Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Mobile
  4. News

Apple’s making a big change to the iPhone 14 Pro’s controversial always-on display

Add as a preferred source on Google

The iPhone 14 Pro’s always-on display shouldn’t always have to stay on. Thankfully, the latest iOS 16.2 beta test is allowing users to hide their wallpapers and notifications from the controversial feature.

According to a report from 9to5Mac, iOS 16.2 beta 3 is giving iPhone 14 Pro users the option to toggle off the wallpaper and notifications from the always-on display, following reviews complaining about the feature needlessly draining the phone’s battery life. Although the always-on display dims the wallpaper by default, Apple implemented changes to address the issue.

Always-on display on an iPhone 14 Pro.
Apple

In the Display and Brightness menu on the Settings app, you’ll see these changes in the form of three new toggle options. The always-on setting is switched on by default, which dims the wallpaper when you leave your iPhone 14 Pro alone. In iOS 16.2, there are two other settings: Show Wallpaper and Show Notifications. You can either toggle both of those off, or you can leave one of them on and shut off the other of your choosing. Once they’re shut off, the lock screen will only show a pure black wallpaper with the time and widgets when you lock your phone or leave it idle.

Recommended Videos

Many Android phones on the market offer users the ability to turn off the always-on display, allowing them to only look at the clock and any of their lock screen widgets, such as the weather forecast and calendar reminders, without compromising their battery life. Apple’s latest always-on display update to the iOS 16.2 beta may help resolve the iPhone 14 Pro’s battery problem.

Cristina Alexander
Gaming/Mobile Writer
Cristina Alexander is a gaming and mobile writer at Digital Trends. She blends fair coverage of games industry topics that…
Apple may have found another way to make the App Store pay up
Apple could change the App Store, and developers may feel it first
Apple App Store

Apple could be preparing changes to the App Store as the company looks for ways to increase revenue and improve margins from its services business, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman via the latest edition of his Power On newsletter. The exact changes remain unclear, but the reported effort is being driven largely by new Apple CEO John Ternus and services chief Eddy Cue.

The report also links the discussions to the recent departure of longtime Apple executive Phil Schiller. After stepping down as Apple’s marketing SVP in 2020, Schiller became an Apple Fellow and took responsibility for running the App Store. According to the report, Schiller was opposed to the proposed direction because he believed such moves could further frustrate developers and governments.

Read more
Quick Share AirDrop compatibility could soon arrive on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8
The rollout is not official yet, but older Pixel users are beginning to see AirDrop-compatible Quick Share alerts
The back of the Google Pixel 7, held in a man's hand.

Google’s AirDrop-compatible Quick Share feature may finally be reaching some older Pixel devices that were left out of the initial rollout.

As spotted by Android Authority, Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 users have started receiving notifications saying they can now share files with Apple devices through AirDrop. Similar support has also been spotted on the Pixel Tablet, which has so far been absent from Google’s official compatibility list.

Read more
ESR unveils a new wireless charging pad with active cooling tech, two new cases, and a Corning glass screen protector
Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

ESR rarely reinvents its category. It keeps sanding off the annoying parts. The company’s latest lineup, unveiled at IFA 2026, leans hard into that concept. 

In Berlin, the company revealed three new charging devices and three new protective accessories for smartphones. They’re headlined by a charger that actively cools itself while it charges your phone.

Read more