What’s the difference between True Tone and Night Shift?

Answered by Willie Powers

True Tone and Night Shift are both features available on Apple devices that aim to improve the viewing experience by adjusting the display settings. However, there are some key differences between the two.

True Tone is a technology that constantly evaluates the ambient light in a room or environment and automatically adjusts the display to match the surrounding lighting conditions. This means that the colors and intensity of the display will change in real-time to provide a more natural and consistent viewing experience. True Tone uses sensors to measure the color temperature of the light and then adjusts the display accordingly. For example, if you are in a warm, yellowish room, True Tone will warm up the display to match the lighting. Similarly, if you are in a cool, bluish environment, True Tone will cool down the display to match the surroundings.

On the other hand, Night Shift is a feature that aims to reduce the amount of blue light emitted by the display, particularly in the evening and at night. Blue light has been known to interfere with sleep patterns and can cause eye strain. Night Shift can be scheduled to automatically turn on at a specific time, usually in the early evening, and then turn off in the morning. When Night Shift is active, it applies a warmer color temperature to the display, reducing the amount of blue light. This can help to alleviate eye strain and promote better sleep.

While True Tone is constantly adjusting the display based on the surrounding lighting conditions, Night Shift is more of a blunt tool that applies a fixed color temperature at specific times. True Tone provides a more dynamic and adaptive experience, ensuring that the display always looks natural regardless of the lighting conditions. Night Shift, on the other hand, is a more static feature that aims to reduce blue light specifically during evening and nighttime hours.

In terms of user control, True Tone is typically enabled by default on devices that support it, such as the latest iPhone and iPad models. However, users can manually disable or adjust True Tone settings in the display settings of their device. Night Shift, on the other hand, needs to be manually enabled and can be scheduled to turn on and off at specific times.

True Tone is a technology that adjusts the display in real-time based on the surrounding lighting conditions, while Night Shift is a feature that reduces blue light emission during evening and nighttime hours. True Tone provides a more dynamic and adaptive experience, while Night Shift is more of a fixed setting. Both features aim to improve the viewing experience and reduce eye strain, but they do so in slightly different ways.