A new feature in iOS 9.3 is Night Shift, which automatically adjusts the color temperature of your iPhone or iPad screen based on the time of day, making the screen more yellow or “warmer” at night. Current research suggests that reducing the color temperature of your electronic screens at night can reduce eye strain and minimize any negative effects that bright screens may have on your sleep.
This guide will show you how to use Night Shift on iOS 9.3. You may also know this as the new iPhone night mode or iPad night mode, but the official name is Night Shift.
Apple announced the new iOS 9.3 update on stage in March 2016 as a free update to the iPhone and iPad. You will need to download and install the iOS 9.3 update on your iPhone or iPad to use this feature.
Once you install the latest software you can turn on Night Shift on iPhone or iPad from the Control Center, but it is best to look at your settings first to understand what the options are and to configure Night Shift to your personal preference.
How to automatically set Night Shift from sunset to sunrise
If you like the idea of Night Shift and want it to just work from dusk to dawn, you can flip a few simple switches in settings and make it so.
- Launch Settings from your Home screen.
- Tap Display & Brightness.
- Tap Night Shift.
- Switch Scheduled to on.
- Tap From/To — if it doesn’t already say Sunset/Sunrise. (If it does say Sunset/Sunrise, you’re done!)
- Tap Sunset to Sunrise.
Sunrise and Sunset times are pulled from your location, the same way it is in the Weather app. If you have any problems with the timing, double check your location settings.
How to automatically set Night Shift on a custom schedule
If sunrise and sunset feel too early and too late in the day for you, you can also pick any other static times you like.
- Launch Settings from your Home screen.
- Tap Display & Brightness.
- Tap Night Shift.
- Switch Scheduled to on.
- Tap From/To.
- Tap Custom Schedule.
- Tap Turn On At.
- “Spin” the selector vertically to choose your on time. You can spin hours, minutes, and AM/PM separately.
- Tap Turn Off At.
- “Spin” the selector vertically to choose your off time. You can spin hours, minutes, and AM/PM separately.
There’s no “done” button. Whatever you set last will be the time Night Shift uses. If you later decide the timing still isn’t right, and you want to tweak it, simply repeat the steps and choose a different time.
How to manually set Night Shift at any time
If you don’t want to go all-in on a schedule, you can also simply choose to manually enable Night Shift at any time.
- Launch Settings from your Home screen.
- Tap Display & Brightness.
- Tap Night Shift.
- Tap Manually Enable Until Tomorrow.
Night shift will then turn on and stay on until the next day. If you want to use it again, you’ll have to manually enable it again or set up a schedule.
How to adjust the color temperature for Night Shift
Seeing your screen pushed from the cooler blues you’re used to towards the warmer yellows can be uncomfortable at first. The human brain is amazing at adapting, so you should get used to the default quickly. If for some reason, though, you find it too warm — or not warm enough — you can tweak the temperature to your liking.
- Launch Settings from your Home screen.
- Tap Display & Brightness.
- Tap Night Shift.
- Slide the Color Temperature left for Less Warm (bluer) and right for More Warm (yellower) spectrum.
Note: If Night Shift isn’t on while you’re making the adjustments, the screen will temporarily simulate it so you can get a real sense of what your choice will look like.
How to turn off Night Shift
If you decide Night Shift isn’t for you, at least for now, you can disable it completely.
- Launch Settings from your Home screen.
- Tap Display & Brightness.
- Tap Night Shift.
- Switch Scheduled off.
- Switch Manually Enable Until Tomorrow off.
Night Shift will stay off until you flip one of those switches back on.
How to use Night Shift on iPhone and iPad ?
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