iPhone has a blue light filter called Night Shift, built into every model

Yes. Apple calls it Night Shift, and it reduces blue light by warming the colors on your screen — shifting them toward yellow and red. It is built into every iPhone running iOS 9.3 or later, which means nearly every iPhone in use today has it.

Night Shift works by adjusting the color temperature of your display, not by adding a separate filter layer. When you turn it on, the screen becomes warmer and less blue. You can set it to turn on automatically at sunset, at a specific time you choose, or manually whenever you want.

The feature is free and does not require any app download or subscription. It is a system setting you control directly from your iPhone.

Key Takeaways

  • Night Shift is Apple's built-in blue light filter, available on all recent iPhones and turned on through Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift.
  • You can set Night Shift to turn on automatically at sunset, at a specific time each day, or switch it on manually whenever you want.
  • The filter adjusts your screen's color temperature rather than adding a physical filter, making the display warmer and less blue.
  • Night Shift does not change the brightness of your screen — it only changes the color, so you may need to adjust brightness separately if your eyes feel strained.

How to turn on Night Shift

Open Settings on your iPhone, then tap Display & Brightness. You will see Night Shift listed below the brightness slider. Tap it to open the Night Shift menu.

You have three options. Scheduled turns Night Shift on and off automatically — you can set it to follow sunset and sunrise, or pick specific times like 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Manual lets you turn it on or off right now without a schedule. Off disables it completely.

If you choose Scheduled, tap Options to set the times or choose sunset-to-sunrise mode. Once you save, Night Shift will activate at that time every day. You can still turn it off manually before the scheduled time ends if you need to — it will turn back on at the next scheduled time.

Adjusting the strength of the blue light filter

Night Shift has a warmth slider that lets you control how much the colors shift. Open Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift, and you will see a slider labeled Less Warm to More Warm.

Drag the slider to the right to make the screen more yellow and red, or to the left for less color shift. The default setting is somewhere in the middle. There is no "off" position on this slider — it only adjusts intensity. To turn Night Shift completely off, use the toggle at the top of the Night Shift menu instead.

The warmth you set will stay the same each time Night Shift turns on, so you only need to adjust it once.

Night Shift versus other blue light reduction methods

Night Shift is the only blue light filter built into iOS. Third-party apps that claim to reduce blue light exist in the App Store, but they cannot change your iPhone's display settings the way Night Shift does — they can only display a colored overlay on top of your apps, which is less effective and can make text harder to read.

If you wear blue light blocking glasses, you can use them alongside Night Shift for additional filtering. Some people find the combination helpful, though research on whether blue light itself causes eye strain is mixed.

For other devices, the approach varies. Many Android phones have a similar built-in feature (often called Eye Comfort or similar), while computer monitors may have a blue light filter in their on-screen menu or in your graphics card settings. iPad also has Night Shift, using the same system as iPhone.

What blue light actually does and whether you need the filter

Blue light is the short-wavelength light that your screen emits naturally. It is the same light that comes from the sun during the day. When you use your phone at night, blue light can signal to your brain that it is daytime, which may make it harder to fall asleep.

Whether Night Shift actually helps you sleep better depends on the person. Some people report falling asleep more easily when they use it in the evening. Others notice no difference. The scientific evidence is not conclusive — some studies show a small effect, while others find none.

If you find that using your phone before bed keeps you awake, Night Shift is worth trying because it costs nothing and takes seconds to enable. If it does not help after a week or two, you can turn it off. The more reliable approach to better sleep is usually to stop using your phone 30 to 60 minutes before bed, regardless of the filter.

Turning Night Shift on from Control Center

You can also toggle Night Shift quickly without opening Settings. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone to open Control Center (or swipe up from the bottom on older models). Look for the Night Shift button — it looks like a circle with a crescent moon or sun icon.

Tap it once to turn Night Shift on immediately, even if you have not set a schedule. Tap it again to turn it off. This is faster than going through Settings if you want to switch it on or off in the moment.

If you do not see Night Shift in Control Center, you can add it. Go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls, find Night Shift in the list, and tap the green plus button next to it.

Troubleshooting Night Shift problems

If Night Shift is not turning on at the scheduled time, check that you have actually enabled the schedule. Open Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift and make sure the toggle at the top is on, and that Scheduled is selected (not Manual or Off).

If your screen does not look warmer when Night Shift is on, the warmth slider may be set all the way to the left (Less Warm). Drag it to the right to increase the effect. You should see a noticeable yellow or orange tint when it is set higher.

Night Shift does not work on the lock screen or in some system apps like Camera. This is intentional — Apple keeps those interfaces at normal color so you can see accurate colors when taking photos or using time-sensitive features. Once you unlock your phone or open a regular app, Night Shift applies normally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Night Shift reduce eye strain?

Night Shift reduces blue light, which may help if blue light is causing your eye strain. However, the most common causes of eye strain are screen brightness that is too high, glare, or not blinking enough while reading. If your eyes feel tired, try lowering your brightness, increasing text size, or taking a break from the screen before relying on Night Shift alone.

Can I use Night Shift while taking photos?

Night Shift does not apply to the Camera app, so your photos will show true colors. Once you close the Camera app, Night Shift turns back on if it is scheduled or manually enabled. This design prevents Night Shift from affecting the colors you capture.

Will Night Shift make my battery drain faster?

No. Night Shift uses almost no additional battery power because it only adjusts the color output of your display — it does not change brightness or add processing. Leaving it on all day or all night will not noticeably affect battery life.

Can I set different Night Shift schedules for different days?

No. Night Shift uses one schedule that applies every day. You can set it to turn on at the same time each evening, or follow sunset and sunrise, but you cannot create different schedules for weekdays versus weekends. If you need different times on different days, you would need to manually toggle it on and off.

Does Night Shift work on older iPhones?

Night Shift is available on iPhone 5s and later, as long as your phone is running iOS 9.3 or newer. If you have an older iPhone or have not updated your software, Night Shift will not be available. You can check your iOS version in Settings > General > About.