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Arcade24

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 22, 2020
22
7
Anybody having a problem with this or have a solution? Randomly at least once a day my screen dims down to about 25%, I don’t know why or how it happens it just does, I have every automatic dimming option disabled but it still happens. Is this an iOS issue? I’m new to iPhone and finding this kind of frustrating.
 
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What’s the reason for turning automatic brightness off? Android habit? If so you don’t need to...

It shouldn’t however change the brightness if it’s turned off. Have you tried a reset?
 
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Anybody having a problem with this or have a solution? Randomly at least once a day my screen dims down to about 25%, I don’t know why or how it happens it just does, I have every automatic dimming option disabled but it still happens. Is this an iOS issue? I’m new to iPhone and finding this kind of frustrating.
iOS device display also dims itself before it auto-locks.

You can change the length of time before it dims in:

Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock

The longer the timer, the longer it will take before the display dims. Trade-off is higher power consumption and less security if you happen to leave your device unlocked on a table or something.
 
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It wasn’t a heating issue, or battery getting low, or anything like that it was completely random. Thanks for trying to help everyone.

I spoke with Apple and they ran a diagnostics test and everything was fine. There is also a setting in accessibility > display & text size that also has auto brightness, and that was enabled. So hopefully it was that which was causing it. If not then I will just have to reopen the case.

Just wanted to update in case someone else is having a similar issue. I will update further if the setting resolved it or not.
 
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That’s likely to happen when you’re out in direct sun using your iPhone for a prolonged period of time, since the sun heats up the dark front of the iPhone pretty quickly. When an iPhone gets too hot it goes into a special low power mode to protect the battery and internals. The screen dimming is part of that low power mode. Once it’s back to safe operating temperatures it goes back to normal.

I’ve only seen this happen sitting outside in lunchtime sun while using my iPhone to play games, it was on my old iPhone X.
 
It wasn’t a heating issue, or battery getting low, or anything like that it was completely random. Thanks for trying to help everyone.

I spoke with Apple and they ran a diagnostics test and everything was fine. There is also a setting in accessibility > display & text size that also has auto brightness, and that was enabled. So hopefully it was that which was causing it. If not then I will just have to reopen the case.

Just wanted to update in case someone else is having a similar issue. I will update further if the setting resolved it or not.
Thanks for your post. That 2nd setting for auto brightness was on on mine as well. I noticed the dimming occasionally. I much prefer it stays set where I leave it.
 
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It wasn’t a heating issue, or battery getting low, or anything like that it was completely random. Thanks for trying to help everyone.

I spoke with Apple and they ran a diagnostics test and everything was fine. There is also a setting in accessibility > display & text size that also has auto brightness, and that was enabled. So hopefully it was that which was causing it. If not then I will just have to reopen the case.

Just wanted to update in case someone else is having a similar issue. I will update further if the setting resolved it or not.

That is the only place where there is Auto Brightness. That means you didn’t disable it.
 
Thanks for your post. That 2nd setting for auto brightness was on on mine as well. I noticed the dimming occasionally. I much prefer it stays set where I leave it.

Do you ever pull out your phone in darker surroundings and the screen is like a flashlight in your face? That never happens to me, thanks to that setting.

Back before coronavirus, when I’d go out places at night, I remember seeing android users do that all the time. There’d be some dude at the dimly lit bar with his face very, very brightly lit up by his Android phone.
 
Thanks for your post. That 2nd setting for auto brightness was on on mine as well. I noticed the dimming occasionally. I much prefer it stays set where I leave it.

There is no second setting. There is only one setting. Can you please tell me which 2 settings are you talking about?
 
I noticed screen dimming happening on my iPhone X when it gets hot.

Also you can check this in Settings: Accessibility - Display - Reduce White Point, this brightens up the display a bit when disabled.
 
I noticed screen dimming happening on my iPhone X when it gets hot.

Also you can check this in Settings: Accessibility - Display - Reduce White Point, this brightens up the display a bit when disabled.

It is disabled by default.
 
Do you ever pull out your phone in darker surroundings and the screen is like a flashlight in your face? That never happens to me, thanks to that setting.

Back before coronavirus, when I’d go out places at night, I remember seeing android users do that all the time. There’d be some dude at the dimly lit bar with his face very, very brightly lit up by his Android phone.
Point taken. I don’t hang out in bars, dimly lit or not, so no problem there. But I hear what you’re saying. I still prefer to be in charge of the brightness myself. I find it pretty annoying in the house under inside lighting the screen is too dim when that is enabled.
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There is no second setting. There is only one setting. Can you please tell me which 2 settings are you talking about?
You are correct, my bad but under screen and brightness in settings where one might expect to find it I was confusing dark mode auto button. Possibly went through that section a little too quickly on set up.
 
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Got nothing to do with dimness.

I agree that True Tone shouldn't have anything to do with brightness, but I'm talking about perception. A new iPhone user may not be aware that True Tone will change the white balance automatically, which could give a perception of "dimming" as colors move from cool to warm.
 
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Disagree


I agree that True Tone shouldn't have anything to do with brightness, but I'm talking about perception. A new iPhone user may not be aware that True Tone will change the white balance automatically, which could give a perception of "dimming" as colors move from cool to warm.

I agree that there is a perception of the screen getting "dimmer" with True Tone on. I notice this myself, mostly at night while in bed reading on my iPhone 11 Pro. If I angle myself where I'm blocking most of nightstand lamp, the screen would "dim" (technically warmer but again perception). The OP should turn off True Tone if consistent "brightness" is desired.
 
JUST Bought the IPHONE SE 2020.. Same issue here. Shock to see it was dimmed for so long. I couldn't even see what buttons to press! I went to the settings and saw the auto brightness were off. Like the phone HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN. There is completely no reason for this. This is my 2nd day using it. I am not expecting any bugs and now I lost trust in this. Deem I think I will be returning this?? Can't they make a product right.

Please send this to Apple Bug feedback on their webite so they can fix this issue with a future update?.
Make sure to specify that your "AUTO BRIGHTNESS WAS OFF and that your screen dims 25%, 50% or more randomly".
For me it felt closer to 50% dimmer, like it was very skim.
 
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It wasn’t a heating issue, or battery getting low, or anything like that it was completely random. Thanks for trying to help everyone.

I spoke with Apple and they ran a diagnostics test and everything was fine. There is also a setting in accessibility > display & text size that also has auto brightness, and that was enabled. So hopefully it was that which was causing it. If not then I will just have to reopen the case.

Just wanted to update in case someone else is having a similar issue. I will update further if the setting resolved it or not.
Thanks for posting your findings, maybe you saved me a call to Apple. Hope this works because I’ve had 3 other iPhones that have never done this. It’s annoying for it to auto dim! Cheers.
 
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Yes my iPhone SE 2020 does that as well

I’ve turned off TrueTone and Auto brightness

Never had it on any previous models
Very annoying
 
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