If you’ve ever been frustrated by your iPhone’s Auto-Brightness feature not working properly, you’re not alone. Many iPhone users have reported issues with their device not adjusting its screen brightness based on the ambient light in the room.

Auto-Brightness is a useful feature that adjusts the screen’s brightness according to the lighting conditions around it. It helps conserve battery life by not keeping brightness levels unnecessarily high in low-light situations. However, if it’s not working as intended, it can be annoying and even affect your eyesight.

Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to troubleshoot this issue on your iPhone. Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Check if Auto-Brightness is turned on

The first thing you need to do is ensure that the Auto-Brightness feature is enabled on your iPhone. To do this, go to Settings > Display & Brightness, and toggle the Auto-Brightness switch to on. If it’s already on, turn it off and then turn it back on again.

Step 2: Clean your iPhone’s ambient light sensor

Your iPhone’s ambient light sensor is responsible for detecting the lighting conditions around it and adjusting the screen brightness accordingly. Sometimes, this sensor can become obstructed or covered with dirt, which can interfere with its functionality.

To clean your iPhone’s ambient light sensor, use a soft cloth or a cotton swab and gently wipe the area around the sensor. Make sure there’s no dirt, dust, or residue left on the sensor.

Step 3: Turn off True Tone

True Tone is another feature that can interfere with your iPhone’s Auto-Brightness functionality. It adjusts the color temperature of your screen to match the ambient light in the room. While this feature can make colors look more natural, it can also affect the accuracy of your Auto-Brightness feature.

To turn off True Tone, go to Settings > Display & Brightness, and toggle the True Tone switch to off.

Step 4: Restart your iPhone

Sometimes, all your iPhone needs is a simple restart to fix any software-related issues that might be interfering with Auto-Brightness. To restart your device, press and hold the side button (or top button, depending on your iPhone model) and either volume button until the power off slider appears. Swipe the slider to the right to turn off your phone. Wait a few seconds, then press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears.

Step 5: Update your iPhone’s software

If your iPhone’s Auto-Brightness still isn’t working after trying the above steps, it’s possible there’s a software-related issue affecting the feature. To fix this, you need to update your iPhone to the latest software version. Go to Settings > General > Software Update, and see if there’s an update available. If there is, download and install it on your phone.