How To Use Galaxy Watch 5 Always On Display Feature (2026)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5’s Always On Display (AOD) keeps a dimmed version of your watch face visible at all times, so you can check the time without tapping or raising your wrist. AOD is turned off by default to save battery, but enabling it takes just a few taps. This guide covers every method to turn AOD on, how to customize it, what to do when it stops working, and how to manage the battery impact — all updated for One UI 6 Watch (Wear OS 5) in 2026.

Three Ways to Enable Always On Display

There are three separate paths to toggle AOD on your Galaxy Watch 5. All three achieve the same result — pick whichever is most convenient.

Method 1: From the Watch Settings Menu

Wake the Galaxy Watch 5 screen by tapping or raising your wrist.
Swipe up from the bottom to open the app tray.
Tap Settings (the gear icon).
Tap Display.
Scroll down and toggle Always On Display to on.
Return to the watch face and wait a few seconds for the display to dim into AOD mode.

Method 2: From the Quick Panel

On the watch face, swipe down from the top edge to open the Quick Panel.
Look for the Always On Display icon (it looks like a small watch face).
Tap it once. When the icon highlights blue, AOD is active.

This is the fastest method and also the quickest way to toggle AOD off when you want to conserve battery.

Method 3: From the Galaxy Wearable App on Your Phone

Open the Galaxy Wearable app on your connected Android phone.
Tap Watch Settings.
Tap Display.
Toggle Always On Display to on.

This method is useful when you want to adjust multiple watch settings at once from a larger screen.

Customizing the Always On Display

Once AOD is enabled, the Galaxy Watch 5 shows a simplified, dimmed version of your current watch face. Here are additional settings worth knowing:

Watch Face Compatibility

Not every watch face supports AOD. Samsung’s built-in watch faces all include an AOD variant, but some third-party faces — particularly those from Facer or WatchMaker — may not render properly in always-on mode. If your AOD screen appears blank or glitchy, switch to a Samsung-made watch face to test.

After the One UI 6 Watch update (Wear OS 5), the AOD became touch-sensitive, meaning you can tap the dimmed screen to interact rather than needing to wake the watch first.

Show Last App Setting

Under Settings → Display, the Show Last App option controls how long the watch displays the last-used app before reverting to the watch face. You can set this to 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 2 minutes, or turn it off entirely. This does not directly affect AOD, but if you find your AOD shows an app screen instead of the watch face, this setting may be the cause.

AOD Brightness

The Always On Display automatically uses reduced brightness to conserve battery. You cannot manually set the AOD brightness level separately from the main display, but you can adjust overall brightness under Settings → Display → Brightness. Turning off Adaptive Brightness may help if your AOD appears too dim outdoors.

Galaxy Watch 5 Technical Specifications

Spec	40mm Model	44mm Model
Display	1.19″ Super AMOLED, 396×396	1.36″ Super AMOLED, 450×450
Glass	Sapphire Crystal	Sapphire Crystal
Processor	Samsung Exynos W920 (Dual-core 1.18 GHz)	Samsung Exynos W920 (Dual-core 1.18 GHz)
RAM	1.5 GB	1.5 GB
Storage	16 GB	16 GB
Battery	284 mAh	410 mAh
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), NFC, GPS	Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), NFC, GPS
Water Resistance	IP68, 5ATM, MIL-STD-810H	IP68, 5ATM, MIL-STD-810H
Dimensions	39.3 × 40.4 × 9.8 mm	43.3 × 44.4 × 9.8 mm
Weight (case only)	28.7 g	33.5 g
OS	Wear OS 5 (One UI 6 Watch)	Wear OS 5 (One UI 6 Watch)
Sensors	BioActive Sensor (optical heart rate + ECG + BIA), accelerometer, barometer, gyro, light sensor, compass, thermometer	BioActive Sensor (optical heart rate + ECG + BIA), accelerometer, barometer, gyro, light sensor, compass, thermometer

Always On Display and Battery Life

AOD is the single biggest battery drain setting on the Galaxy Watch 5. With AOD turned off, the 44mm model typically lasts 50+ hours; with AOD on, expect around 24–30 hours depending on usage. Here are practical ways to extend battery life while keeping AOD active:

Reduce notification frequency. Every notification that lights up the full display costs battery. Under Settings → Notifications, disable alerts for apps you don’t need on your wrist.

Turn off location services when not exercising. GPS is a major drain. Go to Settings → Location and toggle it off when you don’t need tracking.

Disable voice assistant wake word. Google Assistant’s always-listening mode significantly impacts battery. Open Assistant on the watch and toggle off “Hey Google” detection.

Use a simpler watch face. Watch faces with multiple animated complications drain more battery than minimal faces. Samsung’s “Simple Digital” or “Basic Dashboard” faces are efficient choices.

Keep brightness at auto. Under Settings → Display, keep Adaptive Brightness on so the watch doesn’t over-power the screen in dim environments.

April 2026 battery drain note: As of mid-April 2026, multiple Galaxy Watch users (including Watch 5 owners) are reporting abnormal battery drain after recent software updates. The issue appears linked to Google Play Services running excessively in the background. If your battery life suddenly drops after an update, try restarting the watch. Samsung and Google are expected to address this in an upcoming patch.

How to Fix Always On Display Not Working on Galaxy Watch 5

If AOD is toggled on but the screen goes completely dark instead of showing the dimmed watch face, work through these fixes in order.

1. Check for Conflicting Modes

Three modes automatically disable AOD even when it’s toggled on:

Bedtime Mode: Go to Settings → Advanced Features → Goodnight Mode (or Bedtime Mode on Wear OS 5). If it’s active, the watch suppresses all screen activity including AOD. Toggle it off, or schedule it only for your actual sleep hours.

Theater Mode: Swipe down to open the Quick Panel and look for the film/clapperboard icon. If it’s highlighted, Theater Mode is active and is blocking AOD. Tap it to disable.

Power Saving Mode: Go to Settings → Battery and check if Power Saving is toggled on. Power Saving disables AOD to conserve battery. Turn it off to restore AOD.

2. Make Sure the Watch Detects Your Wrist

The Galaxy Watch 5 uses its BioActive sensor to confirm the watch is being worn. If the sensor can’t detect skin contact — because of a thick case, tattoos on the wrist, or a loose fit — it may disable AOD as a power-saving measure. Try:

Tightening the band so the sensor sits flush against your skin.
Removing any case or screen protector that might block the rear sensors.
Wearing the watch on a different wrist temporarily to test.

3. Restart the Galaxy Watch 5

A simple restart clears temporary software glitches that can freeze AOD in an off state.

Soft restart: Press and hold the Power button (top right) for about 10 seconds until the Samsung logo appears, then release.

Via menu: Press and hold the Power button briefly, then tap Restart when the power menu appears.

4. Try a Different Watch Face

Some watch faces — especially third-party ones from Facer, WatchMaker, or the Play Store — have broken or missing AOD layers. After the One UI 6 Watch update, several users reported third-party watch face crashes related to a Wear OS display bug.

Switch to a Samsung-built watch face temporarily:

Long-press the current watch face.
Swipe left to browse faces.
Select any Samsung default face.
Wait for the screen to sleep and check if AOD now appears.

If AOD works with a Samsung face, the issue is with your third-party watch face. Check for an update to that face in the Play Store.

5. Clear Galaxy Wearable App Cache

Corrupted cached data in the companion app can interfere with AOD settings syncing properly.

On your paired phone:

Go to Settings → Apps.
Find and tap Galaxy Wearable.
Tap Storage.
Tap Clear Cache (not Clear Data — that will unpair the watch).
Repeat for the Galaxy Watch 5 Plugin app if listed.
Restart your phone, then open Galaxy Wearable and check if AOD works.

6. Update the Watch Software

Software updates frequently fix AOD-related bugs. Samsung released significant improvements with the One UI 6 Watch update (Wear OS 5) for the Galaxy Watch 5.

From your phone:

Make sure the watch has at least 30% battery.
Open the Galaxy Wearable app.
Tap Watch Settings → Watch Software Update.
Tap Download and Install if an update is available.

From the watch:

Go to Settings → Software Update.
Tap Download and Install.

7. Factory Reset the Galaxy Watch 5

If nothing else works, a factory reset clears all data and settings. Back up your watch data first through the Galaxy Wearable app.

From the watch settings:

Go to Settings → General → Reset.
Tap Reset and confirm.

Via hardware buttons (if the watch is frozen):

Power off the watch.
Press and hold the Power/Home button until “Rebooting” appears, then release.
Rapidly press the Power/Home button until the “Select REBOOT MODE” screen appears.
Press the Power button repeatedly to cycle to Recovery.
When “Recovery” is highlighted, press and hold the Power/Home button to confirm.
On the recovery screen, scroll to Wipe data/factory reset and confirm.

After the reset, re-pair the watch with your phone via the Galaxy Wearable app and re-enable AOD.

8. Contact Samsung Support

If AOD still doesn’t work after a factory reset, the display hardware (specifically the AMOLED panel’s ability to maintain a low-power state) may be defective. Contact Samsung support:

Phone: 1-800-726-7864 (US), available 24/7
Online: samsung.com/us/support
Samsung Members app: Open the app on your phone and tap Get Help for live chat

If your Galaxy Watch 5 is within its one-year warranty (or covered by Samsung Care+), replacement or repair should be covered.

Recommended Accessories

If your Galaxy Watch 5’s charging cable is worn out or you want a spare, these options work with the Watch 5:

Samsung Official Galaxy Watch Fast Wireless Charger (USB-C) — Samsung’s own magnetic charger with fast charging support
Sankel 2-Pack Replacement Charger Cable (USB-C, 3.3ft) — Budget-friendly two-pack for home and travel
Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Wireless Charging Dock — Coin-type portable charger, good as a desk or nightstand charger

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