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To dim a Samsung lock screen, first identify which screen is too bright: the Always On Display (AOD) shown while the phone is otherwise off, or the full lock screen shown after you wake it. Lower the regular display brightness in the Quick panel or under Settings > Display. AOD brightness has separate, software-version-dependent controls.

First, tell which Samsung screen you want to dim

The Always On Display appears on an otherwise-off screen and may show a clock or notifications. The regular lock screen is the full display that appears when you wake the phone. They use different controls, so changing ordinary screen brightness may not change how bright the AOD looks.

Dim the regular lock screen

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick panel. On some models, swipe down twice to see the full panel.
  2. Move the brightness slider to the left. If the slider is not visible, look for the brightness control in the expanded panel or open Settings > Display.
  3. If brightness changes on its own as the surrounding light changes, open Settings > Display and review Adaptive brightness. Turn it off if you want to set brightness manually.

Samsung says display brightness can affect battery life, but its support guidance does not give a specific battery-life reduction to expect from a particular brightness level. Samsung’s battery guidance explains where to change brightness and Adaptive brightness.

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Adjust Always On Display brightness

Open Settings and search for Always On Display. Where the menu is available, the path is Settings > Lock screen and AOD > Always On Display. Menu wording and available options vary by Galaxy model and software version.

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On One UI 6.0 or earlier

Samsung’s US instructions for Galaxy devices running One UI 6.0 and earlier describe turning off Auto brightness in the AOD settings and adjusting the brightness manually. On supported devices, you may also be able to double-tap the AOD clock to bring up its brightness adjustment. Follow the controls shown on your phone; not every model offers a slider.

On One UI 6.1 or later

Samsung says the manual AOD brightness adjustment described in its guide is unavailable on One UI 6.1 and later. If you cannot find the slider, check the settings available on your device rather than assuming a control is missing or that the regular display slider will affect the AOD. Samsung’s AOD instructions outline the version limitation and note that options vary by model and software version.

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Make the AOD appear less often

If your device lacks a manual AOD brightness control, changing when the AOD appears may help reduce how long it is visible. Depending on the model, AOD settings may offer modes such as tap-to-show, scheduled display, or showing it continuously. Choose an available mode in the Always On Display settings; the exact choices differ across devices. Samsung’s UK AOD guide, updated 24 April 2024, describes display modes and Auto brightness options.

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If the brightness setting you expect is missing

  • Check which screen is bright. Use the Quick panel or Display settings for the awake screen; look in AOD settings for the screen-off display.
  • Check your One UI version. Samsung’s described manual AOD control applies to One UI 6.0 and earlier, not One UI 6.1 and later.
  • Search Settings for “Always On Display.” This can help locate the feature when the menu path differs.
  • Use only options shown for your model. Samsung notes that AOD features vary by device and software. Community posts about workarounds such as LockStar are user reports, not universal Samsung instructions.

For general display controls and Adaptive brightness behavior, see Samsung’s display troubleshooting guidance. For AOD modes and brightness behavior, Samsung’s Singapore support page provides additional device-dependent guidance.

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