The Persistent Illumination Vector
Starting with the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple introduced the Always-On Display. By default, when you lock your device, the screen does not turn completely black. Instead, it aggressively dims the wallpaper while keeping the clock, your widgets, and incoming notifications constantly illuminated. While this allows you to glance at information without touching the phone, driving those OLED pixels permanently—even at a low refresh rate—results in a noticeable, compounding drain on your daily battery life.
How to Disable the Always-On Display
You can force the iPhone to behave like all previous models, ensuring the screen powers off completely the moment you press the lock button.
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Display & Brightness.
3. Scroll down through this menu until you locate the section labelled Always On Display and tap on it.
4. At the very top of the next screen, you will see the master toggle switch labelled Always On Display.
5. Tap the toggle to switch it to the Off position (the switch will turn grey).
Your iPhone will immediately revert to standard behaviour. The screen will now go completely pitch black when locked, eliminating the background battery drain and providing a more discreet profile when the phone is resting on a desk.