

   

4. Step
   4

   Toggle off the Always On option

   

   The final step is to locate the option that says Always On and toggle it off, turning the icon from green to grey. Now the screen will turn completely off when you hit the lock button. If you want to turn it on again, just hit the toggle and turn it green again.

   

Troubleshooting

Can the Always On display be customised?

Not really. The Always On display mirrors your Lock Screen, so in theory customising that does make changes to what you’ll see. However you can’t specifically change aspects of the Always On screen, including levels of brightness or what’s shown.

Does the Always On display turn off by itself?

There are certain instances where the Always On display will switch off. When the phone is in your pocket, for example, or when you’re wearing an Apple Watch and it knows you’re away from your phone. It’ll also turn off when the phone is in Sleep mode.

Some people love the convenience of always being able to see their home screen widgets without having to touch their phones. I prefer turning it off so I'm not tempted to look down at my phone when I'm not using it and can stay focused on whatever I am doing in the present moment.

The good news is, the feature is optional. Here's how to turn off the always-on display if you have the iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max both have a new and efficient always-on display. Instead of turning off when your phone isn't in use, the wallpaper on your lock screen darkens, keeping the date, time, widgets and other important information on your screen illuminated.

Read more: What's New in the iPhone 14: Everything Apple Changed Since iPhone 13

It's a welcome new feature for the iPhone (especially since Samsung Galaxy phones have had it since 2016), but not everyone is happy with the AOD.

Although Apple claims the AOD uses "minimal power," some iPhone 14 Pro users have taken to Twitter to complain about battery drain issues with it. Others are unhappy with its brightness, especially when it's charging at their bedside at night.

If you've recently purchased an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max and are unsure about the new AOD, here's you can disable it.

How does the always-on display work?

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models both come with ProMotion 120Hz screens, which means that your display refreshes 120 times a second. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother, sharper, faster and more responsive your screen feels, which is good, but it does consume quite a bit of power.

While the iPhone 13 Pro models have the same ProMotion 120Hz screens, they don't have the ability to change their refresh rates. Only the iPhone 14 Pro models are capable of reducing their displays to as little as 1Hz and refreshing only a single time per second, which enables the dark, power-efficient AOD.

Always-on display temporarily turns itself off

Despite its name, the AOD will occasionally shut off. Apple has a list of instances when the display is turned completely off in order to conserve battery:

• Your iPhone is face down 
• Your iPhone is in your pocket or bag
• Your iPhone is connected to CarPlay
• Your iPhone is connected to your Apple Watch and you walk away.
• Your iPhone is idle for a while (according to Apple, your iPhone learns your patterns and turns the AOD off automatically)
• Sleep Focus is enabled
• Low Power Mode is enabled
• You're using Continuity Camera

How to completely turn off always-on display

All of the situations above will turn off the AOD temporarily, but there is a way to manually disable the new iPhone feature entirely if you're not a fan.

In the Settings application, go to Display & Brightness, scroll all the way down to the bottom and toggle off Always On.

How do I lock my iPhone's screen?

Does iPhone 14 screen stay on?

Why does iPhone 14 Pro screen stay on?