The Difference Between Night Shift and Dark Mode on iPhone

The Night Shift and Dark Mode features on iPhone are designed for the same purpose of reducing eye strain, but there's a significant difference between them.

According to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), an adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to maintain mental and physical health. However, in modern life, it is rare for anyone to maintain this recommended number of hours. One of the main reasons is the habit of using screens too much, especially smartphones.

Studies show that up to 2/3 of adults spend most of their day looking at their phone screens. This causes many consequences, the most dangerous of which is affecting sleep. The cause comes from the blue light emitted from the screen, which has the ability to "trick" the circadian rhythm - the mechanism that helps the brain determine when to rest. When exposed to blue light at night, the brain will think it is still daytime, making it harder for users to fall asleep.

Technology companies have come up with many solutions to the harmful effects of blue light on screens. (Photo: The Guardian)

To mitigate this problem, technology companies have developed many solutions. Windows has a Night Light feature, while Apple has integrated Night Shift into iPhone since iOS 9.3. When this mode is turned on, the screen automatically switches to a warm color tone, limiting the negative effects of blue light, helping the body easily "recognize" when it's time to go to sleep.

Blue light isn’t the only danger, however. Glare and bright light from screens can also cause symptoms like eye strain, blurred vision, watery eyes, and headaches, even if Night Shift is enabled. So Apple introduced Dark Mode in 2019 with iOS 13. This mode darkens the entire iPhone interface: white text on a black background, instead of black on a white background. This reduces eye strain when viewing the screen in low-light conditions.

Night Shift helps your body recognize when it's time to sleep by adjusting the screen's color tone, while Dark Mode protects your eyes from glare. (Photo: Slashgear)

Both Night Shift and Dark Mode aim to reduce eye strain, but each addresses a different issue. Night Shift focuses on sleep and circadian rhythms, while Dark Mode aims to reduce glare and protect the eyes. Using both together can help users sleep better while also limiting the long-term effects of screen light on vision.

Ngoc Nguyen (Slashgear)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/su-khac-biet-giua-night-shift-va-dark-mode-tren-iphone-ar966792.html