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In today’s fast-paced world, many find it challenging to get a good night’s sleep. One of the reasons for this is our excessive screen use, particularly before bedtime. The blue light emitted by smartphone screens interferes with the body’s natural sleep-wake rhythm, making it hard to fall asleep. To address this problem, Apple introduced Night Shift, a feature designed to improve our twilight habits. Here’s what you need to know about Night Shift and how to use it on your iPhone or iPad.
What is Night Shift?
Night Shift is a color-shifting technology that reduces the blue light emissions from iPhone and iPad screens, which is said to cause eye strain and headaches, and disrupt sleep patterns. The feature changes the color balance of the display, making it warmer and more yellowish, reducing the blue light that keeps us awake.
While it’s unclear whether Night Shift can help with weight loss, it’s worth a shot if you’re struggling to sleep. It’s important to bear in mind that the surest way to improve sleep quality is to avoid using electronic devices in the bedroom.
Is Night Shift the Same as Dark Mode?
No, Dark Mode and Night Shift are not the same. While Dark Mode changes light display furniture to black or dark, creating a calmer environment at night, Night Shift only slightly alters the color temperature of the display by reducing blue light and increasing warm tones.
How to Turn On Night Shift on iPhone
Step 1: Update Your iPhone or iPad
If your iPhone or iPad is running an operating system older than iOS 9.3, you must update the software to enable Night Shift. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to check which version of iOS is on your device and install the latest update if necessary.
Step 2: Schedule Night Shift
Go to Settings > Display and Brightness > Night Shift. From here, you can schedule Night Shift by creating a custom time frame or letting your device automatically detect your location and activate Night Shift at sunset and turn it off at sunrise.
Step 3: Enable Night Shift
You can also manually enable Night Shift until sunrise and adjust the color temperature using the slider. To quickly enable Night Shift, Apple recently added it to Control Center. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access Control Center and press hard on the brightness slider to select Night Shift from the options displayed.
We recommend manually adjusting the desired warmth level in the settings, so your device remembers the setting for quick activation.
FAQs
1. Can Night Shift mode be harmful to the eyes?
No. Night Shift slightly changes the color temperature of the display to reduce blue light, which can cause eye strain and headaches. It does not produce any harmful effects on the eyes.
2. How does Night Shift differ from True Tone?
Night Shift and True Tone are both display features that improve screen readability. True Tone adjusts the color balance of the screen based on ambient light to make it appear more natural, while Night Shift reduces blue light emissions at night to reduce eye strain and improve sleep quality.