Always-On Display or AOD is an OLED display feature that shows the time, date, battery status, and some other info when the screen is off. A phone with AOD enabled keeps a limited portion of the screen on during sleep mode. Hence, it does not have any adverse effect on battery life. This technology was first introduced by Nokia in 2009 on the N86, when it was used to be known as the Glance Screen, but was made popular only after Samsung used it in the Galaxy S7 in 2016. The feature has since become more widely available on Android handsets from different OEMs including Motorola, LG, Samsung and the Google Pixel 2 and 3.

For two successive years, Google is pushing the Always On Display feature in its phones under the name Ambient Display. The Pixel 2 series was the first Pixel lineup to get this feature and it is now carried over to the Pixel 3 series with few enhancements. Though many believed that Google will push this feature to the first pixel series in an OTA update but now it seems like Google is not interested in bringing this feature to the original Pixels.

If you are someone who is interested in using this feature on the Google Pixel or the Pixel XL, here are two methods on how you can do it.

Method 1: Using Magisk Module (Root Required)

Make sure that your phone is running Android 9 Pie. If your Google Pixel or Pixel XL is not rooted using Magisk, here is how you can root it using Magisk and install Magisk Manager.

Magisk Zip: Download Magisk 17.1 and Magisk Manager v5.9.1

• Download the magisk module from the XDA thread appearing below.[MOD] Always On Display Enabler – Magisk Module – Android 9+
• Now, open Magisk Manager from your device.
• Tap on the three horizontal bar appearing on the top left corner of your screen and then tap on Modules.
•  Next, tap on the ‘+’ icon appearing at the bottom.
• Select the zip file which you downloaded in step 1.
• Once done, reboot your phone.

That’s it! Take a moment to appreciate the work of. XDA Senior Member shagbag913 who made this possible.

Method 2: Using Substratum And Andromeda Plugin (No Root)

• Download and install Substratum Theme Engine and andromeda ★ substratum stock rootless backend 8.x  by Projekt Development LLC from the Google Play Store.
• Now download and install [Substratum] Always On Enabler(Unreleased) by Substratum Themers Collective from the Google Play Store.
• Once done with the above downloads and installations, open the Substratum app and tap on Always on Enabler. Tap on “select to toggle all overlays.”
• Now, tap on the roller button and select “Build & Enable.”
• Now reboot your device.
• After your phone restarts, open your Settings app and tap on Display. Next, tap on Advanced and enable the “Always on Display” toggle to get AOD on your phone. And That’s it.

Congratulations! You just successfully enabled the Always On Display feature on your Pixel phone.

These are the easiest ways to enable the Always On Display on the Google Pixel or Pixel XL. I hope this article works the way it is intended to be. Let us know about your experience trying out the methods mentioned in this article in the comments section down below. In case I missed mentioning anything or if there is some topic which you want me to cover, please let me know in the comments section down below.