How to turn off the iPhone's 'most helpful and infuriating iOS feature'
Screen distance can be more than a little frustrating, some users have said.
Every time it releases a new iPhone, Apple also sends out a new version of iOS, its operating software, and the additions it makes can be a mixed bag.
Sometimes, it'll make a change that people have been asking for over long years of waiting, but other times it'll add something no one thought they needed.
Most recently, an addition that came with the arrival of iOS 17 has been a very unwelcome one - Screen Distance.
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This is a new feature aimed at helping people to maintain good practices with their phone, keeping it at arm's length instead of staring at it from mere inches away.
The idea is pretty clear - it's better for your eyes to read text at a little distance, rather than right up in front of your nose, so this setting lets your iPhone remind you of this fact if its depth sensor detects that you're a little close to the screen.
The warning that it brings up, though, isn't a little pop-up or a dialogue box, but rather a full-screen warning that you have to tap "Continue" on to dismiss.
Thankfully, it's quite easy to turn it off entirely. All you have to do is follow these steps:
- Open your Settings app
- Tap on Screen Time
- Tap on Screen Distance
- Turn the setting on or off
A Reddit post this week has drawn attention to just how few fans this setting seems to have - it's a simple screenshot of the warning screen.
The headline on the thread reads: 'The most helpful and infuriating iOS feature'.
Underneath that post, there are plenty of comments from people who find the setting annoying, including one who griped: "Arms length? That’s the distance I use my 24-inch monitor. No way I’m using my iPhone or iPad that far."
Another user wrote: "I tried it for not even a few minutes and got fed up immediately. I'm getting older but I refuse to put my fonts the same size as my mother!".
However, there is also a clear population in the comments thread who might not be defending the setting that much, but also think it's a bit much to complain about it when it's so easy to turn off.
Plus, there are others who argue that the annoying nature of the warning is what makes it effective, as one person said: "I turned it on too, and I hate it. It works perfectly. I just hate that I have the habit of holding it too close, but I know it is beneficial in the long run. It’s a great feature."
So, as it turns out, there are some people using Screen Distance and finding it effective - perhaps some extra settings to edit how many times a day it can warn you would provide a helpful middle ground for those struggling to get on board.