Privacy and security
Attention Aware Features
Most people call this the phone checking whether you are looking at it.
Your iPhone uses the TrueDepth camera to check whether you are looking at the screen, and uses that to lower alert volume, keep the screen awake and reveal notifications.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 13 and later
- Settings
- Face ID & Passcode
- Attention Aware Features
What it does
When it sees your attention it does three things: it quietens an incoming ring or alarm because it knows you have noticed, it stops the screen dimming while you are reading, and it allows notification previews to expand.
Turning it off removes all three behaviours at once.
What changes
When it is on
Alerts quieten when you look. The screen stays lit while you read. Previews expand when you are recognised.
When it is off
Alerts stay at full volume. The screen dims on the normal timer. Previews follow your notification settings without the attention check.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- A ringing phone quietens as soon as you pick it up.
- The screen does not dim while you read a long article.
- Notification content stays hidden from anyone who is not you.
Good reasons to turn it off
- You need alarms and ringtones at full volume regardless.
- You do not want the front camera checking for your face constantly.
- It behaves unpredictably with sunglasses, masks or in the dark.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
Helps
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: On, on models with Face ID.
What your iPhone needs
- Needs an iPhone with Face ID
Questions people actually ask
- Why does my ringtone get quieter when I look at my phone?
- Attention Aware Features has decided you have noticed the call and is lowering the volume.
- Why does my alarm volume change?
- Same feature. Turn it off under Face ID and Passcode if you need the alarm at full volume.
If it is not working
- If your alarm is quieter than you set it, this is usually why.
- It needs Face ID hardware, so it is absent on Touch ID models.
- Require Attention for Face ID is a separate, stricter switch on the Face ID screen.