![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/a-samsung-galaxy-watch-8-lte-on-a-wrist.jpg\")
\n Credit:\u00a0Bertel King \/ How-To Geek<\/p>\n
Everyone knows devices use more battery when screens are on\u2014pushing pixels on a high-resolution display isn\u2019t easy. But what if I told you enabling the always-on display on a Samsung Galaxy Watch could bring better battery life? Sounds wrong, but it\u2019s true.<\/p>\n
The magic lies in how Galaxy Watches power the always-on display. However, there are some settings you\u2019ll need to enable to make the most of it. Let\u2019s demystify how and why this works, and extend your battery in a very unorthodox way.<\/p>\n
Galaxy Watches have special tech<\/p>\n
The AOD isn\u2019t a normal display<\/p>\n
\n Credit:\u00a0Bertel King \/ How-To Geek<\/p>\n
Since the Galaxy Watch 4 in 2021\u2014the first with Google\u2019s Wear OS\u2014Samsung smartwatches have included a dedicated low-power coprocessor, and this is what the always-on display uses. That alone makes a difference, but it\u2019s not the whole story.<\/p>\n
First and foremost, the always-on display doesn\u2019t have to act like the normal \u201cpowered-on\u201d display. It can\u2019t be interacted with unless you tap the screen or press a physical button. The coprocessor doesn\u2019t have to worry about the Wear OS UI or multiple inputs. Most of the time, it just sits there updating the info on screen and running a few sensors.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s only when the display turns on that the watch becomes \u201cfully operational.\u201d That\u2019s why the typical reasoning of display on = more power doesn\u2019t apply to the always-on display\u2014at least for Galaxy watches.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n \t\t If you have a modern phone with a recent OLED screen, there’s a decent chance that it comes with an AOD or Always-On Display feature. With this active, your screen will stay on and show information even when it’s locked. Your first instinct might be to turn this off, or never turn it on because you think it’s just going to tank your phone’s battery.<\/p>\n Make sure you don\u2019t get in the way<\/p>\n One key setting ensures the AOD saves battery<\/p>\n I\u2019ve mentioned that the coprocessor is only part of this oxymoronic situation. In order to make sure that keeping the display on saves battery, you\u2019ll also need to disable the \u201cRaise wrist to wake\u201d gesture is disabled.<\/p>\n Samsung wants the watch to be ready to use immediately upon waking up\u2014and you do, too. It would be annoying if you had to wait a beat for the UI to warm up before you could open an app or swipe over to a notification. In order for that to be possible, the main processor needs to spring into action when the screen is woken up. That is what uses the most battery, not the always-on display.<\/p>\n With this information in mind, we can take a different approach to saving battery. Rather than simply trying to limit how often the display is on, we should limit how often the screen is woken up. Disabling \u201cRase wrist to wake\u201d is one thing, but there are a few other settings that can help, too.<\/p>\n First, the \u201cRaise wrist to wake\u201d gesture can be disabled from the watch and the Galaxy Wear app on your phone. Go to Settings > Display > Raise wrist to wake. While you\u2019re on this screen, toggle off \u201cTouch screen to wake,\u201d too. This will ensure no accidental wake-up with touches\u2014you\u2019ll have to use the physical buttons.<\/p>\n Next, you can disable \u201cTurn on screen when notifications are received.\u201d This isn\u2019t enabled by default, but it\u2019s personally one of the first things I turn on. Making sure it\u2019s turned off will further prevent the screen from fully turning on.<\/p>\n Rewiring how we think about battery life<\/p>\n I get it, leaving the screen on all the time feels completely counterintuitive to save battery. As a long-time smartwatch wearer, it\u2019s the reason why I\u2019ve never really used the AOD. However, modern devices are very good at optimizing how much power is used with the AOD<\/a>. It\u2019s more productive to think in terms of limiting the processor than the display. Of course, if you want to save even more battery, you can adjust the settings above and disable the always-on display. But where\u2019s the fun in that?<\/p>\n
\n ![\"Always-on](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/52870326365_d96547ff37_o.jpg\"\/)
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\n\t\t\tAlways-On Displays use less battery than you think\u2014if you set it up right
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n![\"galaxy-watch-6-classic-1\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/galaxy-watch-6-classic-1.jpg\")
\n Credit:\u00a0Joe Fedewa \/ How-To Geek<\/p>\n
![\"Picture](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/how-to-customize-the-always-on-display-on-a-samsung-galaxy-phone.png\"\/)
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