Apple continues to introduce new features to its devices every year. The Always On Display feature, introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro, has undergone a change with the iOS 26 update. This innovation, often overlooked by users at first glance, changes the principle of the screen remaining always on. Here are the details of the Always On Display changes with iOS 26.
New Always On Display Mode in iOS 26
With Apple’s change, your lock screen wallpaper is now blurred by default, rather than faded. This change makes the clock and widgets more prominent, while eliminating the photo-based experience that was originally intended for this feature. However, Apple does offer an option to revert this change.
With the Always On Display feature in iOS 18, you can see the time, date, notifications, and widgets even when locked. The screen turns off completely when the device is face down, covered, connected to CarPlay, in Low Power Mode, or in Sleep Focus mode.
With iOS 26, wallpapers will now be blurred by default when the screen is dimmed. This improves readability but changes the overall appearance of the lock screen. If users don’t like this feature, they can turn off the blurred wallpaper feature in Settings > Display & Brightness > Always On Display.
So, what are your thoughts on this? Share your thoughts in the comments.
