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dookster Author

Level 1

5 points

iPad's Auto-Brightness Issue

It simply does not appear to work. Even when I go from a room with good sunlight to a completely dark closet/room/restroom/etc. I do not see the screen dim or become brighter.

iPad, iPhone OS 3.1.3

Posted on Apr 14, 2010 6:52 AM

45 replies

Dec 30, 2010 6:16 PM in response to Resist

There are tests in this thread that you can run to show that, although the effect is less than what you might want, it is in fact working. Or you could take it into a Genius Bar and they to convince them that it's not.

There are now two different ways to adjust brightness. Both are easy to get, take no time, and of course some apps provide even more ways to do it — I haven't used the Auto feature since day one.

slyguy_28

Level 2

188 points

Dec 30, 2010 7:28 PM in response to dookster

The auto brightness hasn't worked well on my iPhone 3G, my iPhone 4 or this new iPad. It's just a gimmick...
Sly

Jan 16, 2011 11:54 AM in response to dookster

Where is the auto brightness sensor? The diagram on page 7 of the User Guide doesn't identify where it is, and searching the manual for auto brightness fails to find anything.

Chris CA

Level 10

82,482 points

Jan 16, 2011 11:58 AM in response to Paul_Perkovic

Where is the auto brightness sensor

Top center, opposite the Home button.

Demo

Level 10

166,657 points

Jan 16, 2011 12:00 PM in response to Paul_Perkovic

If you hold the iPad in portrait mode, the sensor is at the top in the black bezel right in the middle. If you hold your iPad at an angle, you can see it.

sergook

Level 1

0 points

Feb 7, 2011 4:54 AM in response to Fretman

try to do the next in a light place:
1. Set the brightness slider to the middle position.
2. Turn off the iPad.
3. Close the sensor with finger.
4. Turn on the iPad.
5. Unlock it.
In a second you'll notice how it dim the screen.
6. Put the finger away
In a second you'll notice how it brighten the screen.

Unfortunately it doesn't dim the screen if to put finger on the sensor again. You should to turn off/on it in the same time.

Feb 7, 2011 7:34 AM in response to sergook

Folks now I got it. the light and brightness hardware censor of the iPad is not meant to be auto adjusted in any situation, it just does it in specific situations and not all times, its not meant, or came to become dim directly when you turn off the lights nor the opposite when you switch them on and notice clearly the difference, not its not like some other devices, my BlackBerry 9000 mobile auto-brightness and other devices are noticeable, not like the iPads, the best solution for your eyes is to perminantely (depends on your needs) set your iPads brightness to the lowest. its good for the eyes, the first time you wont get used to it as it's very low but believe me, it's much comfortable.

Feb 7, 2011 7:45 AM in response to iPadKisser

iPadKisser wrote:
the best solution for your eyes is to perminantely (depends on your needs) set your iPads brightness to the lowest. its good for the eyes, the first time you wont get used to it as it's very low but believe me, it's much comfortable.

That's certainly not going to work for everyone. Low brightness diminishes contrast while tying to read text. For those of us on the high side of forty, low contrast can be very tiring to read. It may be more comfortable for you but that doesn't mean it's so for everyone.

A word of advice: making blanket statements like that is the sort of thing than can really annoy people. You're far less likely to get criticized if you phrase it more along the lines of, "This is what works for me. Try it and see if it works for you."

Feb 7, 2011 8:49 AM in response to slyguy_28

Well, I think it is pretty much a gimmick and one that would, literally, be impossible to construct in such a way that it wouldn't be displeasing to some folks all of the time and to all folks some.

I've always believed that little slot was always meant for, and that the current sensor was just a placeholder for, a rear-facing camera, now most probably a FaceTime camera á la the iPhone. Will anyone miss AutoBrightness if it's replaced with a camera? I'm thinking not.

Anyway, I started thinking along those lines when I saw the first of the teardown pics early last year. The real estate built into the frame there just looked perfectly sized and sited for a camera.

Apr 12, 2011 7:45 PM in response to dookster

I'm not sure about the brightness issue with the toggle on or off, that doesn't seem to do anything. My issue is that when I am a passenger in our car and I'm trying to work the iPad screen is only visible in Landscape mode. In Portraint mode it goes completely dark and I cannot work. Some apps only work in Portrait so this renders my iPad useless.
when I took it into the Apple store it was fine!!

This is maddening.

iSumi

Level 1

10 points

Oct 25, 2011 3:44 PM in response to Carolyn Barnett

There is a simple answer for the behaviour of the auto-brightness: because the sensor is next to the front camera you cover it if you hold the iPad in landscape. So, if you sit in a light place and hold the iPad in landscape, you would hide the sensor. The screen would dimm and you would not see anything anymore. That is why it dimms only after unlock.

I hope the iPad 3 gets more light sensors.... :)

Chris CA

Level 10

82,482 points

Oct 25, 2011 6:40 PM in response to iSumi

"because the sensor is next to the front camera you cover it if you hold the iPad in landscape."

It does the sme in portrait or landscape, even with the sensor uncovered.

jncrft

Level 1

0 points

Dec 8, 2011 5:17 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Blanket statement -- you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Dec 19, 2011 11:50 PM in response to enderx

I usually don't use auto brightness, but it's not working well for me. My issue is that after I unlock, the brightness doesn't change. Only when I go into an app, will the brightness change. I've turned off auto brightness for now.

Jan 24, 2012 3:47 AM in response to theBigD23

The auto brightness feature simply changes the brightness a few % from your set brightness. If you try setting the level at different settings and then flip auto on and off, you'll see a change. Not a change from bright to dim but a tiny change from your set brightness.

I find it strange that the slider doesn't move to reflect the change, it remains in your preset preferred position.

RIght now mine seems to darken from my mid point setting when I switch auto on. However, it takes the same action regardless of the lighting conditions (in front of a bright window, under my desk).

All in all, pretty poor..

iPad's Auto-Brightness Issue