The Hypersensitive Screen
Modern iPhones utilize internal accelerometers to anticipate when you are about to use the device. By default, a feature called “Lift to Wake” is enabled. When you pick the phone up off a table or pull it out of your pocket, the operating system detects the vertical motion and instantly illuminates the display before you even touch the screen. While convenient, the sensors are often hyper-sensitive. If you carry your phone in your hand while walking, the screen will constantly flash on and off with every step, massively draining your battery. If you prefer to manually control when your screen turns on, you must disable the motion trigger.
How to Turn Off Lift to Wake
You can sever the screen’s connection to the accelerometer via the Display settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Display & Brightness.
- Scroll down to the “Brightness” section.
- Look for the toggle switch labeled Lift to Wake.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position (the green background will disappear).
Manual Activation
The change takes effect instantly. The iPhone will immediately ignore all motion data regarding screen activation. You can pick the phone up, throw it in the air, or swing it in your hand, and the display will remain completely dark. To wake the device, you must now physically tap the glass screen with your finger or press the side power button, ensuring you never waste battery life illuminating the screen by accident.