You’re using your iPhone and the screen looks more yellow than normal. Is it broken? Fortunately, the answer is no! In this article, I’ll explain why your iPhone screen has turned yellow, how to use Night Shift, and how to switch your screen back to normal.
Why Is My iPhone Screen Yellow?
Your iPhone screen looks yellow because Night Shift is turned on. Night Shift is a feature that helps you get a better night’s sleep by filtering out the daytime colors from your iPhone’s display.
Research has shown that the bright blue colors in electronic displays can trick our brains into thinking it’s daytime. When we use our laptops or phones at night, this can interfere with our ability to go to sleep.
Night Shift, a feature Apple released with iOS 9.3, filters the daytime blue colors out of your iPhone so your brain doesn’t think it’s daytime when it’s dark outside.
How Do I Turn Night Shift On Or Off?
To turn on Night Shift, swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Control Center. Then, press and hold on your Screen Brightness slider until a new menu appears.
At the bottom of your screen, tap the Night Shift icon to turn Night Shift on or off.
You can also turn Night Shift on or off by going to Settings -> Display & Brightness -> Night Shift and tapping the switch next to Manually Enable Until Tomorrow.
How Do I Permanently Disable Night Shift?
To disable Night Shift, go to Settings -> Display & Brightness -> Night Shift and turn off the switch next to Scheduled.
Why Isn’t Night Shift Working?
Even if it’s on, Night Shift doesn’t work if Low Power Mode is turned on. To turn off Low Power Mode, go to Settings -> Battery and tap the switch next to Low Power Mode.
Other Causes Of A Yellow iPhone Screen
While turning off Night Shift will fix the problem for 99% of iPhone users, there are a couple other reasons why an iPhone screen may appear yellow.
Turn Off True Tone Display
True Tone Display automatically adjusts the color and brightness of your iPhone’s screen to match the lighting around you. True Tone shouldn’t cause a significant change to your display’s appearance, but it may be the reason your screen seems abnormally yellow.
To check if True Tone Display is on, open Settings and tap Display & Brightness. You’ll know True Tone display is on if the switch next to True Tone if green. Tap the switch to turn off True Tone if it is on.
Potential Display Issues
An issue with your iPhone’s display can also make it appear yellow. Before assuming it’s a manufacturer defect or a hardware problem, try updating your iPhone. Occasionally, iOS updates can resolve display tint issues, like when iOS 14.5 resolved a green tint issue some users experience.
Open Settings and tap General -> Software Update. Tap Install Now or Download and Install if an iOS update is available.
If you’ve tried everything and your iPhone screen is still yellow, contact Apple support. Apple provides online, mail, phone, and in-person support. Make sure to schedule an appointment first if you plan to go into your local Apple Store to have your iPhone looked at.
Night Shift On, Sound Asleep
I’m not sure if Night Shift is really a cure for insomnia, but I’ve been using it since it came out and I like it. What do you think? Has Night Shift helped you to get a better night’s sleep? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
View Comments (35)
me and wife using different iphones both have night shift on but only my phone has yellow tint. Not hers.
Sir i bought an iPhone 11 and suddenly a yellow line came on it. It is clearly visible on the white screen. Please help me.
Hi Jazib, have you dropped your phone or exposed it to liquid recently?
This happened to me this week, was it because of the humidity in the house? What should I do?
Hi Ricart! Sorry to hear you're dealing with this issue as well! Lines that appear on an iPhone's screen are often the result of physical damage. For example, if someone drops their iPhone on the ground or the iPhone gets exposed to water. While I'd be surprised if your house was humid enough to cause actual water damage to your iPhone, it's not necessarily impossible.
Can you think of any time recently where you accidentally dropped your iPhone? Or where it might have come directly in contact with water?
Additionally, we have an entire article all about what to do if lines appear on your screen, here's a link to that as well: https://www.payetteforward.com/lines-on-iphone-screen-heres-fix/
Not at all, it suddenly appeared. I can see a rectangluar almost washed out yellow where the battery is placed it think
Thank you!!!! I have been messing with settings all day (my 2 year old apparently found the hidden night shift icon).
I hate it. I'm a graphic artist and the color shift drives me nuts. Lowering the brightness would be fine, but making everything look like it's coated in nicotine scum, I find unacceptable. Thanks for helping turn the bloody thing off.
Thank you!
Awesome!
THANK YOU SO MUCH
Many thanks. Panic over. Thought phone was really sick. Thanks again.
Thanks so much! Thought I'd broken my iPad... heartbroken x
Thank you!! I had just gotten the glass replaced on my phone and was worried that the glass had a yellow tinge but NOPE! definitely the night shift setting!
Thank you. It worked like a charm!
thank you. you are the man.
I have chronic migraine and blue light from electronic devices, especially at night can trigger an episode. The iPhone Night feature is perfect for still being able to use my phone at night and not trigger (as many) migraines.
Thanks so much
THANKS , It worked .
Thank you.
Thank you, thank you! This was driving me crazy!
Yay - Thanks! I thought my iphone was dying!
Today morning 04-11-17, on wake up, saw screen of my iPhone 6 turn yellowish. Adjustments on 'brightness' did not help. Your suggestion of 'night shift - off' did work and phone is back to normal.. Thanks a lot.
Phone is almost 2.5 years old but I keep it neat and clean no dust in or around cover.
It worked! Thanks so much!
good solved my issue
Thank you!!
I think it helps. I've set mine for 11pm every night. I usually stay up till 2am every night and suffer the following day but since I've gotten my iPhone, I've been passing out after 11 every night.
thanks
Thank you so much :)
thank you so so much for this. I got so scared and thinking I just bought a fake iPhone
Thank you! I was afraid my iPad was broken.
Excellent , Thanks ....
Thanks for the head's up! My Night Shift setting somehow got turned on by accident and I hated that yellowish tint that suddenly appeared. I read other articles that said they were all replacing their iPhones when they turned yellow. This article prevented me from turning in a perfectly good phone. Again, much thanks!
Thank you for this! This solved my problem! I woke up this morning to find the screen on my iPhone 6s suddenly looking all dim and almost yellowish. Sure enough, night shift mode somehow got turned on. I turned it off and now all is fine. :)
I don't have night shift on iPhone 5. Running version 9.3.2 (13F69). Low power is turned off. I have only four icons along the bottom in control center. I do not have any access to it through settings. Auto brightness is turned on. I thought the problem would be fixed with the next update, but it wasn't. Any suggestions?
This "feature" helps to muddy the waters for people suffering from yellow tinted screens, like mine. Is your screen yellow tinted? Night shift is off? Take it to Apple and demand a new display. Compared to my old iPhone 5, it had a better more neutral look than my jaundice iPhone 6s.