What is Night Shift?
The short answer
Night Shift is an Apple feature that automatically shifts your screen colors to warmer, more orange-ish tones in the evening to reduce blue light exposure.
How it works
During the day, your screen gives off a lot of blue light, which is the same type of light the sun produces. At night, this blue light can trick your brain into thinking it is still daytime, potentially making it harder to fall asleep.
Night Shift works by filtering out some of the blue light and replacing it with warmer yellow and orange tones. The result is a screen that looks slightly tinted, almost like you are looking through light amber glasses.
You can adjust how warm the screen gets using a slider in your settings. Some people prefer a subtle shift, while others crank it all the way up for a very orange look.
Which devices have it
- iPhones (iPhone 5s and later)
- iPads (iPad Air and later, iPad mini 2 and later)
- Macs (running macOS Sierra or later)
On Android, the equivalent feature is usually called Night Light. On Windows, it is called Night Light as well.
How to turn it on
- iPhone or iPad — go to Settings > Display and Brightness > Night Shift
- Mac — go to System Settings > Displays > Night Shift
From there, you can:
- Schedule it to turn on automatically at sunset and off at sunrise
- Set a custom schedule with specific times
- Turn it on manually until the next day
Does it actually help with sleep?
The science is mixed. Some studies suggest that reducing blue light in the evening may help your body produce melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy. Other studies say the effect is small compared to simply reducing your overall screen brightness or putting the phone down earlier.
That said, many people find the warmer screen easier on the eyes at night regardless of the sleep benefits. It is worth trying for a few nights to see if you notice a difference.
When should you turn it off?
Night Shift can slightly change how colors look on your screen. If you are editing photos, choosing paint colors, or doing any work where color accuracy matters, turn it off temporarily so you see true colors.