The True Tone Display on the iPad Is Way Cool (2024)

A True Tone display uses multiple sensors to adapt the color temperature of the device display according to surrounding light sources.It first appeared with the release of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and is available on select newer generation iPads, iPhones, and Macs.

Apple devices with True Tone displays are less reflective and possess a wide range of colors. These attributes work hand in hand with True Tone technology, which adjusts the colors you see on the screen based on lighting conditions to create a more accurate, true-to-life image.

A True Tone What?

When we look at an object, we don't just see the object itself.We also see the reflection of light bouncing off the object.If we are outside during the morning, this light might be a little redder due to the rising sun. It may be more yellow in the middle of the day, and if we are inside, we might have more pure white light bouncing off the object.

But if you never noticed this reflective ambient light, you aren't alone.The human brain filters these colors out of the objects we see, compensating for the reflection of these lights to give us a clearer picture of what we are seeing.

A great example of this is the dress that some people thought was white and gold. The human brain decides to tone out colors in some cases or to accentuate them in other instances. Because the colors used in the dress were essentially snuggling up against the borders of how our brain's color filter works, it had a drastic effect on how people perceived the dress's color.

True Tone and White Balance

True Tone doesn't have as drastic an effect, but it works on similar principles with anti-reflective properties on iPads, iPhones, and Macs.Blocking light reflection is important for making a display readable if you're outside during the day, but it also blocks some of these ambient colors.And because our brain doesn't know they're blocked out, it's still hard at work trying to compensate for that non-existent light.

True Tone comes into the picture by adjusting to the ambient light to make things look more natural. Our brain compensates for ambient light bouncing off objects, which is why a white piece of paper will look very white no matter if you view it under the bright sun, in the shade of a porch, or inside with artificial light.We see white as "very white" until something that is even more white comes into our field of vision.

But what about a screen that is designed to reduce the amount of reflective light?The white background in the iBooks app can end up appearing a little off under different lighting. This effect isn't because the app's background color changes—it doesn't—but because our brain is trying to filter out that non-existent ambient light.

In a way, True Tone adds in warm colors, and our brains filter some of that color.The result should be closer to what we might see if we were holding a real piece of paper in our hand.

So Does True Tone Make a Big Difference?

True Tone may make the iPad's screen a bit more realistic, but most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference unless you put a device with this technology and one without it, side by side.

For those using the iPad for photo editing or video editing that want to fine-tune the color of the images, True Tone may have a beneficial effect.This feature can be especially useful if comparing the colors to an actual photograph.

True Tone and the DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut

The True Tone display gets a lot of press time, but the real reason why the 9.7-inch iPad Pro's display looks better than any other iPad before it is the support for DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut, which dials the color on the iPad up to eleven.

The DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut can display 26 percent more colors than the sRGB color gamut used on many displays and TVs, and it matches the color gamut used by many digital films.

When you look at the True Tone display on an iPad Pro, and you think the image looks incredible, it probably has as much or more to do with jumping to DCI-P3 than it does the True Tone technology.Although, you get an awesome display when you combine all of these technologies.

OK, True Tone Is Awesome, but How Do I Turn It Off?

True Tone may not be for everyone. If you work with photos or video, you may want to flip it on or off depending on what you are trying to do.

True Tone is on by default, but you can turn it off:

  • On macOS, go to System Preferences > Displays and uncheck the box next to True Tone.
  • On iOS and iPadOS,go to Settings > Display & Brightness, and toggle the switch to the off position next to True Tone.

You can use True Tone with Night Shift. From the display settings on your device, adjust the warmth of colors in Night Shift, as well as turn auto-brightness on or off.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for letting us know!

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

Subscribe

Tell us why!

The True Tone Display on the iPad Is Way Cool (2024)

FAQs

Should you turn on True Tone on iPad? ›

True Tone,* which is turned on by default, uses advanced sensors to adjust the colour and intensity of your display to match the ambient light, so that images appear more natural. If you turn off True Tone, the display will keep the colour and intensity constant, regardless of any changes in the ambient light.

Why is True Tone Display good? ›

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."

How to make True Tone warmer? ›

To adjust the color temperature to be warmer or cooler, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift and use the color-temperature slider. Some display accessibility settings, including Invert Colors, Grayscale, and Increase Contrast, might turn off True Tone.

Is it better to have True Tone on or off? ›

True Tone won't affect the image itself, just how the screen displays it, a bit like putting on colored sunglasses. And you won't get the colors correct in the image when you're wearing colored sunglasses. So I'd suggest to keep True Tone turned off while painting.

Does True Tone drain battery health? ›

True Tone. “This feature can adjust the color temperature of your iPhone screen based on the ambient lighting conditions, which can drain your battery by constantly adjusting the color temperature,” Fennell adds.

What happens when you turn on True Tone? ›

The True Tone technology in Mac computers, Studio Display, and Apple Pro Display XDR uses advanced multichannel sensors to adjust the color and intensity of your display and Touch Bar to match the ambient light so that images appear more natural.

Does True Tone make your screen darker? ›

On supported models, True Tone automatically adapts the color and intensity of the display to match the light in your environment.

Is True Tone good for photos? ›

True Tone

Since True Tone skews colors to match the ambient light temperature, it's the most important option to disable if you're using your mobile device for color editing work. To toggle it, open Settings, Display & Brightness, then toggle True Tone.

Does True Tone prevent burn-in? ›

Lower your screen brightness

You'll find options here to enable automatic brightness, which lowers the illumination when you don't need it, plus True Tone and Night Shift settings that can help prevent image retention and burn-in by changing up the colors more regularly.

Is Apple True Tone good? ›

In terms of positives, True Tone is meant to reduce eye strain by better blending the visuals from your iPhone display with your environment and can make images appear more natural for the same reasons. However, some have found True Tone reduces the visual fidelity of video and photographs viewed on the iPhone.

Is True Tone good for your eyes? ›

One of True Tone's standout advantages is its exceptional ability to reduce eye strain. By adapting to the surrounding light, it transforms the display's colors into a more pleasing and readable format, making those long hours of smartphone use significantly easier on your eyes.

Does True Tone change color? ›

The True Tone technology in Mac computers, Studio Display, and Apple Pro Display XDR uses advanced multichannel sensors to adjust the color and intensity of your display and Touch Bar to match the ambient light so that images appear more natural.

Can True Tone be fixed? ›

Begin the preparation of restoring the true tone using the JCID programmer could be a solution. Then we need to use the programmer to read data on the original screen. You will need the True Tone Repair Board for this step. Once finished, disconnect the original screen and connect the aftermarket screen.

Is True Tone better than night shift? ›

While True Tone adjusts the color temperature to reduce eye strain, Night Shift specifically targets blue light emission to promote better sleep. Some users may find True Tone more beneficial for daytime use, while others may prefer Night Shift for evening screen time.

Does True Tone improve battery? ›

14 Disable True Tone Display

While this is a useful feature, having it enabled means that your iPhone has to continually analyze your surroundings to make necessary adjustments to the display color. By disabling this feature, you can improve your iPhone's battery life. Â To turn off True Tone..

Should you color grade with True Tone? ›

True Tone is designed for comfort, but it's not a tool you should use if you're doing any work where colors matter. It alters the white balance, which is the tint of pure white.

Does True Tone affect iPhone performance? ›

Originally Answered: Does truetone on iPhone affect battery or no? No. Truetone affects colour temp, not brightness or contrast, so it won't affect battery negatively.

Is True Tone good for watching movies? ›

Turn off Night Shift and Tru Tone

It's a good idea, then, to turn both of these off when you're watching a movie. Open the Control Centre, then press down firmly on the Brightness control icon.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Frankie Dare

Last Updated:

Views: 6556

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (53 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Frankie Dare

Birthday: 2000-01-27

Address: Suite 313 45115 Caridad Freeway, Port Barabaraville, MS 66713

Phone: +3769542039359

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Baton twirling, Stand-up comedy, Leather crafting, Rugby, tabletop games, Jigsaw puzzles, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.