Do you need to get your device repaired if the screen is dim? If you are asking, “why is my iPhone display dim”, and you want answers, we will go through common reasons as well as more in-depth reasons for your display to be dim. By the end, you should know exactly what to try to fix the issue.
If you need quality accessories for your devices, we have Apple chargers, screen protectors, and cases, as well as Android cases and holders, and a variety of headphones and adapters to suit your needs.
For those with MacBooks, you can learn if you can get the battery repaired, if it’s worth fixing a MacBook screen, and things that all new MacBook users should know.
Common Reasons for a Dim iPhone Display
Before you make a call to a repair shop or start getting too frustrated, there are several simple solutions to try first. Even if none of these work, you can still try and resolve the issue with more in-depth options and considerations that might not have occurred to you.
You’re in Dark Mode
Dark mode can be fantastic for some, and irritating for others. This doesn’t actually change how bright your screen is, but it can make things appear dimmer due to all the vibrant colours being replaced with dark greys and black.
Go to Settings → Display & Brightness to turn it off, or you can schedule it to only activate at night.
Auto Lock is Enabled
Your iPhone screen might be going dim due to the Auto-Lock feature on the device. This is a great feature for security, and we wouldn’t recommend turning it off since it stops others from using your device. A few seconds before the device auto-locks, the screen will go dim, and once it hits the set threshold of inactivity, the phone will lock.
Make sure you set an Auto-Lock duration that works for you, since 30 seconds is sometimes too short. To do this, go to Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock, and change the duration.
As part of this, when Attention Aware (part of Face ID) is disabled, your device will turn off or dim when you don’t look at it. You can check if this feature is turned on in Settings –? Face ID & Passcode → Attention Aware Features.
Disable Night Shift
Night Shift is there to reduce the amount of blue light that enters your eyes during the night by adding a warm overlay to your screen. As a result, colours can dim and change, and it can happen automatically at sunset unless you have changed the time in the past.
You can turn this off by going to Settings → Display & Brightness → Night Shift, and turn it off completely, change the schedule, or enable it at all times – whichever works for you.
Auto-Brightness is On
The auto-brightness feature can cause your iPhone display to dim significantly when you are in bright settings – like sitting outside on a sunny day. While this setting can be incredibly useful, and will save you having to manually alter the brightness when you step outside, it can be frustrating for anyone who prefers to have their screen at a particular brightness.
This feature is usually enabled by default, and you can go to Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size → scroll to the bottom → toggle off “Auto-Brightness”.
Why Is My iPhone Display Dim – Other Issues
Now, onto the more in-depth options, or just the ones that you might not have considered before when asking yourself, “why is my iPhone display dim”.
There are Hardware Issues
As always, hardware issues are common in tech. However, there are two simple things that tend to help with these, and we will go through them and their steps below.
Update Your iPhone
Usually an iPhone will update without any issues, but sometimes things just don’t do right. If you are struggling to update your iPhone, you can update your iOS in Recovery Mode. To do this, you will need the latest version of iTunes on a Windows or Mac laptop/PC.
Follow these steps:
- Connect your Windows/Mac device to the phone
- Do a force restart (steps outlined in an above section) to get your phone in Recovery Mode
- Don’t let go of the buttons until the phone screen has the Recovery mode screen (a charging cable with an arrow pointed at a laptop)
- Select ‘update’ when the option to restore or update on your computer shows up
- Confirm, then follow the instructions given to you (it can take up to 15 minutes, so have some patience)
- Your phone will restart on its own once you’re done
If this doesn’t work, you can try updating your iOS in DFU Mode. This mode is more complex than Recovery Mode, and varies depending on the device model you have. Follow these steps to effectively go through the process – remember that this will wipe your phone, so back-up important data.
If this doesn’t work, you will need to get in touch with a professional like us, or Apple.
Force Restart Your iPhone
For iPhones that Support iOS 16 or Later
- Quickly press the volume up button and release
- Quickly press the volume down button and release
- Hold down the side button
- Release the side button when the Apple logo shows
For iPhones that Don’t Support iOS 16 (iPhones 6, 7, 8 and SE (1st Gen)
- iPhone 6 models and iPhone SE (1st Gen) – Hold down the home and sleep/wake button at the same time, then release the buttons when you see the Apple logo
- iPhone 7 – Hold down the sleep/wake button and volume down button at the same time, then release the buttons when you see the Apple logo
- iPhone 8 and iPhone SE (2nd Gen) – Quickly press the volume up button and release, then do the same with the volume down button. Hold down the side button, and release it when you see the Apple logo
Reduce White Point Feature
Designed to help reduce colour intensity on your screen, the Reduce White Point feature can make your screen seem dimmer when toggled on. This is not a feature that is automatically turned on, so it’s only going to be an issue if you accidentally turned it on in Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size, or got the device second-hand.
Your iPhone is Overheating
Your iPhone can overheat in sweltering and freezing conditions, and if you get the “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it” notification, put the device somewhere to cool down. It will automatically take measures to begin cooling, which includes dimming your screen.
You’re in Low Power Mode
Low power mode will turn down your screen brightness to conserve energy – great for when you’re out on a hike, not great when you’re sitting in your bedroom. You can turn this off in Settings → Battery → toggle off Low Power Mode.
True Tone is Turned On
This is another feature that is automatically toggled on by default. True Tone helps to adjust the colours on your screen based on the surrounding lighting, which can result in screens that are less saturated or dim than they should be.
So, if your iPhone is dimming, and you don’t know why, why not try toggling this feature off and see if there is any improvement? To do this, go to Settings → Display & Brightness → toggle off True Tone.
imFixed Can Help You
A dim screen can make using your iPhone difficult, but you might be able to fix it at home. If you can’t bring your device in to imFixed – we have locations in Rochdale, Manchester, Oldham, and Bury. Or, we can come to you with our call-out repair services in Manchester and the surrounding area, because we believe that local is best.
Find out how to solve tech issues at home, like iPhones that won’t turn on or detect a SIM card, won’t vibrate, update, or charge. We also look at why your device might not be holding charge, how to deal with water damage, how to fix speaker problems, and what you need to know about iPhone screen repairs.
So, why is my iPhone display dim? It’s most likely due to a setting, but there could also be a hardware issue at play, so work through the above solutions, and see if any of these work.
