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

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
google pixel 10

Switching Between iPhone and Android Will Get Easier With New Apple and Google Collaboration

Monday December 8, 2025 11:10 am PST by
Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta. Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Apple Fitness Plus expansion hero

Apple Fitness+ Coming to 28 New Regions With Digital Voice Dubbing

Monday December 8, 2025 6:19 am PST by
Apple today announced that Fitness+ is expanding to 28 new markets on December 15 in the service's largest international rollout since launch, accompanied by new language dubbing and a K-Pop music genre. Apple Fitness+ will become available in Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and additional regions on December 15, with Japan scheduled to follow early next year....

Top Rated Comments

magicschoolbus Avatar
33 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
33 months ago
The irony of introducing this feature alongside the Vision Pro is astonishing.
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jim Lahey Avatar
33 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
33 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
33 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
33 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)