Ambient Display Performance

[ajkam]

Coming from the Moto X (2013), I'm thus far pretty disappointed with the Ambient Display on the 6P. It worked for a while, but seems to have stopped recently. I still have the feature turned on on my 6P; it just doesn't to anything anymore.

Is Ambient Display working well for everybody? What are your thoughts on it?

Update: Turns out a poorly designed screen protector that covered the proximity sensor under the top speaker was the cause of most of my issues. Still miss Active Display from my Moto X, though.

 

[ChinChillaz]

Disabled it. It's too wonky for my taste

 

[hyminameisderek]

I'm really disappointed in it but I haven't disabled it yet. It rarely works. I'll pick up the phone and it doesn't pop on like it's supposed to, I'll even start shaking it and it won't pop on. I leave it on mainly because I leave my phone on my desk and it does pop up when I receive a notification, so I like it in that sense.

 

[karmamule]

I found that it is more consistently responsive when I begin to stand the phone up vertically than when I tilt it along the side towards me. And, there seems to be a bit of a "timeout" after you've done it once that it waits before doing it again.

Once I noticed that pattern it's worked well enough for me. I don't use it that much anyways because I recently got the Huawei watch and use that instead of the ambient display for quick glances for time or notifications.

 

[wunderbar]

yea, I'm not super happy with ambient display either. the usefulness is limited for me at the best of times since i have a wear watch, so I'm thinking about disabling it and going back to the LED.

 

[ajkam]

I'm really disappointed in it but I haven't disabled it yet. It rarely works. I'll pick up the phone and it doesn't pop on like it's supposed to, I'll even start shaking it and it won't pop on. I leave it on mainly because I leave my phone on my desk and it does pop up when I receive a notification, so I like it in that sense.

Even with incoming notifications it seems to only work sometimes; not at all more recently. Personally, the whole concept has been supplanted by my Moto 360 since I rely on Android Wear for a majority of notifications.

I'm hoping Ambient Display improves with a yet-to-be-announced OS update. Currently it doesn't come close to what is provided in Moto Display/Active Display.

 

[AustinTech]

It blows. Literally works about 15% of the time.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[LocationDudeNYC]

Disabled mine. Very wonky.

 

[CarbonOak]

I really liked Ambient Display in the Motorola phones, so I was disappointed that it doesn't with as well on this one. Been a long time since I used Light Flow, but I set it up and it works well.

 

[vzwuser76]

I really liked Ambient Display in the Motorola phones, so I was disappointed that it doesn't with as well on this one. Been a long time since I used Light Flow, but I set it up and it works well.

Ambimet Display is Google's implementation, what you see here. Moto Display is Motorola's implementation. I think the difference between Moto and Ambient comes down to two possible reasons. First, it could simply be a matter of a software update making the sensors more sensitive. I recall Motorola tweaking the sensitivity on their phones, although IIRC they had to desensitize it since anything seemed to set it off. Second, it may have to do with the IR sensors in the face of the Motorola phones.

There is also an app called AC Display that mimics Moto Display, although most say it still isn't as good as Moto's implementation, it may be something to try.

 

[CarbonOak]

Ambimet Display is Google's implementation, what you see here. Moto Display is Motorola's implementation. I think the difference between Moto and Ambient comes down to two possible reasons. First, it could simply be a matter of a software update making the sensors more sensitive. I recall Motorola tweaking the sensitivity on their phones, although IIRC they had to desensitize it since anything seemed to set it off. Second, it may have to do with the IR sensors in the face of the Motorola phones.

There is also an app called AC Display that mimics Moto Display, although most say it still isn't as good as Moto's implementation, it may be something to try.

Ahh, thanks for the clarification. Moto's implementation was awesome. I'm so used to it that when I don't see the 6P light up, I'm paranoid I missed a notification. Hopefully the LED will help compensate.

 

[mogelijk]

I found that it is more consistently responsive when I begin to stand the phone up vertically than when I tilt it along the side towards me. And, there seems to be a bit of a "timeout" after you've done it once that it waits before doing it again.

Once I noticed that pattern it's worked well enough for me. I don't use it that much anyways because I recently got the Huawei watch and use that instead of the ambient display for quick glances for time or notifications.

This is where I am. I've found if I lift the phone to a vertical position, the ambient display does a good job of coming on. I'm actually pretty happy with it. FWIW, I'm coming from a 2013 Moto X, which required you to move/bump the phone to get ambient notifications to show up -- but was much more sensitive to movement than the ambient display on the 6P.

 

[Alex_NJ]

Is this possibly because of Doze?

 

[ajkam]

I'm wondering if poor performance has anything to do with a poorly designed screen protector covering the proximity sensor.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=602589

My screen protector lacks the cutout mentioned in this other thread. I'll have to wait for my replacement screen protector and see if that helps.

 

[Robisan]

No screen protector here and ambient display doesn't work as described above for me. Does it work this badly on the lollipop?

 

[ajkam]

I'm wondering if poor performance has anything to do with a poorly designed screen protector covering the proximity sensor.

Supershieldz tempered glass proximity cutout - Android Forums at AndroidCentral.com

My screen protector lacks the cutout mentioned in this other thread. I'll have to wait for my replacement screen protector and see if that helps.

Well I got frustrated with not being able to use my keypad or anything else during a call, so I removed my screen protector. Lo and behold, Ambient Display now works as advertised. I'll just have to go unprotected until my new screen protector with a proper cutout for the proximity sensor arrives next week. Hopefully Ambient Display will continue working when the new screen protector is applied.

 

[nickacs]

Well I got frustrated with not being able to use my keypad or anything else during a call, so I removed my screen protector. Lo and behold, Ambient Display now works as advertised. I'll just have to go unprotected until my new screen protector with a proper cutout for the proximity sensor arrives next week. Hopefully Ambient Display will continue working when the new screen protector is applied.

Where is the proximity sensor again on the front? Is it below the front/top speaker, because I notice the protector I have, has a cutout "dip" under it, near the lower/right bottom. Thanks!

 

[ajkam]

Where is the proximity sensor again on the front? Is it below the front/top speaker, because I notice the protector I have, has a cutout "dip" under it, near the lower/right bottom. Thanks!

From what I've read, it is below the top speaker on the right side. It sounds like your screen protector has the cutout.

Have you been using Ambient Display? Does it seem to work for you with the screen protector?

 

[Almeuit]

Mine works so far when picking the phone up but that is it. Maybe as Alex said Doze is causing an issue with it?

 

[osubeavs728]

Under the adaptive display setting it says explicitly "wake screen when you pick up device or receive notification." So for me, it's been working perfectly as it's supposed to. Coming from a 2014 Moto X, I do miss just being able to bump or rock the phone. But realistically, I use it just for the notifications.