Why Does My iPhone Screen Keep Dimming?

Screen dimming is a built-in feature on all smartphones, including iPhones, and has one specific and vital purpose—preserving the battery. After all, the iPhone’s big screen is what causes the most significant battery drain.

But what if your iPhone screen keeps dimming, and it’s preventing you from using your device properly? There are several reasons why this might be happening, as iPhone has numerous integrated features that could affect the screen dimming settings.

It could also be a hardware problem, but it’s vital to examine the software issues first. That’s why we’ll go through potential screen dimming problems and offer straightforward solutions.

Why Does My iPhone Screen Keep Dimming?

While dimming the display lights can reduce eye strain in specific situations, not being able to control the dimming feature can be frustrating.

Your iPhone has a plethora of settings that affect the screen dimming, and sometimes you need to turn some of them on or off to get the screen dimming working the way you prefer.

Turning off Auto-Brightness is the first step in this process, as nearly all smartphones have this setting nowadays. This is a smart feature that automatically adjusts the screen brightness depending on how much light is around you at the moment.

Auto-Brightness prevents users from being blinded when they pick up the phone at night and provides maximum brightness during the day. To check if the Auto-Brightness feature is enabled on your iPhone, follow the steps below.

1. On your iPhone, go to “Settings.”
   
2. Select “Accessibility.”
   
3. Tap “Display & Text Size.”
   
4. If the “Auto-Brightness” feature is on, tap to switch it off.
   

By changing this setting, you must now manually adjust your iPhone’s brightness, as the screen won’t automatically dim anymore.

Why Does My iPhone Screen Keep Dimming With Auto-Brightness Off?

If you already have the Auto-Brightness feature turned off on your iPhone but are still experiencing constant screen dimming, you might need to check other brightness-related settings. Here’s the complete list of features to check and adjust if necessary.

Night Shift

An iPhone setting that could interfere with your device’s brightness level is Night Shift. It ensures your iPhone display colors become warmer, thus reducing eye strain at night. It’s not technically the same as screen dimming, but it has the same effect for some users.

You might have the Night Shift scheduled on your iPhone by default, where every night at a specific time, the screen looks different. Fortunately, that’s an easy fix.

Here’s how to turn off the Night Shift feature on your iPhone.

1. Go to “Settings.”
   
2. Tap “Display & Brightness” option.
   
3. Select “Night Shift.”
   
4. Tap the “Scheduled” to turn off this feature.
   

There is another way to turn off Night Shift. All you need to do is follow these simple steps.

1. Swipe up the arrow or the Control Center on your iPhone’s home screen.
   
2. Tap the brightness slider. You’ll find the designated “Night Shift” button.
   
3. Tap the button to turn off the “Night Shift” feature.
   
   

True Tone

Like Auto-Brightness, the True Tone feature detects the lighting conditions in your surroundings and adjusts screen colors.

These changes can make it appear as if your iPhone screen keeps dimming throughout the day. If this is not something you want your iPhone to do, you can disable True Tone with only a few taps on the screen.

1. Tap the “Settings” icon on your iPhone.
   
2. Select “Display & Brightness.”
   
3. Tap the “True Tone” option to turn off the feature.
   

Low Power Mode

When the battery is running low on your iPhone and the Low Power Mode is on, the device will automatically dim the screen to preserve the battery.

This sudden dimming can be bothersome if you’re in the middle of using your phone, perhaps focusing on a time-sensitive task. The good news is that you can disable the Low Power Mode and prevent the screen from dimming. Here’s how.

1. Open “Settings” on your iPhone.
   
2. Go to the “Battery” option.
   
3. Select the “Low Power Mode” and turn it off.
   

Disabling the Low Power Mode will drain your battery faster, so it’s probably best to charge your iPhone as soon as possible after adjusting this setting.

Attention Aware

If you have an iPhone X or later, you also benefit from utilizing the Attention Aware feature. This integrated function allows iPhone to detect when you are not paying attention to your device, even if it’s in your hand, and it automatically dims the screen. As long as you look at the screen, the brightness level won’t decrease.

If you don’t want this feature dimming the screen when you look away, here’s how to disable it.

1. Tap the “Settings” icon.
   
2. Select “Accessibility” followed by the “Face ID & Attention” option.
   
3. Tap the “Attention Aware Features.”
   

Auto-Lock

All smartphones have an Auto-Lock feature that has a clear purpose. The screen automatically locks after the preset period expires. For example, your iPhone might go into Auto-Lock mode after 30 seconds of inactivity.

A few seconds before it does, the screen will dim to let you know it’s about to lock. If 30 seconds is too short and you want to prevent frequent screen dimming, you can extend this period, or even turn off Auto-Lock completely.

Here’s how that works.

1. Launch “Settings.”
   
2. Select “Display & Brightness.”
   
3. Tap the “Auto-Lock” option and select the desired time.
   

You can select “Never” from the list, which means you must lock your iPhone manually every time you’re done using it to protect your privacy and prevent accidental dials and texts.

Low-Light Zoom Filter

Your iPhone has another nifty setting that can drastically lower the screen brightness. It’s hidden in the Accessibility Zoom settings and is used to ensure minimal eye strain when you’re checking the phone in the pitch-dark.

Perhaps you accidentally turned this feature on when you enabled iPhone Zoom, and now you can’t figure out why the iPhone screen keeps dimming. Here’s what you need to do to check whether this setting is on and if so, turn it off.

1. Tap the “Settings” icon.
   
2. Select “Accessibility” followed by “Zoom.”
   
3. This section has several options, but you should select “Zoom Filter.”
   
4. Tap “Low light.”
   

Why Does My iPhone Screen Keep Dimming When Hot?

You might have noticed that your iPhone dims when it gets too hot. Apple has implemented this precaution to prevent potential hardware problems when the device overheats. Why is your iPhone getting hot? There are several reasons why this happens.

You might be talking on the phone too long, running too many apps simultaneously, streaming HD content, or the faulty battery needs replacing. Sometimes, running outdated apps can impact the device, causing it to overheat.

Before you get a message on the screen that your iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it again, the screen will dim. It’s best to act immediately and make specific changes to alleviate this problem. To prevent iPhone overheating and dimming unexpectedly, keep your apps in tip-top shape by checking the App Store for updates, reducing heavy streaming, force-quit apps running in the background, and examining the battery.

Why Does My iPhone Screen Keep Dimming in the Sun?

Have you noticed that your iPhone screen keeps dimming in the sun? That’s certainly a cause for some concern. The dimming occurs when the device overheats, which happens in no time when left in the direct sunlight.

If you pick up your iPhone after it was exposed to the sun and it feels very hot, it’s important to cool it down properly.

Here are a few tips on how to efficiently cool down your iPhone.

• Take off the protective case.
• Turn it off.
• Cool it off with a fan.

Avoid placing the iPhone in overly cold temperatures, as this can negatively affect the device.

After successfully cooling down your iPhone, you’ll probably notice that the screen isn’t dimming anymore. If the problem persists, it’s best to locate the nearest Apple Store and have an expert examine your device.

FAQ

What if none of the above-mentioned solutions works and my iPhone screen still dims?

If you have adjusted all brightness-related features and prevented device overheating, yet the screen continues to randomly dim, you’re likely dealing with a hardware problem.

Often, it’s a battery issue, and you might need a new one. If your screen is damaged from a fall, for example, it could develop various issues, including dimming and color changes.

Your iPhone might need repairs to prevent dimming and other issues with the screen.

Is it a good idea to keep your phone on full brightness?

That’s an entirely personal decision, but it’s important to remember a couple of things before making this choice. Keeping the iPhone brightness setting on maximum will drain the battery faster and could lead to phone overheating.

Also, full brightness in a dark environment can lead to some eye irritation or strain. The manual brightness slider is easy to access, allowing you to manually dim the screen when you want.

Control the Levels of Your iPhone Screen Brightness

Many iPhone users don’t enjoy the Auto-Brightness feature and prefer to choose when the screen dims. By disabling this feature, you become the master of your device’s screen brightness.

Other integrated settings could cause seemingly random screen dimming, like Night Shift, Auto-Lock, Low Power Mode, and Attention Aware.

You can quickly turn off or adjust these features and prevent screen dimming. Ensuring your iPhone doesn’t overheat is vital, as it can lead to screen dimming.

Which of these settings will you adjust on your iPhone? Let us know in the comments section below.