iPhone fans have just discovered a hidden ‘red mode’ introduced in last year’s iOS update.
The feature initially left some users worried that their devices had suffered water damage or been hacked.
However, it was specifically designed to help users relax and sleep better at night as research has suggested that red lights have no effect on the circadian clock.
The so-called ‘red mode’ was introduced with Apple’s iOS 17 operating system as part of StandBy -a customizable version of the Lock Screen that activates when the iPhone is charging and placed on its side in landscape mode.
To activate the colored feature, you can either use the Color Filters feature to apply a red tint or enable Night Mode in StandBy to adjust the screen’s colors to red.
To enable Color Filters, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters.
Alternatively, activate StandBy in Settings, connect your iPhone to a charger, and place it on its side.
‘You can use StandBy to turn your iPhone into a bedside clock, a photo frame, or a display for widgets or Live Activities in full screen,’ the tech giant explained.
While some have worried that the blood red screen (pictured) is a sign of water damage, or hackers, or something even worse, the truth is that this surprising color change is a new feature designed to help iPhone owners and their loved ones get a good night’s sleep
‘When Night Mode is turned on for StandBy, the screen adapts to low ambient light at night, displaying items with a red tint to minimize disturbance while you sleep.’
Users can set the feature to either ‘Automatically’, which adjusts based on the ambient light around the device, or ‘After 20 Seconds’, which activates red mode when the phone is charging on its side.
A Reddit user sought help on the platform when their iPhone screen unexpectedly turned red while placed on its side.
‘Any ideas why my widgets are red on the lock screen?’ they asked.
Some users quickly explained, ‘The red light only comes on when your room is dark.’
Others were baffled by the feature, with one user posting: ‘What!! How!? I feel like I could never find the setting for it.’
Another Redditor commented: ‘As a hardcore Android lover, I have to say I keep getting impressed by Apple almost every time.’
Interestingly, red light, like this hidden Apple feature, may encourage the release of melatonin.
Mariana Figueiro, director of the Mount Sinai Light and Health Research Center in New York City, told CNN: ‘The only thing that you could argue is that if you give that red light in the evening prior to sleep, you’re minimizing the disruption of the circadian system.
And as one user pointed out on Reddit, ‘red mode’ will help people see better in the dark as they navigate to the bathroom or to the kitchen for a midnight snack
iPhone fans have just discovered a hidden ‘red mode’ introduced in last year’s iOS update. It was tucked in Apple’s iOS 17
‘[That is] because disruption of the circadian system occurs with bright or blue light.
‘In other words, it might be that any benefits come from replacing the light you’re exposed to before sleep with red light, rather than adding the latter during sleep.
‘And that may be what leads to better sleep.’
Blue wavelength light — like the kind glowing off LED monitors and visible in broad daylight — has been found to suppress the secretion of melatonin, a hormone integral to the process of letting the human body know when it’s time to sleep.
Although some clinical studies claim the connection has been exaggerated, research out of Harvard and the University of Toronto confirmed a link between these light exposures and shifts in both production of the hormone and circadian rhythms.
‘The wider-ranging implication of our work is the demonstration that the standard of illumination used by the lighting industry and clinical research community is inappropriate when assessing its effects on the circadian system,’ Harvard Medical School professor Charles Czeisler said.
In other words, light color as much as light brightness or illumination matters when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.