My iPhone Screen Is Too Dark: Top 9 Solutions

Your iPhone may be working fine, but the screen looks a little darker than usual. Why is it so? This can happen for many reasons. First, you inadvertently click on some unknown settings option.

But you have nothing to worry about because this blog will tell you the possible causes and solutions to fix this dim screen problem. Below is a list of solutions; it is advised to review them and check your iPhone settings accordingly and you will find the solution to this problem.

Ways to fix my iPhone screen is too dark

1. Check the iPhone screen brightness setting and adjust it.
2. Wipe the top of your iPhone
3. Restart your iPhone
4. Disable low power mode
5. Disable auto-brightness on iPhone
6. Disable Do Not Disturb
7. Check the white point setting
8. Check screen brightness in multimedia apps like VLC and others.
9. Reset All iPhone Settings

1. Check the iPhone screen brightness setting and adjust it.

There are three ways to increase or decrease the brightness of your iPhone screen and they are listed below:

Method 1:

1. Open the control center and adjust the brightness (sun icon) as you like.

2. For an iPhone with Face ID, you need to swipe down from the top right corner of the screen and the control center will appear

3. An iPhone with a home button can access the control center by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.

4. Then you will see a slider with a sun icon. Drag it up to increase the brightness.

Method 2:

1. Go to the settings app on your iPhone.

2. Tap Display & Brightness.

3. Then drag and adjust the brightness slider according to your preference.

Method 3:

Call Siri and ask questions such as “Increase screen brightness”, “Increase screen brightness”, “Set screen brightness to 75%”, or “Set screen brightness to maximum”.

2. Wipe the top of your iPhone

At the top of your iPhone is an ambient light sensor that is responsible for reading and scanning light levels around the user and adjusting the screen brightness accordingly.

If you have been talking on the phone for a long time, the top of your iPhone can get oil, sweat, dirt, etc. All this interferes with the normal and correct functioning of the ambient light sensor.

So if your iPhone’s screen brightness dims automatically, even if you don’t move to a low or high brightness area and are in an area with constant light, you can wipe the top of your iPhone.

Take a soft dry cloth and gently wipe the top of the iPhone. We hope that after this is done, the brightness of your iPhone will not drop.

If you are using a fancy or sealed case, you may be blocking the top of the screen, which will interfere with the auto-brightness feature and prevent it from working properly. Therefore, you can remove the case so that it can function properly.

3. Restart your iPhone

This is a classic troubleshooting method that can solve a lot of problems. This fixes all the minor iOS bugs and glitches and ensures a smooth experience.

The steps to restart your iPhone are given below:

For iPhone X, 11, 12 and 13

1. Press and hold the volume button or side power button on the right side of your iPhone until the power off slider appears on the screen.
2. Release the buttons when the slider for turning off iPhone appears on the screen. Drag the slider to the right and wait a few seconds; your iPhone will turn off.
3. To turn the device back on, you can hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo on the screen.

For iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd generation), 8, 7 or 6

1. Press and hold the side power button on the right side of your iPhone until the power off slider appears on the screen.
2. Drag the slider to the right and wait a few seconds for the device to turn off.
3. To turn your device back on, you can press and hold the side power button again until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

For iPhone SE (1st generation), 5 or earlier

1. Press and hold the power button on the top of your iPhone.
2. Release the button when the off slider appears on the screen.
3. Drag the slider to the right and wait a few seconds for the device to turn off.
4. To turn the device back on, you can press and hold the top power button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

4. Disable low power mode.

The higher the screen brightness is set, the more battery power will be consumed. Putting your iPhone into low power mode lowers the screen brightness to low light to conserve battery life.

Hence, you can check if your iPhone has been accidentally put into low power mode.

The steps for this are given below:

1. Go to your iPhone settings app.

2. Click on the “Battery”option.

3. You will see the low power mode option at the top.

4. Turn off the toggle switch next to it and you’re done.

You can also ask Siri to turn off power saving mode.

5. Turn off auto brightness on iPhone.

Disabling the auto-brightness feature can be said to be a solution to your iPhone’s low brightness problem.

However, turning on auto-brightness mode makes viewing and using your device more comfortable for your eyes, and it also improves your iPhone’s battery life.

Hence, you may or may not change the auto-brightness mode to suit your preference.

If you can, then the steps to do so are listed below:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Tap on the accessibility settings option, and then tap on display and text size.

3. Now scroll down and you will find the auto brightness option.

4. Turn off the option and you’re done.

You can also ask Siri to disable auto-brightness mode.

6. Turn off Do Not Disturb.

In iOS 15, if Do Not Disturb (DND) is enabled on your iPhone, the brightness of the lock screen can be significantly reduced and the iPhone appears to be set to dark mode.

Hence, to make it look normal and bright, you can turn off the Do Not Disturb mode.

For this, the steps are given below:

1. Go to the settings app on your iPhone.

2. Click on the focus option

3. Now tap on Do Not Disturb mode.

4. Then turn off the Do Not Disturb toggle switch and you’re done.

You can also ask Siri to turn off Do Not Disturb.

7. Check the white point setting

Setting the white point on your iPhone reduces the intensity and true tone of bright colors on your iPhone screen, making the display easier to access and use for some people.

When this mode is enabled, your iPhone’s screen will turn into a dark screen even if the device’s overall brightness is set to maximum.

The steps to turn off the Reduce White Point option are as follows:

1. Go to the settings app on your iPhone and then tap on the Accessibility option.

2. Click on the text display and size.

3. Scroll down and you will see an option to reduce the white point.

4. Turn off the toggle switch option, or you can drag the slider to the left and leave it when it only shows 25%.

8. Check screen brightness in multimedia apps like VLC and others.

Many video or media player apps, or even apps where you edit videos and images, have a built-in brightness feature that prevents the phone’s brightness from working on it.

One accidental and unintentional touch on the screen can dim your iPhone’s screen brightness and make it difficult for you.

To solve this problem, you can find any brightness slider or option to adjust the brightness level to a comfortable level for your eyes. If you can’t find that option, you can try swiping the left or right side of the screen vertically or horizontally to get the brightness slider.

9. Reset all iPhone settings

If none of the solutions mentioned above work, you can try resetting all settings on your iPhone, which will likely fix this brightness-related issue.

It is said that resetting your iPhone can fix many issues, including automatic dimming.

You should be aware that resetting an iPhone does not erase or affect any data stored on your device; that is, there will be no permanent data loss. Resetting all settings means that all your individual settings will be changed to the default settings.

The steps to reset all settings on your iPhone are as follows:

1. Go to the settings app on your iPhone.

2. Click on the general option and find this reset option.

3. In the Reset window, click Reset All Settings.

4. Your iPhone may ask for your device passcode.

5. Enter the passcode and let your iPhone reset all settings.

6. After that, your iPhone may restart quickly. You can then check if your iPhone’s brightness level looks good and normal to your eyes.

Summarizing

This blog describes all possible, quick and convenient solutions for iPhone brightness and light.

Despite trying all the solutions mentioned above, if you have ever had your broken iPhone screen replaced at any unauthorized service center, chances are that the screen is not original.

This may have been available to you, but third-party displays may dim your screen and cause other issues (i.e. iPhone settings errors, disabled Face ID, etc.).

To resolve this issue, you can visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider to have your device checked and repaired.

FAQ

Why does the iPhone screen get darker when I’m outdoors?

In most cases, your iPhone will automatically dim the display screen because the auto-brightness mode may be enabled. Auto Brightness mode is a feature that automatically adjusts the brightness of your iPhone’s screen based on the lighting conditions around you. At night, when the surroundings are dark, the Auto Brightness feature switches your iPhone’s display to a darker mode that your eyes are comfortable with in brightness. If you’re outside on a bright and sunny day, Auto Brightness mode will make your iPhone’s display as bright as possible so you can see everything on the screen properly.

Why is my iPhone screen completely black?

This may be due to hardware or software issues. If it’s a hardware issue, it might not be easy to fix on your own. You should seek help from Apple Authorized Service Technicians to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Why is my iPhone screen so dark even at full brightness?

You can go to the settings options and find the brightness settings if you have accidentally disabled or enabled auto-brightness. If everything looks fine in the settings section, but the problem remains unresolved, you can visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider to have the problem resolved.

Is it possible to make the iPhone screen darker?

Yes it is possible! You can try reducing the brightness level of your iPhone through the control center. Or you can reduce the white dot of your iPhone screen. The steps for this are mentioned below: 1. Go to the settings app on your iPhone and then click on the accessibility option2. Click display and text size3. Scroll down and you will notice the white point reduction option4. Disable the toggle switch option, or you can drag the slider to the left and leave it when it only shows 25%.