10 Ways to Fix Apple Watch Always On Display Not Working

If you’re a watch purist who started using the Apple Watch, an empty dial on your wrist won’t make much sense to you. Watches are meant to show information whether you’re looking at it or not. Thankfully, the Apple Watch has an Always On display feature, but it isn’t flawless. If Always On Display is not working on your Apple Watch, you are in the right place.

In this article, we will present ten effective methods to fix the problem and restore the functionality of the Always On display feature. Before we dive into the solutions, let’s take a moment to understand the issue and its underlying causes.

Why Is the Apple Watch Always On Display Not Working

Here are some reasons why the Always On display is not working on your Apple Watch:

– Your Apple Watch does not support Always On display.

– You have disabled Always On display in Settings.

– A bug is affecting the Always On feature in watchOS.

– Your watch face has sensitive complications, and you have hidden them.

We’ll elaborate on these reasons and help you fix the problem on your Apple Watch.

How to Fix if You Can’t Use the Always On Feature

Here are ten ways to activate the Always On display on your Apple Watch. Start by verifying if your Apple Watch supports it.

1. Check Apple Watch Compatibility

Here are the Apple Watch editions that support Always On Display:

– Apple Watch Series 5

– Apple Watch Series 6

– Apple Watch Series 7

– Apple Watch Series 8

– Apple Watch Series 9

– Apple Watch Ultra

– Apple Watch Ultra 2nd Gen

Unfortunately, the first-gen and second-gen Apple Watch SE do not support the Always-On display. Even if your edition supports it, you can only use Always On if enabled in Settings. To check, follow the steps below.

To enable the Always On display on your Apple Watch, follow these steps:

1. Press the Digital Crown and open the Settings app.

2. Go to ‘Display & Brightness’.

Step 3: Tap on Always On. Step 4: Turn on the toggle for Always On.

3. Always On Showing Time Only: Enable Complications, Notifications, and App Data

If the Always On display on your Apple Watch only shows the time, you may have disabled complications, notifications, and app data. Here’s how to turn them back on:

1. Tap the digital crown to launch the app library.

2. Open the Settings app.

3. Tap ‘Display and Brightness’.

Step 4: Tap on Always on.

Step 5: Scroll down to modify Always On settings.

Here’s what each option does:

– Select ‘Show Complication Data’ > turn off Complication Data: If you do not want to see it while your wrist is down. However, you can also turn off Complication Data for specific apps.

– Select ‘Show Notifications’ > turn off Notifications: If you do not want to see it while your wrist is down. However, you can also turn off Notifications for specific apps.

To hide all apps from the Always On display, select ‘Show Apps’ and turn off the toggle. You can also choose to show specific apps on your watch face while your wrist is down.

4. Disable Low Power Mode

The Always On display on your Apple Watch will not work without enabling the Low Power Mode. Here’s how you can turn it off.

Step 1: Open the Settings app.

Step 2: Tap on Battery.

Step 3: Toggle off Low Power Mode.

5. Turn Off Automatic Wrist Detection

If there is an issue with wrist detection, your Apple Watch may not recognize that you are wearing the watch and may not show the Always On display feature. Turn off automatic wrist detection to try and fix the problem.

Step 1: Open the Settings app.

Step 2: Tap on Passcode.

Step 3: Scroll down, and disable wrist detection.

6. Disable Cinema or Theater Mode

The Cinema Mode, also known as Theater Mode, on the Apple Watch dims the screen. If the Always On display is not visible, try turning off the theater mode. Here’s how you can do it.

Simply swipe up to access the Control Center and tap the double mask icon to turn off the Cinema Mode.

7. Restart the Apple Watch

Shutting down your Apple Watch closes all processes, including any bugs. So, restarting your Apple Watch can fix issues, like a bug affecting the Always On display feature.

Step 1: Press the Digital Crown once to open the home screen and go to Settings.

Step 2: Tap General.

Tap on Shut Down. This turns off your Apple Watch.

Now, press and hold the side button to power on your Apple Watch.

8. Change Watch Face

A bug on your Apple Watch might be affecting a specific watch face. To check if the Always On display feature is working, try changing the watch face.

Long-tap on your current watch face and swipe to select a new watch face.

9. Update Apple Watch

If users have problems with the Always On display on Apple Watch, Apple will release an update to fix it. Make sure you have the latest version of watchOS on your Apple Watch.

Here’s how to update your Apple Watch:

Step 1: Open the Watch app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Tap General.

Step 3: Tap on Software Update.

Step 4: Download and install a new update, if available.

Your Apple Watch must have at least 50% battery and be charging during the update.

10. Reset Apple Watch

If none of the above methods work, reset your Apple Watch. This will fix the software issue but erase all data, including workout data, without a backup. If you decide to proceed, follow these steps:

Step 1: Press the Digital Crown once to open the home screen and go to Settings.

Step 2: Tap on General.

Step 3: Tap Reset.

Step 4: Tap ‘Erase All Content and Settings’ to proceed. Confirm if prompted.

Here are the possible solutions to follow if Always On display is not working on your Apple Watch. If you don’t like this feature, here’s how to disable it:

If you have any further questions, check the FAQ section below.

FAQs on Always On Display Not Working on Apple Watch

Always On display on an Apple Watch does not consume much battery. You cannot increase the brightness specifically for the Always On display on an Apple Watch. You cannot set a separate watch face for the Always On display on an Apple Watch.

We hope this article helps you fix the problem and use the Always On display on your Apple Watch. We appreciate the muted, subtle watch face, but some people prefer a minimal one that shows the time. What is your preference? Let us know in the comments below.