If you find your iPhone’s display too bright, even at the lowest setting, you’re not alone. Whether you’re reading at night or checking your phone in a dark theatre, dragging the brightness all the way down from the Control Center can still yield a luminous glare. The default for most iPhone owners is a privacy screen. Fortunately, older iPhones can achieve even lower brightness levels with a few simple settings adjustments.
Adjust Brightness Settings
The display on your iPhone has a “white point,” which affects how colors appear. A higher white point creates a cooler, bluish tint, while a lower white point produces a warmer, yellowish hue. By reducing the white point, you can effectively dim your display.
To do this, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and toggle on Reduce White Point. A slider will appear, allowing you to adjust the intensity of bright colors. Lowering the white point, along with dimming your display, will make your screen significantly darker. The brightness of your phone can also affect your battery health as can be seen here.
Create Quick Access Shortcuts
You may not want to reduce the white point all the time, especially in bright settings. Luckily, you can create shortcuts for easy access.
- Action Button (iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max): Go to Settings > Action Button > Accessibility and select the White Point option. Hold down the Action button to toggle the setting.
- Back Tap (iPhone 8 and later): Navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut and select Reduce White Point. Then go to Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap, choose either double or triple tap, and select Accessibility Shortcut. Now, tapping the back of your phone will let you access this feature quickly.
Use Zoom for Extra Dimness
Another method to achieve lower brightness is through the Zoom feature. This accessibility option has a hidden filter that can make your display incredibly dim. To set this up, go to Accessibility > Zoom and configure the following:
- Zoom Region: Select Full Screen Zoom.
- Zoom Filter: Choose Low Light.
When you enable Zoom, your screen will darken significantly. If you zoom in, double-tap with three fingers and drag to zoom out.
Conclusion: You don’t need a privacy screen
By adjusting the white point and using Zoom, you can make your iPhone display much dimmer without needing a privacy screen protector. These settings help reduce eye strain in low-light conditions while maintaining usability.
