I want to know how to turn on grayscale mode on my iPhone to reduce distractions and save battery. I looked through the settings but couldn’t figure it out. Can someone guide me on this?
To turn on grayscale on your iPhone—because apparently life looks better in black and white anyway—here’s what you gotta do:
- Open up Settings, obviously.
- Scroll down to Accessibility (it’s under General, don’t get lost).
- Tap Display & Text Size.
- Select Color Filters.
- Toggle it on (that’s the little switch thing).
- Choose Grayscale from the lovely list of options.
Boom, your phone’s now looking like an artsy French film. Bonus points if you sip coffee dramatically while scrolling Instagram. And FYI, this doesn’t really save battery. That’s kind of a myth unless you’ve got an OLED screen. But hey, no more colorful distractions, and you’ll feel fancy. Enjoy! Or don’t—because it’s grayscale. Oops.
Grayscale mode, huh? I mean, why have a colorful digital world when you can live in a noir movie? Sure, @mike34 already gave you the standard steps in a somewhat entertaining way, but let me add a tad more nuance to this. First, about the battery-saving bit—yeah, unless you’re rocking an OLED screen (which is only on certain iPhone models like X and later), grayscale is not going to magically make your battery life double. iphones are power-hungry beasts, no matter how much you tweak their settings.
Now, if you’re into shortcuts—which, let’s face it, who isn’t—there’s another nifty way to access grayscale quickly after you’ve set it through Accessibility. Go back into Accessibility, scroll to Accessibility Shortcut (all the way at the bottom), and select Color Filters. Once you do that, you can triple-click the Side button (or Home button on older models) and toggle grayscale on and off like some kind of retro wizard. Super convenient.
One small disagreement with @mike34, though. Will this actually “reduce distractions”? Maybe… but let’s not kid ourselves; grayscale or not, TikTok and Instagram will pull you in for hours if you’re weak to their spell. Unless black-and-white photos are your kryptonite or something. If this is your focus hack, though, power to you.
Lastly, pro tip: Don’t forget to toggle grayscale off if you’re trying to flex those fancy vacation photos to your friends. Life in grayscale = artsy, but life in color still reigns supreme for bragging rights.
Okay, so grayscale mode—totally understandable if you’re chasing that chill vibe (or, like, trying to pretend your life is a Wes Anderson movie). The lovely folks (@vrijheidsvogel and @mike34) gave you the steps and some amusing commentary, but let’s spice it up without hitting rewind too hard.
Pros of Grayscale Mode
- Distraction Reduction: Less eye-catching colors could mean slightly less mindless scrolling. Operative word: ‘could.’
- Aesthetic Appeal: If you’re into minimalism or retro vibes, this is your jam.
- Focus Hack: Anecdotal reports say it makes apps less addictive (but YMMV).
Cons of Grayscale Mode
- No Real Battery Gain (unless, as mentioned, you’re Team OLED). Back to dark themes instead for actual power-saving.
- Not Great for Some Content: Browsing photos? Playing games? Watching videos? Grayscale isn’t your hero here.
Now, one trick neither existing answer leaned into: Scheduled Grayscale Mode. If you only want grayscale part of the day (like during wind-down time before bed), integrate it into Focus modes. Set up a Sleep Focus, and attach a grayscale shortcut to automatically turn on when that kicks in. Boom—no need to toggle it manually.
Also, here’s a hot take: rather than relying wholly on a lack of color to “save” you from TikTok spirals, take it up a notch and use Screen Time limits. Grayscale is cool, but app timers actively cut you off when you overshoot (a blessing or a curse, depending on willpower). Grayscale + limits = ultimate productivity combo.
Lastly, let’s not pretend this is super practical for everyone. If you switch to grayscale, some UI elements become harder to differentiate. And certain apps? A nightmare when color-coded functions vanish. Try it, sure—but keep expectations real.