I Tried Built-In Eye Comfort Features on My Devices for 21 Days—Here’s What Happened

Summary

• Built-in eye comfort features can reduce eye strain, improve your sleep habits and help you limit screen time.

• Adjusting filter strength and selective use of features can optimize benefits and reduce potential challenges.

• Experiment with these free and easily accessible features to find what works best for you, but don’t rely on them alone for your digital eye care.

These days, whether for work, school, or simple entertainment, screen time has become inevitable. 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 really make a difference? To find out, I spent 21 days relying solely on the built-in eye comfort features on my devices.

For this experiment, I relied on three functions available for my devices.

First, my Eye Comfort Shield of the Samsung smartphone it was still on. This feature constantly reduces blue light and adjusts the color temperature of your screen. Similarly, the Night Light feature in my Windows 11 The HP laptop has been turned on. Like the Eye Comfort Shield, Night Light adjusts the display to warmer tones in the evening, but I set it to stay warm throughout.

At night, I added an extra layer of protection activation Grayscale mode on my Samsung Galaxy device. Using Bixby RoutinesI set it up so that my screen went completely monochrome once it was bedtime.

While these features are specific to my devices, their functionality is widely available under different names in different brands. For example, instead of Eye Comfort Shield, which is what you will find on most Samsung devices, you will get Night Shift on your MaciPhone or iPad. Depending on your device, you can also find something like Blue Light Filter.

Even if these functions are not integrated into your devices, third-party applications such as Twilight, the best blue light filter appand f.lux, an app that can encourage you to switch from Mac to Windowscan achieve the same effect on phones and computers.

Throughout my experiment, I monitored three key factors: my sleep patterns, the general comfort of the eyes, and how these changes influenced my screen habits.

First impressions after the first few days

I tried several blue light glasses before this experiment. You’ll find plenty of options online, doctor-recommended or not. Since I don’t have vision problems, I still struggle to wear the glasses long enough to determine if they actually work. They always felt rather bulky – like carrying a bag over my head – and I often ended up letting them hang on my hair rather than using them properly to protect my eyes.

Unlike glasses, using built-in anti-blue light features is seamless and stress-free, especially for someone who doesn’t usually wear glasses. Once enabled, these features work in the background without the need for additional physical accessories.

That said, these features take some getting used to. For someone used to bright, white screens, warmer tones and grayscale visuals it may feel jarring at first. In the beginning, everything seemed off, but I gradually adapted – as much as possible – in a couple of days. The noticeable reduction in eye strain during those first few 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 cuts down on my screen time at night.

On top of that, Netflix videos automatically turn off once the grayscale feature kicks in at my default bedtime—you’ll still hear the characters talking, but you won’t see the video. All these changes contributed to a marked improvement in my sleeping habits.

The Comfort vs. Clarity Trade-Off

Using these built-in features has significantly reduced the strain on my eyes. It also helped me sleep earlier and saved my eyes from more stress as it was much harder to use my devices at night. However, this new comfort comes at a cost.

By the third week of my experiment, I noticed that the bright, white screens became much harder to tolerate. After spending most of my time with filtered devices, switching to unfiltered ones, like following my facilitator’s slides in class, was tough. My eyes hurt much more than they did before I started using these features.

While warm light is great for reading during the day or late at night, it is less effective in very bright environments. The reduced contrast often made me squint more, which ironically leads to greater eye strain and defeats the whole purpose of these features.

Tasks requiring visual precision, such as photo editing, were another challenge. I had to turn these features off because the strong settings I chose distorted the colors, leaving everything looking too yellow. The results also varied depending on my devices. I found that devices with OLED screens handled these adjustments better than those with LCDs.

Grayscale mode and warmer tones are typically unsuitable for most activities that require more than text reading, such as high-resolution video streaming.

Lessons Learned and Recommendations

I started this experiment hoping to find a definitive solution to the persistent eye strain I’ve been trying to fix with countless pairs of blue light glasses. However, what I discovered is that these built-in features are not a one-size-fits-all solution. While useful, they won’t completely solve all of your screen-related discomforts. In fact, diving too aggressively brought its own set of challenges.

My eyes would be better if I used these functions selectively – for some tasks but not for others – I would adjust the filter strength according to the situation, and complement them with others. strategies to avoid eye strainsuch as the 20-20-20 rule (looking at something 20 meters away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes).

If you plan to use these filters, experiment with the settings to find the right balance for your needs. Just don’t expect them to eliminate all your eyes.

Although my primary goal was to reduce eye strain, I discovered an unexpected benefit: improved sleep habits. I usually spend late nights scrolling through YouTube or watching Netflix, often until 1am, before I fall asleep. During this 21-day experiment, I almost always stuck to my bedtime, which noticeably improved the quality of my sleep. You may also experience similar unexpected perks if you try these features.

One thing is certain: these free built-in settings are very 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, the eye comfort features built into our devices 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 are already available at your fingertips.