Turn Off Automatic Night Mode on iPhone (iOS 17)

This guide shows you how to stop your iPhone from automatically shifting its display to warmer, dimmer colors in the evening. Turning this off means your screen will keep the same brightness and color profile you set manually, day and night. You only need your iPhone with iOS 13 or later; the steps are identical across recent versions.

What You’ll Need

Your iPhone with the Settings app (pre-installed).
Your passcode or Face ID/Touch ID, in case you need to confirm changes.

Step-by-Step

Open the Settings app. It’s the gray gear icon on your home screen or in your App Library.
Tap “Display & Brightness.” This is usually the third or fourth option in the main settings list, near the top.
Tap “Night Shift.” You’ll find it right below the brightness slider and above the “True Tone” toggle.
Turn off the “Scheduled” toggle. This is the switch at the top of the Night Shift screen. When it’s green, scheduling is on. Tap it once to turn it gray — this disables the automatic sunset-to-sunrise or custom time-based activation.
Verify “Manually Enable Until Tomorrow” is off. Below the Scheduled toggle, you’ll see this option. If it’s blue (enabled), tap it to turn it off. This ensures Night Shift isn’t currently active and won’t turn on later tonight.
Exit Settings. Press the home button, swipe up from the bottom, or tap the back arrow until you leave the Settings app. Your changes save automatically.

After these steps, your iPhone will no longer automatically apply the warm color filter at night. The screen will stay at the brightness and color temperature you set in Control Center or in Settings > Display & Brightness.

Common Mistakes

Turning off the toggle in Control Center instead. The sun/moon icon in Control Center only toggles Night Shift on or off for the current moment. It does not disable the schedule. You must go into Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift to turn off the automatic scheduling.
Confusing Night Shift with True Tone. True Tone adjusts the screen to match ambient lighting throughout the day, which also makes colors warmer. If you want a fully consistent display, you may need to turn off both. True Tone is a separate toggle right above Night Shift in the Display & Brightness menu.
Forgetting the “Manually Enable” toggle. If you previously turned on Night Shift manually and never turned it off, it will stay active until the next morning, even after you disable the schedule. Make sure this toggle is off too.
Not checking for a new iOS update. While rare, some older iOS versions had slightly different menu layouts. If you don’t see “Night Shift” under Display & Brightness, check that your iPhone is running iOS 13 or later by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

Tips

Use a custom schedule instead of full-off. If you like warmer colors at night but not the default times, tap “Scheduled” back on, then choose “Custom Schedule” and set your own start and end times. This gives you the best of both worlds.
Adjust the color temperature. If you keep Night Shift on a schedule, use the “Color Temperature” slider on the same screen. Moving it left makes the effect less warm (closer to your normal screen), which many people find less jarring.
Use a Shortcut for quick control. You can create an Automation in the Shortcuts app that turns Night Shift on or off at specific times or when you arrive at a location, giving you more control than the built-in schedule.
Consider Dark Mode instead. If your goal is easier nighttime viewing, Dark Mode (Settings > Display & Brightness > Dark) reduces white areas without changing color temperature. You can schedule Dark Mode separately from Night Shift.

Troubleshooting

Night Shift still turns on after you disabled it. First, go back to Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift and confirm the “Scheduled” toggle is gray. Then, check the “Manually Enable Until Tomorrow” toggle — if it’s blue, tap it off. If it still activates, restart your iPhone by holding the side button and either volume button until the power off slider appears, then slide to power off and turn it back on.

The screen still looks warm at night. This is likely True Tone, not Night Shift. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and turn off the “True Tone” toggle. Also check your display’s color filters: go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters and make sure it’s off, as some filters can cause a permanent tint.

You can’t find the Night Shift option. This setting is only available on iPhones with a True Tone-capable display (iPhone 8 and later, plus iPhone SE 2nd generation and later). If you have an older model, Night Shift isn’t available. Also verify you’re not in “Low Power Mode” — while that doesn’t hide the setting, it can make the screen dimmer, which you might mistake for Night Shift.

The schedule keeps re-enabling itself. This can happen after an iOS update or a restore from backup. Re-check the toggle after any major software update. If it persists, reset all settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings). This won’t delete your data, but it will reset display settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and other preferences.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will turning off Night Shift drain my battery faster?
A: No. Night Shift has no significant effect on battery life. The screen brightness and your usage patterns are what matter most.

Q: How do I turn off Night Shift just for one night?
A: Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center, then tap the sun/moon icon. This turns it off until the next scheduled start time, or until tomorrow morning if you have a custom schedule.

Q: Does Night Shift affect photos I take?
A: No. Night Shift only changes how the screen displays colors. It has no effect on the camera sensor or the image files you capture.

Q: Can I schedule Night Shift for specific days of the week?
A: No, the built-in scheduler only allows daily times (or sunrise to sunset). For day-specific scheduling, you’d need to use the Shortcuts app with an automation that checks the day of the week.

Q: Why is my screen yellow even with Night Shift off?
A: This is almost always True Tone. Turn it off in Settings > Display & Brightness. If the yellow tint remains, check Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters and ensure it’s off. As a last resort, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings.

Q: Will my iPhone automatically turn Night Shift back on after a restart?
A: No. If you’ve turned off the “Scheduled” toggle, it will stay off across restarts and software updates. Only a full settings reset or restoring from an old backup could re-enable it.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →