Screen Distance on iPhone: how to turn it on or off

The iPhone Screen Distance feature, introduced in iOS 17, is designed to help users maintain a healthier viewing distance from their devices. This feature detects when you hold your iPhone too close to your face and prompts you to move it further away. However, the frequent reminders are inconvenient, so you may wonder how to turn off Screen Distance on an iPhone. Read this guide to find out more about the iPhone Screen Distance, as well as how to enable and disable it:

What is Screen Distance on an iPhone?

Screen Distance is an iOS feature that uses the iPhone’s TrueDepth camera system to measure the distance between your face and the screen. When you hold your iPhone too close, Screen Distance automatically prompts you to move further back. You should see a message similar to the one in the screenshot below: iPhone May Be Too Close. On top of reducing eye strain and protecting your eyesight, this feature encourages a healthier posture during prolonged device use.

Screen Distance on an iPhone

Source: Apple

IMPORTANT: I normally include screenshots I take myself in my guides, but I got the image above from the Apple support page. That is because both my colleague Codruț and I enabled the feature on two different iPhones and tried to see it in action. No matter how close we held our devices, the iPhone Screen Distance did not kick in. After a couple of tries, I got a headache, and Codruț reported feeling dizzy, so we gave up. My chief editor, Ciprian, decided I should include this information in the guide, just in case other users experience the same issue. Furthermore, if you had this problem in the past and managed to fix it, please let me know how, and I will update this guide to help other users.

That said, before testing the feature, you should first find it, so let’s see…

How to access the iPhone Screen Distance setting

Like other useful features in iOS, you can enable the iPhone Screen Distance from Settings. Open the Settings app by tapping its icon on your iPhone’s Home Screen.

You can find the iPhone Screen Distance setting in Settings

In the Settings app, scroll down and access Screen Time.

Tap Screen Time

On the next screen, you can see the Screen Distance entry under Limit Usage. Tap it.

Tap Screen Distance on your iPhone

If you never accessed Screen Distance before, you should see a couple of screens with more details about the feature. Tap Continue at the bottom to access the Screen Distance screen.

How to enable Screen Distance on an iPhone

It’s easy to enable the iPhone Screen Distance. Just tap the Screen Distance switch to turn it on.

How to enable Screen Distance on an iPhone

The feature is turned on. If you’re lucky, it may even work for you. My research suggested that many users want to disable it, so it probably works on some iPhones. 🙂 Since we’re on the subject, let’s cover…

How to turn off Screen Distance on an iPhone

To disable Screen Distance, turn off the switch with the same name, as shown below.

How to turn off the iPhone Screen Distance

The feature is disabled, and you should no longer get “iPhone May Be Too Close” alerts.

Did you turn on or turn off the iPhone Screen Distance?

You can use the Screen Distance feature on your iPhone for a healthier relationship with technology. If it works for you, let me know if it’s useful and if it does help your eyes. Before you close this guide, let me know what you did. Did you embrace the feature and its benefits, or did you turn off Screen Distance on your iPhone for a more streamlined experience? Leave your comments below.