TL;DR
- Google Pixel phones may soon feature an always-on display that shows a blurred version of your lock screen wallpaper, a new option called ‘ambient AOD’.
- This ‘ambient AOD’ feature is hidden in the Android 16 QPR1 beta update and includes a user toggle to turn the wallpaper display on or off.
- However, we observed screen flickering on current Pixels, suggesting this new AOD feature might be reserved for future devices like the Pixel 10.
Many Android smartphones feature an always-on display (AOD) that allows you to see the date, time, and notifications at a glance. Since the display is a primary source of battery drain on mobile devices, many smartphones restrict AOD content to black and white. Some devices, however, can show your wallpaper on the AOD, personalizing its appearance at the cost of some battery life. Currently, Google Pixel phones do not offer this wallpaper feature on their AOD, but this could change with the next quarterly
Android 16 release.
Although Pixel phones have featured an always-on display (AOD) since the Pixel 2’s release in 2017, the ability to show the wallpaper on the AOD has been notably absent for most of that time. Google briefly experimented with this feature for the Pixel 3 in 2018 but didn’t carry the feature forward to later devices. In contrast, OEMs like Samsung and Xiaomi have long offered this functionality, and Apple more recently implemented a similar feature on its iOS platform. Now, it appears Google is set to reintroduce AOD wallpaper support with Android 16 QPR1.
We’ve found evidence suggesting Google is developing a feature dubbed ‘ambient AOD.’ This version would display a blurred iteration of the lock screen wallpaper on the always-on display, differing from the Pixel 3’s implementation that showed only a small wallpaper segment. This new approach aligns well with Android’s
Material 3 Expressive design philosophy, which incorporates background blur across various system elements like the app drawer, keyguard, recents screen, and notification panel.
Last month, we showed off an
early version of Android’s new ‘ambient AOD’ feature. At the time, we weren’t sure if it would be optional, but we’ve since discovered that Google is preparing to add a toggle for the feature.
In
Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, Google subtly changed the “always-on display” setting. Previously a toggle under Settings > Display & touch > Lock screen, this setting in QPR1 Beta 1 now resides on its own subpage within Settings > Display & touch. While this new “always-on display” page currently features only one toggle for the overall AOD function, we found strings in the Settings app that suggest a “
show lock screen wallpaper” toggle will soon be added.
The description for this upcoming “show lock screen wallpaper” toggle reads: “Lock screen wallpaper is visible with always-on display.” This toggle will be placed under a new “wallpaper options” section on the “always-on display” page. While this placement hints at the potential for additional AOD wallpaper options in the future, there’s currently no indication that more are actively in development.
Code:
<string name="doze_always_on_wallpaper_options">Wallpaper options</string>
<string name="doze_always_on_wallpaper_title">Show lock screen wallpaper</string>
<string name="doze_always_on_wallpaper_description">Lock screen wallpaper is visible with always-on display</string>
<string name="doze_always_on_summary_with_wallpaper">Show lock screen wallpaper when screen is off</string>
<string name="doze_always_on_summary_without_wallpaper">Hide lock screen wallpaper when screen is off</string>
Here’s what the “always-on display” settings page looks like when the ‘ambient AOD’ feature is enabled in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1:
When we first reported on the ‘ambient AOD’ feature last month, some users expressed concern that it wouldn’t be optional, so we’re pleased to see Google incorporate a settings toggle. Unfortunately, it appears unlikely that Google will extend AOD wallpaper support to existing Pixel devices. We’ve observed periodic screen flickering on current models when the feature is enabled.
This issue might stem from our previous observation that ‘ambient AOD’ is intended for devices with “particular displays,” suggesting a need for specific hardware-level changes for proper support. Without knowing the exact display characteristics required, we can’t definitively say existing Pixel models won’t receive the ‘ambient AOD’ feature, but it seems probable Google is reserving it for the upcoming
Pixel 10 series.
