iPhone's 'Devilish' Red Screen at Night Explained: It's StandBy Mode, Not a Glitch

A peculiar issue has surfaced among some iPhone users who report being abruptly awakened by their devices emitting a strange, dark red glow in the dead of night. The unsettling experience, described by one user as a "devilish function," has caused alarm and confusion.

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This is who invented the devilish function.

However, the eerie red screen is not a sign of a malfunction or a supernatural event. It is, in fact, a built-in feature known as StandBy mode. This mode automatically activates when an iPhone is placed in landscape orientation while charging, displaying information like the time, widgets, and photos.

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I was startled awake once in the middle of the night.

The red hue appears when the phone's Night Mode is also enabled. In low-light conditions, Night Mode shifts the display to red, reducing brightness and visual stimulation to be less disruptive. This is because red light has a longer wavelength and lower energy, making it less likely to disturb sleep.

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I thought it was a countdown to death.

For those unnerved by the nocturnal glow, the solution is straightforward. Users can disable the red display by navigating to Settings > StandBy > Screen and turning off 'Night Mode.' Alternatively, the entire StandBy mode can be switched off if preferred. The feature's design aims to provide useful information without overly stimulating the user at night.

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The wavelength is longer and the energy is lower, so it is less likely to stimulate the eyes at night.