The Frustration of a Dimming Screen
Modern iPhones equipped with Face ID hardware utilize a clever background feature called “Attention Aware Features.” The TrueDepth camera array in the “notch” or “Dynamic Island” constantly scans the area in front of the phone. If it detects that your eyes are actively looking at the screen, it will prevent the display from dimming and going to sleep. Furthermore, if your alarm goes off and you look at the phone, it will automatically lower the alarm volume, assuming you are now awake. However, this feature is not perfect. If you are reading a long article while wearing dark sunglasses, or if the phone is resting flat on a desk slightly outside of the camera’s viewing angle, the screen will aggressively dim and turn off while you are still trying to read. If you find this behavior unpredictable, you should turn it off.
How to Turn Off Attention Aware Features
You can disable the eye-tracking algorithm in the main accessibility settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down the main list and tap on Accessibility.
- Under the “Physical and Motor” section, tap on Face ID & Attention.
- Locate the toggle switch labeled Attention Aware Features.
- Tap the switch to turn it Off (the green background will disappear).
- Your iPhone may prompt you to enter your passcode to confirm the change.
The Resulting Behavior
With this feature disabled, your iPhone reverts to a simple, predictable timer-based system. If your “Auto-Lock” timer is set to 2 minutes, the screen will remain brightly lit for exactly 2 minutes, and then it will shut off, regardless of whether you are staring directly at it or looking away. Additionally, your morning alarms and incoming phone calls will ring at their maximum set volume until you physically press a button to silence them.