For years, a small but vocal group of iPhone users has complained about something most people never even notice: flicker on OLED screens. That flicker, caused by pulse width modulation or PWM, can leave sensitive users with tired eyes, headaches, or worse. Apple’s response until now was silence. But with the iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 26, the company has quietly introduced a switch that changes everything.
Buried in Accessibility settings under Display and Text Size, a new toggle lets users turn PWM off entirely. Instead of rapidly cycling pixels on and off to lower brightness, the iPhone 17 Pro will use a different dimming method. Apple explains that this may make the screen feel smoother at lower brightness, though it might come with some trade-offs in display performance under certain conditions. For people who have avoided OLED iPhones because of PWM, those trade-offs may be worth it.
This is more than just another settings option. It is the first time Apple has directly acknowledged the discomfort some users face with modern display technology. PWM exists because it saves power and keeps OLED panels efficient, but for a subset of iPhone owners, efficiency has always come at the cost of comfort. The iPhone 17 Pro now gives them a choice.
At the moment, it is confirmed only for the Pro models, though Apple could expand it to the entire iPhone 17 lineup. Even if it stays Pro-exclusive, the presence of this toggle marks a shift. Instead of treating PWM sensitivity as a niche issue, Apple has carved out space in iOS to address it directly. That decision could open the door to further customizations in the future.
For those who never noticed PWM, this update will pass quietly in the background. But for users who have struggled for years with OLED flicker, the iPhone 17 Pro’s new Accessibility option might be the reason they finally upgrade.
(via MacRumors)
