Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is on the rise among children today. It is claimed that holding the screens too close to the face is partly responsible for this situation. Naturally, iPhone or iPad screens are also included in this risk factor.
Apple highlighted this issue during its WWDC event in June, stating that it wanted to help out as the maker of iPhones and iPads that are so popular with kids. With iOS 17, Apple introduces a new feature called Screen Distance, which asks you to move the device away from your face when you hold your device too close to your face for too long.
Screen Distance uses your device’s TrueDepth camera to check if you’re holding your device at least 30 centimeters away from your eyes. So it requires you to have a Face ID-enabled iPhone or iPad with the necessary sensors to use the feature. Apple emphasizes that it did not take any photos or videos during the process and that Screen Distance data remains on your device, never shared with the company.
If you or your child holds the iPhone or iPad too close to their face, they will see a warning on the screen and will not be able to use the device until they move it further and press the Continue button. However, this alert doesn’t appear immediately: You need to hold the phone or tablet very close to your face for about five minutes for the alert to appear.
Screen Distance is currently in the iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 public beta. After running iOS 17 or iPadOS 17, you can go to Settings > Screen Time > Screen Distance and enable Screen Distance. If you have set a Screen Time passcode, you must enter the passcode to enable Screen Distance.
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