Apple iPhone 17 Lets You Turn Off PWM Dimming—Here’s How to Use It

Apple unveiled its latest iPhone lineup, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the iPhone Air. While the event highlighted new features and hardware upgrades, one technical aspect did not receive attention during the presentation: pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming.

PWM dimming rapidly switches the display on and off to adjust brightness. At low rates, this can cause discomfort for sensitive users, including eye strain, headaches, and fatigue. Apple has now introduced a setting that allows users to disable PWM entirely, providing a different method for adjusting screen brightness.

All new iPhone 17 models include the feature under Accessibility > Display Pulse Smoothing. According to Apple, this option “disables pulse width modulation to provide a different way to dim the OLED display, which can create a smoother display output at low brightness levels. Disabling PWM may affect low brightness display performance under certain conditions.”

The change addresses a long-standing complaint, as Apple devices have historically used low-frequency PWM, which has caused discomfort for some users. Android manufacturers, except for Samsung and Google, have mostly mitigated this issue by implementing higher-frequency PWM, reducing adverse effects for users.

Experts note that Apple’s addition allows greater flexibility for users who experience sensitivity to low PWM. The company has not yet combined high PWM rates with the option to disable it, a feature some hope will appear in future devices.

The iPhone 17 series continues to push hardware improvements, but this subtle adjustment could improve accessibility and comfort for users with visual sensitivities.