How to Enable Grayscale on iPhones to Reduce Eye Strain

For individuals who spend long hours looking at their phone screens, eye strain can be a common issue—especially when exposed to the bright, colorful displays of modern smartphones. One feature many iPhone users may not be aware of is the grayscale filter, which can reduce eye discomfort by converting the display to black, white, and gray tones.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to enabling grayscale on your iPhone, offering a simple way to reduce the intensity of bright colors and give your eyes some relief.

Why Use Grayscale Mode?

Grayscale mode is more than just a visual tweak. Originally designed as an accessibility feature to assist people with visual impairments or color blindness, it also provides benefits for those with sensitive eyes. By eliminating vivid colors, the screen becomes less harsh, which can significantly reduce eye strain, especially during prolonged screen time or in dimly lit environments.

How to Enable Grayscale on iPhone

Follow these easy steps to turn on grayscale mode on your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings App: Locate and tap the Settings icon on your iPhone’s home screen.
2. Go to Accessibility: Scroll down and tap on Accessibility from the settings menu.
3. Choose Display & Text Size: Under Accessibility, select Display & Text Size.
4. Enable Color Filters: In the Display & Text Size menu, scroll down and tap on Color Filters.
5. Turn on Grayscale: Toggle the Color Filters switch to On and select Grayscale from the list of options.

Once enabled, your iPhone’s screen will switch to grayscale, instantly eliminating the bright colors and reducing the strain on your eyes. You can easily turn this feature on or off whenever needed.

Additional Tip: Set Up an Accessibility Shortcut

To make switching to grayscale even easier, you can set it up as an Accessibility Shortcut:

1. Go to Accessibility Settings: Navigate to Settings > Accessibility.
2. Select Accessibility Shortcut: Scroll to the bottom and tap on Accessibility Shortcut.
3. Choose Color Filters: Select Color Filters from the list.

Now, by triple-clicking the side button (or home button, depending on your iPhone model), you can quickly toggle grayscale mode on or off.

Using grayscale can significantly help reduce eye strain, making it a great tool for those who spend hours on their phone or have sensitive eyes.