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These days, whether for work, school, or simple fun, screen time has become unavoidable. Our eyes are constantly under siege and manufacturers know this, which is why most modern devices come with built-in eye comfort features.
But do they actually make a difference? To find out, I spent 21 days relying solely on the built-in eye comfort features on my devices.
My Digital Eye Comfort Toolkit
For this experiment, I relied on three readily available features for my devices.
Firstly, mySamsung smartphone’s Eye Comfort Shieldwas always on. This feature consistently reduces blue light and adjusts your screen’s color temperature. Similarly, theNight Light feature on my Windows 11HP laptop stayed on. Just like the Eye Comfort Shield, Night Light adjusts the display to warmer tones in the evening, but I set it to stay warm all through.
At night, I added an extra layer of protection byenablingGrayscale Modeon my Samsung Galaxy device.Using Bixby Routines, I set it up such that my screen turned completely monochrome once it was bedtime.
While these features are specific to my devices, their functionality is widely available under different names across various brands. For instance, instead of Eye Comfort Shield, which is what you’ll find on most Samsung devices, you’ll getNight Shift on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad. Depending on your device, you may also find something like Blue Light Filter.
Even if these features aren’t built into your devices, third-party apps likeTwilight, the best blue light filter app, andf.lux, one app that may encourage you to switch from Mac to Windows, can achieve the same effect on phones and computers.
Throughout my experiment, I monitored three key factors: my sleep patterns, overall eye comfort, and how these changes influenced my screen habits.
First Impressions After the First Few Days
I’ve tried several blue light glasses prior to this experiment. You’ll find plenty of options online, doctor-recommended or not. Since I don’t have any sight issues, I’ve always struggled to wear the glasses long enough to determine if they actually work. They’ve always felt rather cumbersome—like wearing a bag over my head—and I often end up letting them hang on my hair rather than properly using them to protect my eyes.
Unlike glasses, using built-in anti-blue-light features is seamless and stress-free, especially for someone who doesn’t typically wear glasses. Once activated, these features work in the background without requiring any additional physical accessories.
That said, these features do take some getting used to. For someone accustomed to bright, white screens, warmer tones, and grayscale visuals can feel jarring at first. Initially, everything looked off, but I gradually adapted—as much as possible—over a couple of days. The noticeable reduction in eye strain during those early days motivated me to stick with the program.
Grayscale, however, was the biggest game-changer. In monochrome mode, social media platforms feel significantly less engaging, which naturally reduces my screen time at night.
On top of that, Netflix videos automatically turn off once the grayscale feature activates at my preset bedtime—you’ll keep hearing the characters speak, but you won’t see the video. All of these changes contributed to a marked improvement in my sleep habits.
The Comfort vs. Clarity Trade-Off
Using these built-in features significantly reduced the strain on my eyes. It even helped me fall asleep earlier and spared my eyes from further stress, as it was much more difficult to use my devices at night. However, this newfound comfort comes at a cost.
By the third week of my experiment, I noticed that bright, white screens had become much harder to tolerate. After spending most of my time using filtered devices, switching to unfiltered ones—like following my facilitator’s slides in class—was tough. My eyes hurt far more than they did before I started using these features.
While warm light is fantastic for reading during the day or late at night, it’s less effective in very bright environments. The reduced contrast often made me squint more, ironically leading to greater eye strain and defeating the whole purpose of these features.
Tasks requiring visual precision, such as photo editing, were another challenge. I had to disable these features because the strong settings I’d chosen distorted the colors, leaving everything looking overly yellow. The results also varied depending on my devices. I found that devices withOLED screens handled these adjustments better than those with LCDs.
Grayscale mode and warmer tones are typically unsuitable for most activities requiring more than just reading text, like high-resolution video streaming.
Lessons Learned and Recommendations
I started this experiment hoping to find a definitive solution to the persistent eye strain I’d been trying to fix with countless pairs of blue light glasses. However, what I discovered is that these built-in features aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. While helpful, they won’t completely resolve all your screen-related discomforts. In fact, diving in too aggressively brought its own set of challenges.
My eyes would have been better off if I had used these features selectively—for some tasks but not others—adjusted the filter strength depending on the situation, and complemented them with otherstrategies for avoiding eye strains, like the 20-20-20 rule (looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes).
If you’re considering using these filters, experiment with the settings to find the right balance for your needs. Just don’t expect them to eliminate all your eye strain.
Although my primary goal was to reduce eye strain, I discovered an unexpected benefit: improved sleep habits. Normally, I’d spend late nights scrolling YouTube or watching Netflix, often until well past 1 a.m., before falling asleep. During this 21-day experiment, I almost always stuck to my bedtime, which noticeably improved the quality of my sleep. You might also experience similar unexpected perks if you give these features a try.
One thing is certain: these free, built-in settings are highly effective for basic digital eye care. While many people downplay the benefits of blue-light filters, I found the improved eye comfort and reduced temptation to doom-scroll quite tangible.
When used thoughtfully, our devices' built-in eye comfort features can make a real difference. Whether your goal is to reduce eye strain, improve your sleep, or curb screen addiction, these tools are worth exploring. And the best part? They’re already available at your fingertips.
