Thanks to True Tone, Apple ensures that the screens of your iPhone, iPad and Mac are nicer to look at. But what exactly is this screen technique, how does it work and which devices support it?
What is True Tone?
With True Tone, the screen automatically adjusts the white balance of the screen to your environment. Sensors in the edges of the screen look at the ambient light and adjust the color of the screen accordingly. This can best be compared to a white sheet of paper. If you put it under a red lamp, the paper is also redder, but because it matches the rest of the environment, this does not look bad to us.
That is why you often only notice that the technology is active when you turn the function off after a while. Then you will only notice how white and light the image of your iDevice or Mac is if it does not take the environment into account.
Difference between True Tone and Night Shift
True Tone is therefore slightly different from Night Shift, another screen technology from Apple. With Night Shift, the screen blocks the emission of blue light, which keeps you awake in the evening and causes sleeping problems. This gives the screen a yellow color in the evening and at night so that you can look at it more comfortably in the dark and not disturb your night’s sleep.
Also read: Tip: This is how Night Shift works on iOS and this is how you set it up
Which devices support True Tone?
This is a relatively new technology, which is only supported by the high-end (and more expensive) devices from Apple. The list of supporting devices is as follows:
- MacBook Pro 2018
- iPad Pro
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone X
In the future, all new high-end products from Apple will also support the screen technology.
How do I turn True Tone on and off?
We recommend enabling the feature by default, but if you are a graphic designer or otherwise edit photos and videos regularly, this is not feasible. Because this changes the white balance, it affects the colors of your photos and videos.
On the iPhone and iPad, you can switch True Tone on and off with the following steps:
- Open the Settings app;
- Go to ‘Display and brightness’;
- Turn the switch behind ‘True Tone’ on or off.
It works slightly differently on the MacBook:
- Click on the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen;
- Choose ‘System Preferences’;
- Click on ‘Displays’;
- In the ‘Display’ tab, check or uncheck ‘True Tone’.
Looking for more tips and tutorials about Apple products? Check out our extensive tips archive!