Why Is iPhone Brightness Not Working? How to Fix?

Ever tried to read a text on your iPhone under the blazing sun, only to find the screen stubbornly dim? Or worse, been blinded by a piercingly bright screen in a dark room? If your iPhone’s brightness settings seem to have a mind of their own, you’re not alone. This frustrating issue can pop up unexpectedly, but don’t despair.

Before you reach for the sunglasses (or the eye drops!), let’s figure out why your iPhone’s brightness isn’t cooperating. In this article, we will help you troubleshoot your iPhone’s brightness issues. Ready to get your screen back to perfect brightness?

Why Is iPhone Brightness Not Working?

Brightness problems are super annoying!  One minute you’re scrolling through social media in perfect lighting, the next you’re squinting to see anything on the screen.

The good news is, that there are usually simple explanations behind why your iPhone’s brightness isn’t working properly. Let’s look at some of these reasons:

• Software Issues: Every now and then, your iPhone’s operating system (iOS) might experience temporary glitches. They can interfere with how it controls brightness.
• Auto-Brightness Interference: The auto-brightness on your iPhone is like a helpful friend who sometimes messes up. It tries to adjust the screen light for you, but it can get tricked by the lighting. That’s why your screen might be super dim even on a sunny beach, or blindingly bright at night.
• Reduce White Point: The Reduce White Point accessibility setting lowers the intensity of bright colors. It is designed to make the screen easier on the eyes. However, it might make your whole screen appear less vibrant and a bit dimmer.
• Hardware Concerns (Less Likely): While uncommon, there’s a possibility of a hardware issue.

Something could be wrong with the actual screen of your iPhone that makes everything look dimmer. Or, the tiny sensors that adjust brightness automatically might be broken. That’s why the brightness won’t change even when the light around you does.

Now, let’s get started on fixing these! We’ll get your screen shining bright (or comfortably dim) again.

How to Fix iPhone Brightness Not Working?

Alright, let’s get your iPhone screen to behave properly again! We’ll look into some solutions, starting simple and going deeper if needed.

Way 1: Restart iPhone

Sometimes, a simple restart can fix all sorts of strange iPhone problems, including weird brightness. Here’s how to restart your iPhone, depending on the model you have:

• For iPhone X or later:

Step 1: Hold the volume button and the side button together.

Step 2: Slide the power-off slider when it shows up.

Step 3: Wait, then hold the side button to turn it back on.

• For iPhone SE, 8 or earlier:

Step 1: Hold down the button on the side or top of your phone.

Step 2: Slide the power-off slider that appears.

Step 3: Wait a bit, then hold the same button again to turn it on.

Didn’t fix the issue? Let’s move on to the next step.

Way 2: Check Auto-Brightness

iPhones try to be smart with the auto-brightness thing. It’s supposed to make your screen easier to see, no matter how bright or dark it is around you. But sometimes, it just gets it wrong, making your screen weirdly dim or super bright.

Let’s see if that’s what’s messing things up:

Step 1: Go to “Settings”.

Step 2: Tap “Accessibility”.

Step 3: Choose “Display & Text Size”.

Step 4: Toggle the “Auto-Brightness” switch off. If it was already off, try turning it on, and then off again.

Still no luck? Don’t worry, there are more things to try!

Way 3: Adjust Brightness Manually

Auto-brightness tries to be helpful, but sometimes it gets confused. It might think things are brighter than they are, or maybe you just like to be in charge. Either way, here’s the easy fix:

Step 1:  Open your Control Center.

Step 2: Find the brightness slider.

Step 3: Drag up for brighter, down for dimmer.

Still having trouble? Let’s dig a little deeper into your iPhone’s software.

Way 4: Fix iOS Issues

Sometimes, the brightness problem goes deeper than just a misbehaving setting. Sometimes, your iPhone’s software (iOS) can have a little bug. That’s where AnyFix – iOS System Recovery comes in to help. AnyFix acts as your iPhone’s tech support team. It’s a program made to fix all annoying iOS problems. Things like a frozen screen, apps that won’t open, weird brightness issues, stuck on Apple logo, boot loop, etc can all be fixed. And the best part? It fixes all those problems without deleting your photos, messages, or anything else important. All you need to do is click the buttons to repair the system.

To fix your brightness issue, here is what you can do:

Step 1: Download and launch AnyFix on your computer. Using a USB cable connect iPhone to computer. Click System Repair option.

Step 2: Choose the issue you want to fix. Then, click on Start Now.

Step 3: Click on the Standard Repair option if you don’t want to lose your important data.

Step 4: Download the firmware. Once downloaded, click on the Start Standard Repair button.

Step 5: Wait for the repair to be completed.

If software troubleshooting doesn’t help, we’ll try some other quick workarounds.

Way 5: Use Shade or Cover

Stuck outside on a sunny day? Can’t see a thing on your screen? Or maybe you’re in bed at night, and your phone’s way too bright. Don’t worry! There are simple ways to fix it, no special tools needed.

• When Outside: Create shade with your hand or find a spot where the sun isn’t blasting your screen.
• At Night: Try a screen cover or filter to dim things down and save your eyes. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best!

Let’s try adjusting the accessibility setting next.

Way 6: Disable Reduce White Point

iPhones have this neat setting called “Reduce White Point.” It’s meant to tone down super bright colors so they’re easier on your eyes. But sometimes, it can make your whole screen look dimmer than you’d like. Let’s see if turning it off makes a difference:

Step 1: Go to “Settings.”

Step 2: Tap “Accessibility.”

Step 3: Choose “Display & Text Size.”

Step 4: Toggle the “Reduce White Point” switch off.

If the setting was already off, try toggling it on and then off again, just in case.

However, even if this didn’t work, let’s try one last thing.

Way 7: Reset All Settings on iPhone

This is your last option – it’s like hitting the reset button on your iPhone.  It wipes out all your personalized settings, like your wallpaper, Wi-Fi passwords, and brightness settings. If nothing else works, it’s worth trying. But remember, you’ll need to set everything up again later!

Here’s how to do the reset:

Step 1: Go to “Settings”.

Step 2: Tap “General”.

Step 3: Scroll way down and choose “Transfer or Reset iPhone.”

Step 4: Select “Reset.”

Step 5: Choose “Reset All Settings.”

Hopefully, one of these solutions brought your iPhone screen back to its bright self! If not, it might be time to consider a hardware issue and consult a professional.

The Bottom Line

Phone problems can be a pain, but they happen to everyone, even with our favorite iPhones! Don’t worry, you can fix those brightness problems yourself. If your iPhone’s brightness acts weird again, stay calm. Try the fixes in this guide. And if this issue is caused by system issues, don’t forget to get rid of this problem with AnyFix in simple clicks. You should be able to see your screen perfectly again in no time. But if you can’t do it yourself, seek professional help.