Blue light is present everywhere, but especially on digital devices like your smartphone. Your iPhone is no exception to that rule. Steve Jobs was clever. He wasn’t magical.
But you can disable it.
In this article, we’ll show you a few simple steps on how to remove blue light from iPhones. Plus, some essential complementary solutions that will help you protect yourself from blue light.
Remove blue light from iPhones: A handy picture guide
Let’s get Wiki-How on this.
The anti-blue light function on iPhones is called ‘Night Shift’. When this feature is enabled, your iPhone will automatically adjust the lighting on your screen to reduce the amount of blue light emitted. You can either manually enable it or set a schedule so your phone knows when to switch to Night Shift mode.
Here’s how:
Option 1: Via the control panel
1. Pull down the menu from the upper right corner of your iPhone by sliding your finger down from the top corner of the screen.
2. You’ll find yourself in your control panel. From here, click and hold down the brightness slider for two seconds to enter the brightness menu.
3. From the brightness menu, click on the icon in the bottom middle to toggle Night Shift on.
4. A notification will pop up asking if you want to automatically schedule your iPhone to remove blue light or just turn on manually until a set time. The automatic function will calibrate itself to switch on and off depending on the time of day preset by your iPhone.
E.g., “Activate until 7am”. This option automatically adjusts your screen according to dusk or dawn. Of course, if you want to change the times of day your iPhone does this, you can simply click ‘Schedule Settings’.
We’ve also put these steps into a handy animation for those who hate to read. Which is everyone nowadays.
Option 2: Via settings on your home screen
1. Click Settings on your menu screen.
2. In the Settings menu, click the tab ‘Display & Brightness’.
3. From the Brightness menu, click the ‘Night Shift’ tab.
4. From here, you can follow the same steps as option 1. You can choose whether you want to use the default option, which will track your location and adjust the screen brightness according to time of day; or you can manually configure your iPhone to the hours that suit you best.
Why should we remove blue light from iPhones?
Blue light is harmful, affecting your eye health and your sleeping pattern. It’s also sneaky, it can creep in unexpectedly from places you might not expect (like LED lights)! As the wavelength closest to ultraviolet, it shares some of the same features and dangers.
👉Overexposure to blue light can have a significant impact on eye health
This is particularly the case in the most sensitive of people. We don’t mean those of you that burst into tears within the first five minutes of The Notebook. We’re referring to those whose retinas are still forming, like children; or those who suffer from eye issues, or older generations of people. Many studies have shown that blue light, more than any other visible light on the spectrum, contributes to eye diseases like AMD (Age-related macular degeneration).
😴 Regardless of age, blue light also has a serious impact on your sleep cycle. It decreases the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep, and therefore impacts your ability to get a good night’s rest.
Does the iPhone blue light filter really work?
To some extent, yes. It’s definitely better than not having it turned on, at any rate. By modifying the digital colors displayed on your screen, you can make the colors warmer which is better for your eyes and less aggressive.
🟠The light is more orange, almost amber. But definitely not red… we don’t want anyone getting ideas.
However, your eyes will still receive some blue light, and activating Night Shift mode isn’t the ultimate solution.
Your iPhone screen is illuminated by LEDs, which unavoidably emit blue light no matter how soft and warm your Night Shift light fixes are. It’s therefore necessary to find complementary solutions to work alongside reducing the blue light from your iPhone. This is especially the case when you consider that your iPhone isn’t the only source of blue light in your home. You probably have LED lights, watch TV or play on a computer regularly.
If this isn’t the case for you because you don’t have any electronics, then congrats! But why are you here?
How to protect yourself from blue light in all circumstances
Here’s a cornucopia of anti-blue light tools for you to utilize so you have the ultimate protection:
- Activate blue light filters on all electronic devices that have the option available
- Reduce your exposure to blue light by avoiding screen sand LED lights wherever possible. Especially in the evenings before bed, so as to help you get to sleep easily. It’s recommended to stop screen time at least one hour before bedtime, and to look for lights that you can keep dim during these hours.
- Wear blue light blocking glasses whenever possible, or get prescription lens blue light blocking glasses if your eyes already require a bit of help.
But beware. Not all blue light blocking glasses are created equal. So, for the ultimate protection, check out our handy buying guide.
We also recommend following this checklist when looking to purchase a pair of anti-blue light frames:
- Make sure they protect against blue light between 380 and 450 nanometers
- Ensure anti-glare protection is built in
- Ensure UV protection is also included (if you work outside a lot, its essential UV light is also part of your blue light glasses protection)
Editor Note:
If you’re looking for stylish blue light glasses that you can wear all day and night, Horus X offers an attractive collection that can be worn for any occasion. The Ushuaia is a classy pair of frames that look good no matter what you’re doing.
For those who spend all their time in front of screens, or have sensitive eyes, you might need a stronger model. For this, Horus X offers a gaming glasses range that provides ultimate protection. Check out the Gaming Revolution glasses for those who work in front of a computer, have intensive gaming sessions, or just love binge-watching TV.
Final thoughts: Removing blue light from iPhones
As you can see from this article, it’s pretty easy to remove blue light from an iPhone. A few simple steps and your eye health and sleep patterns will be exponentially improved.
But there are other solutions you should use alongside changing your iPhone settings, as alone, it’s not 100% effective. Couple your changes with a pair of anti-blue light glasses for optimum protection while still looking good.
Got any questions? Let us know in the comments below!
