Learn how to turn off the Screen Distance feature so you no longer get the full-screen “iPhone/iPad is Too Close” message when you hold the device close to your eyes.
Screen Distance is a thoughtful feature in iOS and iPadOS to reduce eye strain, minimize the risk of myopia, protect your eyesight, and support vision health.
When you’ve been holding and using your iPhone or iPad with Face ID too close to your face for an extended period of time, your device will block what’s on the screen and show you a full-screen alert asking you to move your device a little farther from your eyes.
Once you move the device farther away, the Continue button will become blue. You can tap this button and resume what you were doing earlier on your iPhone or iPad.
It’s a safety feature that I urge you to leave enabled. But if you’re annoyed by the constant screen blockage when you’re watching a movie in bed or reading a long document and your eyesight requires you to hold the screen near to your eyes so that the text becomes legible, you can easily switch it off.
Turn off Screen Distance on iPhone or iPad
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap Screen Time.
- Tap Screen Distance under the Limit Usage heading.
- Turn off the switch for Screen Distance.
From now on, your iPhone or iPad won’t show a screen shield even if you hold the device too close to your eyes for a long time.
In case you still get the “iPhone is Too Close” message, follow the above steps again and turn Screen Distance on and back off. After that, restart your iPhone or iPad.
If you ever change your mind, follow the above steps and turn Screen Distance back on.
How Screen Distance works on iPhone and iPad
The Face ID sensors on your iPhone or iPad measure the distance between the screen and your eyes. If you or your children have been holding the device less than 12 inches from your eyes for a while, Screen Distance will shield the entire screen and ask you to move the iPhone or iPad farther away before you can use it.
Once you have moved the device more than 12 inches away, the Continue button becomes active. You can tap it to remove the screen shield.
Note: The Screen Distance feature does not trigger the Face ID camera system to capture your photos or videos. It merely takes account of the distance between your eyes and the display. The data it collects remains locally on the device and is not shared even with Apple.
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