Google Pixel 8 always on display keeps turning off for some, but you can try these workarounds

The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro rock one of the brightest screens on the market that also supports an always on display (AOD) function. Some users, however, are reporting that AOD is not working as expected on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. This isn’t the same pink text problem that Google recently fixed. Rather, in this case, Pixel 8 Pro AOD keeps turning off after every few minutes, which is rather annoying for such a useful feature.

Google hasn’t responded to reports of AOD turning off on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, but several threads are already on Reddit and the official Pixel community forum. In every case, AOD keeps turning off randomly and for most, it seems to happen after a few minutes of turning on. It’s unclear what triggers the glitch. But according to some Pixel 8 users, always on display turns off when the phone has been in sleep mode for some time. It also happens when in the pocket or the screen lays on a surface. For others, once the phone is locked, AOD automatically turns off. As a result, raise/tap to wake and the fingerprint stop working as well, among other display interactions.

Basically, once AOD turns off, the Pixel 8 screen becomes unresponsive, eventually leaving users with a completely black screen. But there are some user-suggested workarounds that you can try.

Several people have reported success after unlocking and relocking the phone. Alternatively, although quite unorthodox, turning off “Screen off when dark” in Pixel Stand settings fixed the issue for someone too.

Another Pixel 8 Pro owner says you can fix the issue with AOD not working properly by removing the case, rebooting it and then connecting it to a charger without the case. This should keep AOD turned on, after which you can put the case back on. Last but not least, turning off the Battery Saver might also do the trick, although not everyone agrees with this.

On Reddit, the official Pixel support recommends clearing the Pixel Launcher’s cache and storage and then restarting the device. You can do this through Settings > Apps > See all apps > Pixel Launcher > Storage & cache > Clear cache > Restart device. If this doesn’t solve the problem, you are also advised to reboot your phone into safe mode. If AOD works fine in safe mode, you may be dealing with a rogue 3rd-party app. Temporarily removing all 3rd-party apps one by one should help you find the culprit.

Unfortunately, these solutions may or may not work for everyone, but they are worth trying if AOD on your Pixel 8 keeps turning off after every few seconds or isn’t working properly.