What "changing color on iPhone screen" actually means
When people talk about changing the color on an iPhone screen, they usually mean one of three things: adjusting the overall color tone of your display, turning on a blue-light filter for evening use, or enabling a grayscale mode that removes all color. None of these changes your iPhone's hardware. They are all software settings that live in your phone's accessibility or display menu and can be turned off just as easily as you turned them on.
The most common reason someone searches for this is eye strain or sleep disruption from blue light in the evening. The second is that they want to reduce distractions or make their phone less appealing to use. The third is that they are exploring accessibility features because they have color blindness or low vision. Each route uses different settings, so it helps to know which one you are actually looking for.
Key Takeaways
- Night Shift, found in Settings > Display & Brightness, adds a warm orange tone to reduce blue light in the evening and can be scheduled automatically.
- Grayscale mode, found in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size, removes all color from your screen and is useful for reducing phone use or managing color blindness.
- Color filters in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size let you adjust how your phone displays color if you have color vision deficiency.
- All of these settings can be toggled on and off from your Control Center once you set them up, so you do not have to dig through menus every time.
Night Shift: the warm orange filter for evening
Night Shift is Apple's built-in blue-light filter. It shifts your screen toward the warmer (orange and red) end of the spectrum, which research suggests can help you fall asleep more easily if you use your phone before bed. The filter does not actually remove blue light — it just makes it less intense.
To turn on Night Shift, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift. You can set it to turn on and off at specific times (for example, 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.) or turn it on manually whenever you want. The slider at the bottom lets you choose how warm the screen gets — all the way to the left is barely noticeable, all the way to the right is very orange. Most people start in the middle and adjust from there.
Once Night Shift is set up, you can also toggle it on and off from your Control Center. Swipe down from the top right corner of your screen, find the Night Shift icon (it looks like a sun), and tap it. This is faster than going back into Settings every time.
Grayscale mode: removing all color from your screen
Grayscale mode turns your entire screen black, white, and gray — no color at all. This is useful if you want to make your phone less visually stimulating, reduce the urge to scroll endlessly, or if you have color blindness and want to see how your phone looks without color information.
To turn on Grayscale, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters. Toggle on Color Filters, then make sure "Grayscale" is selected from the options below. Your screen will shift to black and white when ready.
Like Night Shift, you can add Grayscale to your Control Center for quick toggling. Go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls, scroll down to find "Color Filters," and tap the green plus sign next to it. Now you can turn Grayscale on and off without opening Settings.
Color filters: adjusting how your phone displays color
If you have color blindness or color vision deficiency, your iPhone can adjust its color output to make certain colors easier to distinguish. These are not the same as Grayscale — they keep color on your screen but shift it in ways that work better for your eyes.
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters. Toggle on Color Filters, then choose from Deuteranopia (red-green color blindness), Protanopia (another form of red-green color blindness), or Tritanopia (blue-yellow color blindness). Your screen will adjust in real time so you can see which one works best for you.
You can also adjust the intensity of the filter with the slider below. Some people find that a partial adjustment works better than the full setting. Once you find what works, add it to your Control Center the same way you would Grayscale — go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls and tap the plus sign next to Color Filters.
Why your screen color matters for your eyes and sleep
Your phone emits blue light, which your brain interprets as a signal that it is daytime. If you use your phone close to bedtime, that blue light can trick your body into staying alert when you should be winding down. Night Shift does not solve this completely — the best approach is still to put your phone down an hour before bed — but it can help reduce the effect.
Color filters and Grayscale are less about eye health and more about how your brain processes visual information. Grayscale in particular removes the visual reward that color provides, which can make your phone feel less engaging and easier to put down. Some people use it during work hours to stay focused, then turn it off in the evening.
Adding color controls to your Control Center
Once you have set up Night Shift, Grayscale, or Color Filters, the fastest way to use them is through your Control Center — the menu that appears when you swipe down from the top right of your screen (or up from the bottom on older iPhones).
To add any of these to your Control Center, go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls. Scroll through the list until you find the setting you want — Night Shift, Color Filters, or Display & Text Size. Tap the green plus sign next to it. Now when you open your Control Center, that control will appear and you can toggle it on or off with one tap.
You can rearrange the order of controls in your Control Center by holding down the three horizontal lines next to each one and dragging it up or down. This is useful if you use a particular setting often and want it near the top of the menu.
Turning off color changes and resetting to default
All of these settings are temporary and reversible. If you turn on Night Shift and decide you do not like it, you can turn it off the same way you turned it on — either through Settings or through your Control Center.
If you have multiple color settings turned on at once and your screen looks strange, go back to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and toggle off Color Filters. Then go to Settings > Display & Brightness and toggle off Night Shift. Your screen will return to normal. You can also check Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Increase Contrast or Reduce Transparency — if either of those is on, it can also affect how your screen looks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I schedule Night Shift to turn on automatically?
Yes. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift and toggle on "Schedule." Choose "Sunset to Sunrise" to have it follow your local sunset and sunrise times, or "Custom Schedule" to set specific times like 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Your phone will turn Night Shift on and off automatically at those times.
Does Grayscale actually help me use my phone less?
It can, but it is not a may provide. Grayscale removes the visual appeal of apps and social media, which makes them feel less rewarding to use. Some people find this genuinely helpful; others adapt quickly and do not notice a difference. The best way to find out is to try it for a few days and see how you feel.
Will using Night Shift hurt my eyes?
No. Night Shift is just a color adjustment — it does not change the brightness of your screen or emit any harmful light. If your eyes feel strained, the problem is usually screen time itself, not the color. Taking breaks and looking away from your phone helps more than any filter.
Can I use Night Shift and Grayscale at the same time?
Yes, but Grayscale will override Night Shift's color shift since Grayscale removes all color. If you want both the warmth of Night Shift and the reduced-distraction effect of Grayscale, you would need to choose one or the other. Most people use Night Shift in the evening and Grayscale during the day if they want to reduce phone use.