screen time, explained
Screen Distance on iPhone: what the shield is and how to turn it off
Screen Distance is the Screen Time feature behind the "iPhone May Be Too Close" message. It uses the Face ID camera to notice when you hold the phone closer than 12 inches, about 30 cm, for an extended period, and covers the screen until you move it away. You can turn it off in Screen Time settings.
What the shield does#
Apple built Screen Distance to reduce eye strain and, in children, the risk of myopia (nearsightedness). While the shield is up, you can't use the phone. Move it more than 12 inches from your face and a Continue button appears. Apple's support pages don't say how long counts as an extended period.
The shield is a small system app, and Screen Time counts it. That is why EyeReliefUI can show up in your per-app list. It's the shield's own entry, so you didn't install anything, and it's one of several odd entries Screen Time can show.
Which iPhones and iPads have it#
Screen Distance needs the TrueDepth camera, the camera behind Face ID, on iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 or later, and Face ID has to be set up. Any iPhone with Face ID on a current iOS has it. The iPhone SE models use Touch ID and don't. On iPad, only Face ID models have it, and Screen Time on iPad covers the rest.
Apple says the feature works by measuring the distance between the screen and your eyes. The camera isn't capturing images or video, and the data stays on the device and isn't shared with Apple.
How to turn off Screen Distance#
- Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
- Tap Screen Distance.
- Turn off the Screen Distance switch. If a Screen Time passcode is set, enter it.
To turn it back on, use the same switch. Some setup screens offer a button, Turn Off Screen Distance, instead. This only affects Screen Distance. Turning off Screen Time itself is a different step, and it costs you the usage history.
Menus moved between iOS versions, and these steps are for iOS 26. Apple's current support article puts the switch under Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → Screen Distance. If it isn't on the main Screen Time page, look there.
On a child's iPhone#
Screen Distance is on by default for children under 13 in a Family Sharing group. The age varies by country or region. A parent changes it on their own iPhone: Settings → Screen Time, tap the child's name, then Screen Distance. Apple notes that each time the child updates a device signed in with their Apple Account, Screen Distance turns back on for all their devices.
The short answers#
How do I turn off Screen Distance on my iPhone?
Open Settings, tap Screen Time, tap Screen Distance and turn the switch off. If it isn't on the main Screen Time page, look under Content and Privacy Restrictions. You may be asked for a Screen Time passcode.
Why does my iPhone say it may be too close?
That is the Screen Distance shield. It appears when the Face ID camera sees the phone closer than 12 inches, about 30 cm, for an extended period. Move the phone away and tap Continue.
Does Screen Distance record me with the camera?
No, according to Apple. It measures the distance to your eyes, the camera isn't capturing images or video, and the data stays on the device and isn't shared with Apple.
Why can't I find Screen Distance in Settings?
Apple offers it only on iPhones and iPads with Face ID on iOS 17 or later, with Face ID set up. iPhone SE models don't have it. Apple's current support article also lists it under Content and Privacy Restrictions.
Screen Distance watches how close the phone is. How long you use it is a different number, and finit keeps that one for years.
