iPhone 12 pro max keeps dimming

I have the iPhone 12 Pro Max and it constantly dims. I made sure the Automatic button was off, it still dims. I went to answer the phone and it had dimmed itself down to an almost completely dark screen. I am constantly having to reset the brightness back to where I can see the screen. Any "bright" ideas?

iPhone 12 Pro Max, iOS 14

Posted on Nov 24, 2020 8:04 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 31, 2022 12:38 AM

SOLVED - iPhone 12 Max Pro Dimming.


A non-apple case causes it to overheat!


My iPhone was fine for two years and I switched from the Apple purchased case that I bought at the Apple Store for a non-Apple case to enjoy a new color. Didn’t think about it but started having problems with my phone dimming.


It was constant if I was googling or reading texts etc it would toggle up and toggle down from bright to dim so I could barely read it. It was ridiculous.


Tried everything the Internet suggested. Turning it off helped but that was only because it was cooling it off. It didn’t solve it. Changing any and all settings did absolutely nothing.


Read a post that mentioned they thought it was an overheating issue. Remembered that I had just purchased a new case before this started. Put back on my Apple purchased case. Voila. No issue for a whole month. SOLVED

396 replies

Jun 24, 2021 9:54 PM in response to rjm4261

I have the same issue. It is at random that the screen will pulsate light to dark. Almost like an obnoxious flicker. Auto brightness is off, no it is not overheating. Happens in a nice air conditioned room where the phone was locked for at least an hour prior. It is happening to both 12 Pro Maxes at my house. I thought that 14.5 would fix it and 14.6 but looks like that was a giant 'NO".

Jul 9, 2021 9:44 AM in response to rjm4261

I am wondering if it has to do with the brightness level when you turn off Auto dimming. I wonder if it saves the current level and returns to this level every time the phone locks and then is unlocked. Testing this now. Try it and let me know.


The real issue I have is why does auto-dimming do such a terrible job that we are wanting to shut it off? Why does auto dimming leave the screen unreadable in bright lights and blinding if you are in a dark environment?

Jul 22, 2021 1:15 PM in response to rjm4261

I had the same problem with my iPhone 12 Pro outside on a sunny day. I couldn’t see screen to order table service. I asked my wife to let me see her iPhone 11 and it was fine. I went to Apple store round corner from where I was and they agreed it wasn’t working correctly and gave me a new phone. I think The iPhone 12 has a problem.

Jul 31, 2021 3:49 PM in response to Morrizes

This dimming issue has been a habitual problem since I had an iPhone 5. Even after turning off the auto dim function, Apple takes the liberty of dimming your display even further when the temp reaches a certain limit. So, if you're at the beach in FL, forget trying to view the display for a photo you are trying to take. The screen virtually turns itself into a mirror and you cannot see what it is that you are trying to get a photo of. I call it the "Tim Cook Cosmetic Mirror Effect". Terrible outdoor display in the southern latitudes. My current iPhone is obsolete and I have been researching my next phone. From what I am seeing here, the iPhone12 is just another pig in lipstick and not a winner - in fact, it really seems no better that some of it's predecessors. So, it looks as if Samsung is getting the nod on this one.


[Edited by Moderator] 

Aug 13, 2021 8:35 AM in response to jackfromestero

Yea I think it’s pretty clear the dimming issue is bad. Even indoors turning the face of the screen toward and away a brighter light source results in the same issue. There seems to be layers of dimming too. Outside it’s 3 or even 4 levels of dimming until the screen literally disappears. So it’s not just an overheating issue. Maybe we should record our screens dimming and place them together. If you screen record the issue it’s not seen (rather amusing) but recording the screen issue with another phone will catch the problem… maybe then we can all visually compare and contrast (pun intended) our individual dimming issues …

Aug 13, 2021 6:17 PM in response to Joseph14612

The iPhone 12’s and above have this mechanism that when you’re using “too much power” the iPhone will automatically dim brightness. Even though you’ve followed procedure to prevent this, it will do it regardless. It’s annoying, yes. If you contact support, they would advise you to reset your phone with no backup. This does work but only because you won’t have the need to run anything. It’s not very practical. There’s nothing we can do unfortunately.

Aug 24, 2021 4:41 PM in response to rjm4261

Same, ive tried all settings and actually had apple run a diagnostic with my phone they said there was something wrong with the screen… so they replaced it i was like finally!! no more hot phone and the annoying diming!! Yea right… brand new phone keeps doing the same thing!! this one is worse this actually stops working because it says temp is too high!!! Apple do something!!!!!

Nov 16, 2021 3:39 PM in response to Brian_P7

I have the same problem. Regardless of the setting of the auto brightness switch in both Display and Accessibility, or Trutone setting, the phone just goes dim - in my case if I plug in a charger. The only way to get it to brighten is to turn the phone off and on. I pay a monthly fee for AppleCare on the phone an all I got after reaching out was send it to us and we will send you a new one at a turn around of two weeks, or buy a new one ($1000+) and we will refund you once we get your old one, again around two weeks. So not only is the iPhone (mini) a poor product marketed with known flaws, but Apple's extra cost warranty program is about as user friendly as a train ticket to Antarctica. Thanks Apple! Cancelling one AppleCare subscription post haste.

Feb 6, 2022 9:21 AM in response to Oss-WA

I have have iPhone 12 Pro and it does this ALL the time. I watch a lot of YouTube and anytime I watch it with Bluetooth headphones it dims. And yes I have check and made sure to take off all of these auto settings like attention awareness, True Tone, auto brightness, reduce white point etc. has anyone found a solution to this or take into apple to see what they say?

Apr 20, 2022 8:40 PM in response to rjm4261

I am currently in Thailand on business. I purchased the iPhone 12 pro max for the camera and to be able to use it to take photo's for my work. As it has turned out I get my staff to use their Phones to do what i need to do as the iPhone is useless.

1) The ability to take close up photo's that are clear and focused is non existent. (admittingly, there has been some software updates that have improved the camera with close ups since the purchase nearly a year ago)

2) The weather is hot and humid in Thailand when I take the photo's outside in the sun, I can successfully take 2 or 3 photo's and then the screen dims so much that I cannot see to take photos or even select menu's. (I have recently ventured back to cold and wet Melbourne and I was totally unaware of the "auto brightness" in the accessibility under display and text,

I will try this in a couple of weeks when I am back at work, but if it doesn't work it will be finally time to switch from Apple phones. I have been a loyal customer since iPhone 3. If it can't do the job why support it! 3 of my staff members have androids. The Samsung S22 Ultra, has a much better macro ability and also has a 100 x zoom. Try and take a photo of the moon with your iPhone 12 pro Max. I just can't do it its all blurred and the colours are wrong.. In Thailand there is some lovely red moons at night time with the iPhone a photo of this comes out orange and blurred. A macro of a plant leaf or an insect on a plant leaf is impossible. Very upset! The iPhone 8 I had actually took better macro's. The iphone 12 ProMax does take beautiful clear photo's of scenes, etc and it has some wonderful facilities with pano, portrait, etc. Its time for apple to stop stuffing around and add macro to the tabs in the camera!!

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iPhone 12 pro max keeps dimming

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