A brightly lit screen in the middle of a darkened movie theater can be a distraction that invites the wrath of other audience members, and in extreme cases, it could lead to incidents resulting in iPhone repair. There is a function on the iPhone that lets users send text messages in the dark without requiring iPhone screen repair due to the actions of irate moviegoers.
A recent incident in which a movie critic attending a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival called 911 to report a smartphone user he thought might be pirating the movie underscores the sense of irritation that other audience members may feel when someone uses a phone in a theater. The man later used twitter to apologize for calling the police and to explain that the theater's management told him that cellphones are allowed in the theater.
“The [911] call was made to report an act of piracy in progress, a major crime that many signs around TIFF remind people is a punishable offense,” the man said in a Buzzfeed interview. “I simply requested that an officer confront and confirm he was not pirating. Another 10 minutes later, a venue manage intercepted the report and responded claiming he was only texting, and subsequently stated he had the right to use his phone in this screening.”
Several other incidents that could lead to iPhone repair have recently highlighted the distraction provided by mobile devices in public places. In May, a man was kicked out of a performance of a musical after he threw a woman's cellphone, according to CNET.
Finding the function
Users shouldn't have to risk needing an iPhone repair, as the devices offer multiple options that can help avoid a confrontation over a bright screen for instances in which an urgent reply is required, according to Wired. One way to avoid creating a distraction in a darkened public place is to switch the colors on the display so that the background is darker and texts show up lighter. In iOS 6, the controls for this feature can be found under settings. It can be set to reverse colors by clicking the home button three times, enabling users to perform the maneuver with subtlety.
The glow from an iPhone or iPad screen also can be reduced by lowering the brightness settings. With iOS 7, users can adjust the brightness level with a swipe from the bottom of the iPhone screen.