iPhone's Screen Distance Feature on iOS 17 Can Help Reduce Eye Strain

iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 include a new Screen Distance feature that can alert you when you hold an iPhone or iPad too close to your eyes for an extended period. Apple says the opt-in feature is designed to help lower the risk of nearsightedness in children by encouraging healthy viewing habits, and can help reduce eye strain overall.

iOS 17 iPhone Screen Distance
Screen Distance can be turned on in the Settings app under Screen Time → Screen Distance, and is available on all iPhone and iPad Pro models with Face ID. The feature uses the same TrueDepth camera that powers Face ID to measure the distance between the screen and your eyes, and a full-screen alert prompts users to move their device farther away after holding it closer than 12 inches to their eyes for an extended period.

When the feature is enabled, users will receive an "iPhone is Too Close" warning as necessary. After the iPhone is moved to a safe distance, a checkmark will appear on the screen, and users can tap the "Continue" button to proceed.

iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 will be released later this year, and are currently available in beta for users with an Apple developer account. Devices compatible with Screen Distance include the iPhone XS and newer, and 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models released in 2018 and later. The feature can be turned on or off at any time.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple Expected to Launch 20+ Products This Year: Here's the Full List

Friday January 17, 2025 5:30 am PST by
2025 promises to be quite a big year for Apple, with the company rumored to be planning more than 20 product announcements this year. Apple's rumored smart home hub will be its second all-new product to launch in as many years, following the Apple Vision Pro headset last year. And of course, we will get several new iPhone and Apple Watch models, like every year. Beyond that, Apple could...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Horizontal Single Feature

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Major Thermal Design Upgrade

Friday January 17, 2025 4:33 am PST by
The iPhone 17 lineup will feature a vapor chamber heatsink to improve thermal performance, according to a new report. The news comes from Chinese tech news site MyDrivers, which claims that the entire iPhone 17 lineup, consisting of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, will adopt the improved thermal heat spreader. Vapor chamber technology is already used...

Top Rated Comments

magicschoolbus Avatar
21 months ago
Apple: Don't hold this device close to your face
Apple: Here's a device you can strap to your face
Score: 68 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UndefinedxJoker Avatar
21 months ago
The irony of introducing this feature alongside the Vision Pro is astonishing.
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jim Lahey Avatar
21 months ago
RE: Comments vis-à-vis Vision Pro, this may not be as it seems. I understand it’s the focal length that is the driving factor, not the distance to the actual screen/s per se. This is evidenced by near sighted people still needing to wear their prescription when using VR/AR, despite the source of the image being inches from their eyes.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CC77 Avatar
21 months ago

The irony of introducing this feature alongside the Vision Pro is astonishing.
Lol, I thought the same thing. Your phone is too close to your face, but let’s strap a 4K screen to each eyeball. Normal!
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rjp1 Avatar
21 months ago

This feature got annoying after half a day... it would get rid of the notification only after my arm was so far out that it became annoying to hold (and my arm got sore).

Two things I took from it - I'm too addicted to my iPhone so disabled it, and owning a mini makes me hold my phone so close to see what is on there that I should probably get a regular sized iPhone next upgrade cycle...

So, that is to say, the feature works!
To be honest, sounds like you need your vision checked.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wesley96 Avatar
21 months ago

RE: Comments vis-à-vis Vision Pro, this may not be as it seems. I understand it’s the focal length that is the driving factor, not the distance to the actual screen/s power se. This is evidenced by near sighted people still needing to wear their prescription when using VR/AR.
Yep, it's all about how near or far your eye tries to focus on. Even if the display element is an inch away from you, the optics in a VR/AR headset makes it as if it's several inches to a few feet away and your eyes focus accordingly. That's what the lenses in the smartphone VR goggles like Google Cardboard does as well.

That being said, the timing of the availability of this feature is still amusing.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)