The iPhone 17 Pro is silently making an important change that many users have been waiting for. It has recently been discovered that Apple will add a new toggle in the Accessibility menu that allows people to disable screen flickering in iOS 26 (via MacRumors). The feature is found under Display & Text Size, and it specifically targets pulse width modulation or PWM, which is the dimming method used in OLED displays.
Apple introduces a new PWM toggle in iOS 26, giving iPhone 17 Pro users relief from OLED screen flickering
PWM works by rapidly turning pixels on and off to monitor and control the brightness. While most users never notice the flickering, it can be quite annoying for some, as it triggers uncomfortable symptoms such as headaches, eye strain, and even dizziness. All of these symptoms have been reported at lower brightness levels, which means that the new feature will be more than a welcome addition.
By introducing this toggle, Apple is offering an alternate dimming method that does not take into account screen flickering. However, the company has also issued a statement that disabling the PWM may affect how the display performs in certain low-brightness situations. Nonetheless, the move is significant because it marks the first time Apple has directly acknowledged PWM as an issue.
Before today, sensitive users either avoided OLED iPhones entirely or put up with the screen flickering. Apple is finally listening to its customers, and it could make the iPhone 17 Pro much more comfortable for this group of people to use. At this point, the PWM toggle is only confirmed for the iPhone 17 Pro models, but it is possible that the base iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models get the feature as well. The company could make this a standard feature as part of its Accessibility options from this point forward.
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models bring a plethora of front-facing additions to the table, including the new A19 Pro chip and better cameras, which would appeal to a lot of users, but do you think the devices are good enough to upgrade from the iPhone 16 lineup?
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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