IPhone 16 Pro Max: Always on display bugged after 18.4

you’re dealing with two pretty serious issues on your iPhone 16 Pro Max. Let’s break this down cleanly:

Issue 1: Always-On Display Bug After DND (iOS 18.4)

Problem:

After enabling and then disabling Do Not Disturb (DND) or Full Immersion, the Always-On Display (AOD) stops functioning during the day (dimmed clock & notifications), even though it’s enabled.

Cause (Most Likely):

This appears to be a software bug in iOS 18.4 affecting Focus Modes and AOD interaction—reported by multiple users. Apple hasn’t patched it yet but DFU restore can help if it’s a deeper iOS-level corruption or leftover settings from older betas.

Temporary Workarounds (Before DFU Restore)

Try these before doing a full DFU restore, just in case:

Turn Off Focus Automation for AOD

• Go to Settings > Focus > [DND or any Custom]
• Check if you’ve enabled any automation or customization that could affect the Lock Screen or Display

Disable any Lock Screen linkage or custom Home Screens

Toggle AOD Off and On Again

Sometimes this “resets” the behavior after a bug:

• Settings > Display & Brightness > Always On Display > Turn Off
• Reboot your iPhone
• Turn it Back On

If those don’t work, then let’s do the deep fix:

DFU Restore: Cleanest iOS Reinstallation

DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode erases your iPhone and reloads the firmware + iOS from scratch. It’s the most powerful software-level fix Apple offers short of hardware replacement.

Before You Start:

• Backup your iPhone to iCloud or Mac/PC before this process
• You’ll need a Mac or Windows PC with Finder or iTunes

Step-by-Step: DFU Restore iPhone 16 Pro Max

1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC with a Lightning/USB-C cable.
2. Enter DFU Mode:

• Quickly press and release Volume Up
• Quickly press and release Volume Down
• Then press and hold the Side button until the screen goes black.
• As soon as the screen turns black, press and hold Volume Down while still holding the Side button for 5 seconds.
• After 5 seconds, release the Side button but continue holding Volume Down for about 5–10 more seconds.
• If done correctly, the screen stays completely black and Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows) will pop up a message saying:
  • “iPhone has been detected in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used.”

1. Click “Restore” (not Update)

• • Finder/iTunes will download a fresh copy of iOS from Apple and install it cleanly.

1. Once completed, you can:

• Set up as new iPhone (recommended if issues persist after restore)
• Or restore from your backup

After Restore Tips:

• Test AOD before restoring from backup if possible, to see if the bug was caused by a setting.
• If issue is gone without restoring backup—but returns after restoring—then a rogue setting or Focus Mode config may be the root cause.

TL;DR

• Bug with DND and AOD is real in iOS 18.4—try turning off Focus automations and toggling AOD first.
• If not fixed, a DFU restore will clean out corrupted software/settings.
• Follow the DFU steps above carefully using Finder or iTunes.

If you need, I can walk you through the restore live while you’re doing it—just let me know what OS (Mac/Windows) you’re using.

sineverba wrote:

After the 18.4 update, if I put the "DND" full immersion and restore normal function, Always On Display shut down and I need to restore to on.

Settings>Display & Brightness>Always On Display>Always On Display>On.

What is "full immersion?"