The Persistent Glow
Modern Apple Watches (Series 5 and newer) feature an “Always On” display. Instead of the screen turning completely black when you lower your wrist, the operating system aggressively dims the brightness, drops the refresh rate to 1Hz, and displays a simplified version of your watch face. While this mimics the behavior of a traditional analog watch, it constantly draws power from the tiny battery. If you are struggling to make your Apple Watch last through a full 24-hour cycle, or if you simply prefer a perfectly dark, discreet piece of glass on your wrist when you aren’t looking at it, you must disable this ambient mode.
How to Turn Off the Always On Display
You can permanently force the screen to turn completely black via the Display settings.
- Open the Settings app directly on your Apple Watch (the grey gear icon).
- Scroll down the main list and tap on Display & Brightness.
- Scroll down and tap on Always On.
- Locate the master toggle switch labeled Always On at the top of the screen.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position (the green background will disappear).
Maximum Battery Conservation
The change is instantaneous. The Apple Watch will completely terminate the background rendering engine responsible for the ambient watch face. The next time you lower your wrist, the OLED screen will power down entirely, fading to absolute, pitch black. The display will only ignite when you intentionally raise your wrist or tap the glass. By completely shutting off the screen pixels for roughly 23 hours a day, you will immediately notice a massive, tangible increase in your daily battery life.