Technologies

Trouble Falling Asleep? Change These iPhone Settings to Speed Up the Process

Did you know there are iPhone features you can use to relax and get ready for bed?

You should be asleep, but instead you’re scrolling through your iPhone in the middle of the night. The display is a bit too bright, so you go to lower the brightness — only to realize that it’s already at the lowest setting possible. If you continue using your phone like this, you could strain your eyes, potentially causing headaches and making it harder for you to fall asleep. And that’s not good.

Fortunately, there are a few iOS features that can help you lower your screen’s brightness more than the standard settings allow.

In this guide, we’ll touch on some built-in features that can darken your screen like you didn’t think possible. No more straining your eyes or disturbing others with your incredibly bright iPhone display.

Before we get started, it’s important to note that you probably shouldn’t use all these features together, so experiment with a combination that works for you and the lighting in your environment.

For more iOS tips, check out 22 iPhone settings you should change right now and 14 hidden iPhone features you might not know about.

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1. Enable Night Shift to make your display warmer

The Night Shift feature automatically adjusts your display — using your phone’s internal clock and geolocation — to warmer colors that are easier on your eyes. Every morning, the display returns to its regular settings. You can turn it on in your Settings or via the Control Center.

Method 1: Settings

Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift. From here, you can either schedule the feature at a certain time or enable it for the entire day and have it disable in the morning. You can also adjust the color temperature by using the slider at the bottom of the page — you can choose between less warm and more warm.

Method 2: Control Center

Swipe down from the top-right to access the Control Center. Then press and hold the Brightness icon and tap the Night Shift button to turn it on and off.

Night Shift feature on the iPhone — You can access Night Shift from your settings or the Control Center.

Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

2. Reduce white point to bring down intensity of bright colors

You can also reduce the white point on your iPhone to adjust how intensely colors show up on your screen. Bright colors are especially illuminated at night time, so try this setting to dull them a bit.

In Settings, go to Accessibility > Display & Text Size and toggle on Reduce White Point. A marker will appear under the setting, which you can use to adjust the intensity of bright colors to your liking.

Reduce white point setting on the iPhone — This adjusts the intensity of bright colors on your display.

Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

3. Use Zoom to add low light filter

If you’re only interested in dropping the brightness, and don’t want warmer colors or less intense colors, there is a way to lower just the display brightness. Using the Zoom accessibility feature, you can add a low light filter over your display to make it darker than usual.

Launch the Settings application and go to Accessibility > Zoom and make sure that the Low Light option is chosen under Zoom Filter. If you’d like, you can toggle on the Zoom feature here, but the easier way is to triple-click the side button from anywhere on your phone to use Zoom.

When Zoom is enabled, your phone will automatically add the low light filter to your display, making it darker, even if your brightness is already at its lowest. A small floating circle will appear on your screen, indicating that Zoom is currently turned on. If you tap the controller, you can hide it. To disable Zoom, simply triple-click on the side button again.

Zoom accessibility feature on iOS — The easiest way to enable the low light filter is to quickly triple-click the side button.

Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

Technologies

Apple Foldable iPhone May Have Face ID Embedded in the Screen

Apple is planning to put its facial recognition technology into the long-rumored folding iPhone, according to a new leak this week.

Apple has long been rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone and a new leak this week suggests it’ll have another feature that has yet to appear in any Apple phone: a camera embedded under the screen for Face ID.

The latest rumor offers possible dimensions for the anticipated iPhone Fold and indications that it could have under-screen camera technology. Leaker Digital Chat Station, as reported earlier by 9to5Mac, suggested a 7.76-inch inner screen with a 2,713×1,920-pixel resolution and a 5.49-inch outer screen with a 2,088×1,422-pixel resolution.

Previous rumors have estimated a potential 2026 or 2027 release for an iPhone that folds like a book. A 2027 release would tie into the iPhone’s 20th anniversary. The dimensions in this leak align with those in this previous rumor, with an expected price tag between $2,000 and $2,500.

Rumors have been split on which format of foldable Apple is releasing or even releasing first. This report suggests a book-style foldable is coming akin to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, while older ones suggested Apple was working on a clamshell foldable like the Motorola Razr.

Read more: Why Apple Needs to Launch the Foldable iPhone Flip This Year

Apple remains the only major smartphone maker not offering a folding phone. Challenges with the hinge and the display screen have reportedly held up the development.

Apple has also reportedly been working on a giant folding iPad. That product is rumored to open to the size of two iPad Pros and could be eyed for a 2028 debut.

If Apple does move forward with a folding iPhone, CNET’s Andrew Lanxon has some suggestions, namely that the software needs to take advantage of the folding ability and that the company should offer high-end models alongside more affordable options. «A foldable iPhone needs to be more than just a regular iPhone with a screen that can bend,» Lanxon wrote last month.

Technologies

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 19, #412

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 412 for April 19. Well, this was a weird one.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Todays NYT Strands puzzle might be tricky. The theme is an odd once, but once you get it, you’ll likely see the other answers start popping up. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: _ _ _ a _ _ _

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Hot take.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

STEAL, LEASE, LEAST, BRAT, BREATHE, DATE, MUTE, TUBER, CANE, FEEL, TRUE, NICE, SELF, HATE, BREATH, SELF, NICE, TILE.

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

HIKE, HINT, CHANCE, GANDER, NUMBER, SELFIE, BREATHER.

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is TAKETHAT. All the words can follow «take a,» as in «take a hike.» To find the spangram, start with the T that’s two letters over to the right on the very top row, and wind down.

Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest in recent weeks.

#1: Dated slang, Jan. 21. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! Jan.15. I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook, Jan. 9. Similar to the Jan. 15 puzzle in that it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK