-iPhone 13 (610hz allegedly)

-iPhone 12 (480hz)

-Galaxy S21 FE (240hz)

What settings in iPhone / iPad / iOS can be adjusted to reduce eye strain and dizziness? Have u found anything that helps?

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share my 4-month experiment testing 7 different devices to find a setup that actually respects eye health and brain comfort. Using a display that hurts your eyes—even for just 5 minutes—can ruin your entire day. The eye strain, burning sensation, and brain fog don't go away the moment you put the phone down; your brain needs hours (sometimes days) to recover.

The Devices I Tested

Over the past 4 months, I cycled through:

1. Samsung Galaxy S26
2. iPhone 13 Pro Max
3. Tecno Camon 20S Pro 5G
4. Redmi 15
5. Huawei Y9s
6. Infinix Note 30 (Running Custom ROM: Evolution X)

The Journey & The Unseen "Enemies"

• The PWM Nightmare (Samsung & iPhone): OLED displays on the Samsung S26 and iPhone 13 Pro Max were by far the worst. They caused burning eyes, tearing, and a distinct brain fog feeling (literally felt like my brain was a walnut rattling inside my skull for a day and a half).
• Escaping to LCD (Huawei Y9s): Like many here, I fled to an older LCD device hoping for salvation. While it was better, my eyes were still straining. That’s when I realized the second enemy: 60Hz refresh rate. (Unfortunately, most laptops still run on 60Hz as well).
• The Refresh Rate Switching Trap (Infinix, Techno, Redmi): Moving to 90Hz/120Hz LCD/AMOLED phones helped, but I was still getting subtle headaches. I realized there was a hidden, aggressive villain: Dynamic Refresh Rate Switching. Companies secretly drop your refresh rate from 120Hz/90Hz down to 60Hz the moment the screen becomes static—all under the guise of "battery saving." That constant, imperceptible jump between frequencies strains the eye muscles terribly. Trying to force a constant rate via standard ADB commands didn't work, as Android silently overrode my settings.

The Science & The Golden Rules

Comfort isn't tied to a specific brand; it’s tied to display technology and consistency. Here is what I learned:

1. LCD is still king for zero PWM, but it MUST be combined with high, steady refresh rates (at least 90Hz).
2. If using AMOLED: Look for PWM dimming frequencies above 1940Hz, combined strictly with LTPO panels. (Avoid LTPS panels as their transition between 60Hz and high refresh rates is slow, jarring, and hurtful to the eyes. LTPO switches much faster and smoother).
3. LOCKED Refresh Rate is Non-Negotiable: Your display must stay at a single frequency 100% of the time, regardless of interaction or battery level.

The Final "Recipe" & Salvation

I finally solved the puzzle by installing a Custom ROM (Evolution X) on the Infinix Note 30 (which has a 120Hz LCD display).

Why this combination worked:

• Forced 90Hz Everywhere: Evolution X allowed me to hard-lock the screen to a strict 90Hz minimum and 90Hz maximum across all states (even on low battery).
• The Battery Myth Busted: The battery drain from forcing a constant 90Hz is negligible. It is absurd that manufacturers silently drop refresh rates to 60Hz behind the user's back just to save a tiny fraction of power.
• Bonus Perks: Beyond curing my eye strain, the custom ROM fixed Infinix’s notorious delayed notifications, provided ultra-smooth UI performance, added lock-screen charging wattage (like Samsung), and retained both fast charging and full camera resolution.

Takeaway

Don't just look at PWM frequency—watch out for micro-stuttering caused by dynamic refresh rate switching! Locking a good LCD panel to a fixed 90Hz brought my eyes and brain back to peace.

Hope this helps anyone struggling out there! Happy to answer any questions about the setup
Greetings to you all from Iraq! 🇮🇶 Stay safe and keep your eyes healthy.

Indoors I like my brightness set to below 50%. But depending on the phone, I have to have it set between 25-35%.

I only ever have the brightness up above 50% outside.

Recently, many phones like the realme p4x, oneplus nord ce6 lite, moto g67 power and the vivo t5x have appeared and are really good options. However, they are india only and the only way to get them is by importing from india, which is not only sketchy (depending on the seller) and expensive, but risk that the phone doesn't work (even if the listing says that it's factory unlocked). How can we pressure these brands to release these phones to the global market? There are also the china only phones too like the moto g100 and redmi note 12t pro.

Infinix Smart 20 4/64

Tecno Spark 30 Pro 8/128

Infinix NOTE Edge 8/256

Tecno Spark Slim 8/256

Infinix Note 60 8/256

Realme 16 Pro 5G 8/256

Oppo Reno 13 Pro 5G

Realme 16 Pro+ 5G 8/256

(I didn't like the screens on the 12/512)
(on both the 16 Pro 5G and the 16 Pro+ 5G)

Personal top tablets

(1) Honor Pad x8b 4/64

(2) Redmi Pad 11 SE 6/128

(3) Horizon H-Tab 1+ 8/128

(4) Xiaomi Pad 5 6/128

What is the reason for eye damage from the Poco C85 screen despite its high resolution TUV I activated the eye protection shield, adjusted the colors from saturated to natural, reduced the brightness, and refreshed the display, but it's still not working.

In your opinion, would you recommend a monitor? Is it true that it doesn't flicker and doesn't have blue light or reflections? I want to know the cheapest good type.

I suffer from LED/OLED-induced migraines, which probably have a PWM component. I've been getting by on a Samsung S10 - I can use it for brief things like checking an email/text or taking a photo, but can't use it for more than say 5 minutes at a time. I only use it for calls, texts, and photos. I have a work phone which is an iPhone SE and I tolerate it slightly better - but I hate the mac system.

My carrier isn't supporting 3G phones anymore, so I bought an S25. Setting it up induced a 3-day migraine. I get pain as soon as I use it for anything. The thought of reading a short email on it makes me cringe. I've (subsequently) read many similar user reports. I'm returning the phone, but now looking for an alternative. I've also tried to do a bit of skimming through the posts here and see that the OnePlus 15 is highly regarded. I've also seen praise for a few Chinese phones but am pretty leery about that. I'm interested in the SmartInk options, but taking good photos is one of my primary joys in a phone so I don't think they're a good fit.

Any recs? Ideally something someone in Canada could test drive at a store given the S25 experience (online purchase).

I know it has a terribly slow chipset, but I don't care much about this, my wife has the poco C75 with the same CPU and it is acceptable for basic use. So I am asking about the LCD display... GSMarena says it is flicker free but I had read bad things in this subreddit about other Moto phones with LCD displays.

I know a lot of people on here like iPhone 11 so I wanted to share one I have for sale. It’s 128gb with new battery and screen. I think an apple screen was used because it still has true tone. Battery health is 100%

https://swappa.com/listing/view/LAHQ24971

Curious what phones are working best for you all that are under $500 US?

Some of the suggestions here look amazing but it's just not in the budget! Thanks ahead of time 😃

Basically, the most comfortable phone I use is the Xiaomi 11T Pro - 490hz below 59% brightness as per: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Xiaomi-11T-Pro-review-High-end-smartphone-with-blazing-fast-charging-times-and-long-term-updates.585044.0.html

Tried the iPhone 11 (horrible blurriness due to high response time latency when scrolling app), iphone 16 Pro (horrible dry eyes, headache, fatigue), iphone 17 (same as 16 pro), Pixel 10 (similar to the 11 because this OLED panel weirdly has a high response time - which is horrendous when scrolling apps), Poco M8 Pro (horrible dry eyes, fatigue, despite the marketing high PWM claims - notebookcheck says it is really only 120hz PWM).

So I am trying to find a suitable phone. But I don't trust any of the manufacturers. I am tempted by the Samsung S25/S26 because thier PWM is 480hz - and theirs works differently from the 480hz in some of the iPhones, but worried I will experience similar problems.

Has anyone had a similar experience to me and found something that works for them?

Can anyone suggest a After Market LCD that’s 120hz, and hopefully doesn’t have issues like ghost touch, and etc..

I purchased a “like new” refurbished iPhone 11 off Rebeelo. Luckily enough, I got the “sharp panel”. It has been updated IOS 26.2, I’ve disabled automatic updates.

However, I’m finding the display to look quite fuzzy / blurred. Text looks fuzzy.

I’m wondering if that’s normal for iPhone 11 display or if there may be an undetected screen replacement. I read if it is a random screen replacement and not Apple it can affect the sharp panel? I’ve checked the parts / history. Nothing comes up. I know it’s definitely had a battery replacement, but that doesn’t come up in parts history either. True Tone also works.

I want your opinion on this phone and pwm tests (if it's pwm) if possible. Looks like the perfect phone for the moment being, I'm seriously considering getting this phone, however it's india only, so I'm considering getting it from ebay. Thanks!

Hi,

i'd like to highlight my experience regarding my eye disease: Keratoconus

Is a rare degenerative disease that, over time (if it progresses), causes the eye to deform and take on a cone shape—irregularly refracting whatever the eye looks at (light, colors, etc.)—and makes the eyes extremely sensitive, to the point of causing severe headaches.

"Over 23.7 million individuals globally are affected by KC" (0.24%) (source) but maybe more that as to identify it requires a corneal topography: if you are very eye sensitive i'd like to suggest to do check your eyes with a ophthalmologist and if needed do a corneal topography to check if you're affected.

Having said that coming to the devices' screen: i cannot use any OLED, Mini-Led and some IPS as well. Based on my tests and investigations with screen technologies / specs, to avoid eye strain (Asthenopia) and headaches i'd like to suggest:

• Avoid screens using PWM/PAM (any frequency) and D*ithering/F*RC
• Avoid all OLED/QOLED etc and Mini led screens (OLED infinite contrast and Mini-Led Local dimming are a pain for the eyes)
• Screens with >700 nits brightness (even IPS)
• Screens oversaturated (avoid Adobe RGB color space, but I can somehow tolerate DCI-P3 color space coverage, even though using it for extended periods gives me a headache). (Oled cover adobe rgb and some mini led)
• Always disable VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) or Apple's True motion and use static refresh rate
• If you can avoid glossy (for TVs and laptops) and prefer matte screens as the reflections can be an issue. For smartphones is ok as usually have a decent (not good but fine) anti-glare coating.

i'm sure if you find something without the above mentioned specs you'll be fine 100%
i'm still using an iphone SE 2022 and will use it for long time (IPS, 100% sRGB, 8 bit native depth, 60Hz, no PWM, 600 nits max).

Last but not least, to carefully choose a device before purchasing:

• For Laptops/Tablet/Smartphone chec Notebookcheck reviews before choosing one
• For TVs check Rtings reviews

I hope this help.

Just to add my 2 cents, whatever that may be worth. I had tried the Motorola Edge 2026 when it first came out and found immediate discomfort and migraines. However, I had an idea to set a fixed refresh rate. I remember on my OnePlus 12R that when I set the refresh rate min and max to the same rate, it helped immensely with symptoms. Well, I tried the same with the Motorola and it looks to also work.

adb shell settings put system min_refresh_rate 120
adb shell settings put system peak_refresh_rate 120

Also make sure to set the display refresh rate to Hyper Smooth in the phone settings to prevent this from changing between reboots.

I have an extreme reaction to some screens that effects my sleep and I’m trying to work out what is the specific cause so I can work around it. PWM seemed like and obvious cause from what I’ve read but my symptoms seem different to what everyone is reporting here. I don’t get the headaches that seem to be the symptoms for most.

The issue for me is if I use a screen after say 7pm or (as I discovered with a new monitor recently) even just using from 8am to 5pm for work - I either won’t be able to get to sleep or will wake shortly after falling asleep and not be able to get back to sleep. This is often quite extreme - the case with the new monitor stopped me sleeping all night.

Some screens are clearly better than others for me but nothing is safe enough for me to use after about 7pm. I’m loathed to test things for obvious reasons as if it’s positive it means potentially no sleep and a while to recover.

My only workaround so far is avoidance but often not practical today. Would be great to get any insight, advice or even if the consensus is that this is or is not PWM sensitivity.

Hi!

Posting this here in hope someone can help figuring this out.

I first noticed I was sensitive to certain types of screen when changing to a MacBook Air M3 13'' back in August 2024. It gave me severe eyestrain and headaches, it was unusable for me. I went back to my laptop.

Last year my Redmi Note 11 broke and I tried to find a new phone. I've tried:

- iPhone 12

- Redmi Note 14 Pro

- Redmi Note 13

- Redmi 14C (IPS LCD Screen

- Honor 200

Nothing worked for me. After using it for 30 minutes, I feel my head becoming heavy (what I feel is like a pressure). The day after, I still wake up with the headache and eyes very dry.

At first I thought PWM was the issue, but clearly not. Redmi 14C doesn't have it. Well, the MBA M3 neither.

I ended up buying a new Redmi Note 11. It gave me some headaches for a couple of days but then it was fine. Maybe I could have insisted on the other phones I've tried.

Now it's been a year and I'm trying to find a new phone before mine stops working.

I don't care about having a good phone now, just something that won't make me feel sick.

I've recently tried my husband's iPhone 13 mini and it makes me dizzy after using it for 30 minutes. And also his new iPhone 14 which is unbearable for me. I would use his old phone sometimes to take pictures, check Google maps or video chat with family and it wasn't an issue. But his new iPhone gives me headaches after using it just to take a few pictures or have a short video call.

I've tried iPhone SE 2022 just now. I used it for 30 times and feel a pressure in my head. I could only find it with iOS 26.

I would appreciate any help and input.

Some phones recommended here are not available in my country. I am in Portugal and will try only refurbed phones so I can return it when needed. New phones are not easy to return here.

Yesterday I got the Android 16 update on my TCL 50 Pro, and the phone became unusable for me, just like the TCL 60 Ultra and TCL 70 Pro - blurry text and somehow oversaturated whites. Activating bold text helped a little, but the phone looks bad with it enabled.

There is also no safe way to go back to Android 15 :(

Hi everyone! I’ve been posting here more often recently because my problems with phone screen flicker came back.

At one point, I switched from an iPhone 15 Pro Max to an iPhone 17 Pro Max, and that was when my symptoms started again. After that, it seemed like absolutely every OLED screen caused a reaction, no matter which phone I tried.

For example, I tested the OnePlus 15R, which is supposed to have one of the more comfortable OLED displays currently available, but I still experienced symptoms. I had severe headaches, pain and discomfort in my eyes, and even some gastrointestinal symptoms.

What was especially strange was that I eventually went back to the iPhone 15 Pro Max—the exact model I had previously used for around two years without major problems—and I started experiencing symptoms from that phone as well.

This made me think that some kind of sensitization may be involved. Once a strong reaction has been triggered by a particularly problematic device, the nervous system may remain on high alert, especially in people who are already prone to this type of sensitivity. After that, even relatively mild visual stimuli may be enough to cause symptoms.

Recently, I took a proper break from irritating OLED screens. When I returned to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I limited the refresh rate to 60 Hz and disabled as many animations and visual effects as possible. Now I’m able to use it again.

So, for at least some people, it may not simply be a question of whether a particular phone is “safe” or “unsafe.” You may need to give your nervous system enough time to calm down and recover before testing OLED screens again.

Taking a complete break for several days—or perhaps longer—and using only a comfortable IPS display during that period may help. Afterward, you can gradually return to devices with better PWM and flicker characteristics, possibly starting with 60 Hz and reduced animations.

My theory is that this kind of break may help raise your tolerance threshold again. Of course, this is only based on my personal experience, but it may be worth trying if you suddenly find that every OLED phone causes symptoms, including devices you were previously able to use.

I created an infographic about Flicker and PWM sensitivity. Feel free to share with anyone in your life that you want to understand your handicap.

What do you think about this phone? I have only seen positive things about it. PLS LCD screen that's marked pwm free in notebook check, and a positive review from the pwm community, alongside a good chip. If it's actually the unicorn, should I wait for the xcover 8 pro?