Tech Reference

How to keep your Samsung Galaxy S10's screen on all the time, or whenever you're looking at it

Galaxy S10 lineup
To keep your Samsung Galaxy S10's screen on all the time, you can activate its "Always On Display." Henry Nicholls/Reuters
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Your Samsung Galaxy S10 has a couple of features that can keep its screen on. A feature called "Always On Display" will show details like the time, date, and various notification icons even when the phone is sleeping. 

By default, "Always On Display" isn't really on all the time, but you can easily change that in your settings.

In addition, you can change the behavior of the main S10 display so the screen remains on as long as you're looking at it — this is an incredibly convenient feature, since many phones shut off the display even while you're looking at it, since it's unaware you're still paying attention. 

How to keep the Samsung Galaxy S10's screen on all the time with 'Always On Display'

1. Start the Settings app.

2. Tap "Lock screen."

Screen 1
You can configure the "Always On Display" in the Lock Screen settings.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

3. Tap "Always On Display."

4. If the "Always On Display" isn't turned on, swipe the button to the right to enable the feature. 

Screen 2
Turn on "Always On Display" to see date, time, and other info on the screen when the phone is asleep.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

5. Tap "Display Mode."

6. Choose your desired setting. If you want the "Always On Display" to appear all the time, tap "Show Always."

How to keep the Samsung Galaxy S10 screen on when you're looking at it

1. Start the Settings app.

2. Tap "Advanced features."

3. Tap "Motion and gestures."

4. Turn on "Smart stay" by swiping the button to the right. 

Screen 3
"Smart stay" uses the phone's camera to know whether you're looking at it or not.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

Now, the screen won't turn off prematurely — it will stay on whenever you are looking at it. 

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Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.