Your Guide to Apple’s True Tone Display Technology & How to Use It

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Discover what True Tone does on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac
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If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer, you may have noticed a setting called "True Tone." While it's clear that this setting refers to something with your device's display, Apple doesn't give a lengthy explanation of what this setting is—which may leave you wondering, "What does True Tone even do?" True Tone is a setting that will adjust your display's color and intensity as the ambient light around you changes. This can lead to an easier viewing experience and may even help reduce eye strain while using your device. In this article we'll explain what True Tone is and give a little background about the feature before telling you how to enable it on all of your Apple devices.

Things You Should Know

  • True Tone was initially added to the iPad Pro in 2016, and was added to iPhones and Macbooks in mid-2018.
  • When toggled on, True Tone will gently correct the white balance of your screen to match the light around you.
  • True Tone can be toggled on or off in your device settings, under "Display & Brightness" on iPhone and iPad and "Displays" on Macbook.
Section 1 of 2:

What is True Tone?

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    White balance establishes the true color of white on your screen, and from this baseline, the tones of all colors are measured and displayed. On your iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer, True Tone will automatically adjust the white balance of your display to match the ambient light around you. According to Apple, this leads to a "more natural and accurate, paper-white viewing experience." [1]
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    Apple says True Tone uses advanced, multichannel sensors that are built into your device to measure the light around you. On your iPhone, iPad, or Macbook, the sensor can be seen next to the front-facing camera (or webcam, for Macbooks).
    • Some users state that True Tone helps with eye strain, but the intended purpose of True Tone is to properly display colors on your device. This is especially helpful for people who work in creative industries who rely on accurate digital representations of colors.
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    [2] Since then, it was added to iPhones and Macbooks in 2018 with the iPhone XR [3] and the 13- and 15-inch Macbook Pro [4] .
    • True Tone is available on every iPhone and Macbook released since mid-2018 and every iPad released since 2016.
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    Night Shift is a setting that automatically changes your device's display backlighting to a warm-toned light, which is useful if blue light makes it difficult for you to sleep.
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Section 2 of 2:

Enabling or Disabling True Tone

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On iPhone and iPad

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    True Tone is toggled on by default, but you can turn it off in your iPhone or iPad settings if you prefer. You can also follow these steps to ensure True Tone is turned on if you notice that your screen isn't displaying colors properly.
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    You may have to scroll to find this section, and it has an icon of two white letter A's on a blue background.
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    If the toggle is green, True Tone is currently enabled on your device, and if it's gray then it's disabled. Simply tap the toggle to turn True Tone on or off for your device. [5]
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On macOS Ventura or Later

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    True Tone is available on Macbooks, and is also available for the Apple Studio Display and Apple Pro Display XDR external monitors .
    • True Tone can also adjust external displays such as TVs that are 32 inches or smaller if they are connected to a Macbook with the lid open or a 2020 or newer iMac . [6]
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    The Displays option will be in the sidebar.
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    If you only have one display connected, it should default to that screen.
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    If you don't see a True Tone option, your display or device doesn't support True Tone.
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On Earlier macOS Versions

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    True Tone is available on Macbooks, and is also available for the Apple Studio Display and Apple Pro Display XDR external monitors.
    • True Tone can also adjust external displays such as TVs that are 32 inches or smaller if they are connected to a Macbook with the lid open or a 2020 or newer iMac.
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    If you only have one display, it should show up by default.
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    If you don't see a True Tone option, your display or device doesn't support True Tone.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2016/03/21Apple-Introduces-9-7-inch-iPad-Pro/
      2. ↑ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2016/03/21Apple-Introduces-9-7-inch-iPad-Pro/
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/adjust-screen-brightness-color-balance-iph60ba71065/ios
      4. ↑ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/07/apple-updates-macbook-pro-with-faster-performance-and-new-features-for-pros/
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202613
      6. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-gb/102147

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