What is Attention Aware features on iPhone, and how do they work?

Introduced with the iPhone X, the Attention Aware features on iOS use the TrueDepth camera system to determine whether you are looking at your iPhone’s screen. If you are, iOS adjusts certain device behaviors accordingly to create a more intuitive user experience, enhancing both usability and privacy.

But what exactly do the Attention Aware features do on your iPhone, and should you keep them enabled? Keep reading to find out.

How do Attention Aware features work?

Attention Aware Features in iOS Settings app on an iPhone toggled on

As already mentioned, the Attention Aware features on your iPhone rely on the TrueDepth camera system. The system projects and analyze thousands various light patterns on your face to create a depth map, allowing your iPhone to recognize your attention in real time. If your iPhone detects that you are looking at the content on the screen, it does the following things:

Prevents the screen from dimming: No matter the duration you have set for Auto Lock, your iPhone won’t dim the screen or get locked as long as you are looking at it, eliminating the interruption caused during reading or watching videos.
Lower alert volume: You don’t need your iPhone to play notifications and ringtones loudly while using it, as it can become more of a shock than a surprise. When you have Attention Aware features enabled, notifications and ringtones will sound softer since the phone knows it has your attention.
Expand notifications: A few notifications often expand when the iPhone is locked to show more detail when the device detects your attention, enhancing usability.

Which iPhones support Attention Aware features?

The TrueDepth camera is the primary requirement for Attention Aware features. This means all iPhones, starting from the iPhone X to the latest iPhone 16e, excluding the iPhone SE, support Attention Aware features. The iPhone SE does not support Attention Aware features as it lacks Face ID.

How to turn on or off Attention Aware features on your iPhone

Attention Aware features are enabled by default on all iPhones that support it. However, not all users may prefer it to remain active, and some believe that they disabled it in the past for some reason or another. No matter what’s the case, here’s how you can turn Attention Aware features on or off:

Open the Settings app and head to Face ID & Passcode.
Enter your iPhone’s passcode.
Check whether the Attention Aware Features toggle is on or off and toggle it accordingly.

Note The Attention Aware features function even if Face ID is disabled on your iPhone.

Why would you want to turn Attention Aware features off?

While the Attention Aware features has many benefits, there are cases where disabling it makes sense:

Manual control: Most users prefer manual control over the brightness and alert volume instead of relying on automatic adjustments. You can also permanently limit your iPhone’s speaker volume if you want.
Battery life: The constant analysis of your facial attention could affect your iPhone’s battery life.
Accessibility concerns: Users with vision impairments or difficulty keeping eye contact with their device may prefer to turn it off.

Are Attention Aware features a privacy concern?

Apple has always been the front-runner when it comes to user privacy, and its features are largely designed with user privacy in mind. The same is true for Attention Aware features. Here’s what Apple says about privacy concerning these features:

All processing happens on-device: Your facial recognition is not even shared with the Apple server, let alone any third party.
Face ID data is not stored in the cloud: All your Face ID data remains secure on your iPhone and isn’t available to Apple.
Probability of false unlocking is low: The chance of another person unlocking your iPhone with Face ID is less than 1 in 1,000,000.

The bottom line…

Whether you prefer to keep the Attention Aware features on or off is your personal preference. However, leaving them enabled can significantly improve your experience. So, be sure to give it a shot before you decide to look away.

FAQs

What happens if you turn off Attention Aware features?

If you turn off Attention Aware features, your iPhone will no longer use the TrueDepth camera system to detect whether you are looking at it, and as a result, your screen may dim or lock even if you are looking at it.

Do Attention Aware features affect alarm?

Yes, they do. When enabled, the features detect when you are looking at the screen and automatically lower the alarm volume.

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