Late in 2023, part of the iOS 17 update on the iPhone was the implementation of the iPhone's "Standby night mode."
This mode is only activated at night and if the phone is placed horizontally instead of vertically.
To discourage users from being woken up in the middle of the night by their glaring screen, the screen is in dark mode, with a black screen and red font. Blue light decreases the brain's production of melatonin, which is vital for the brain's ability to sleep, which makes black and red reasonable choices, as they are very low in blue light and are less disruptive to a user's sleep.
However, shortly after the update, inquiries started to pop up online, especially on social media and Reddit, with users wondering about the ominous red clock that was facing them in the dark.
TikToker @bkharthun's complaint about the clock recently went viral, questioning why the red clock was even an option and what could be done to make it go away.
The TikToker vented:
"Why is that even an option? And why is it red?"
"It's the scariest thing ever, especially [since] it's always at night. It's always when you're going to bed, and it just happens to turn sideways, and then you see the scariest clock of all time."
You can watch the video here:
For reference if you've never experienced the red clock firsthand, here's what it looks like:
pcmag.com/Apple
Fellow TikTokers agreed, sharing their own frightening encounters with the feature.
@bkharthun/TikTok
@bkharthun/TikTok
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But a rare few found the feature to be useful and actually liked it.
@bkharthun/TikTok
@bkharthun/TikTok
@bkharthun/TikTok
@bkharthun/TikTok
Looking at the color scheme from a design perspective, the particular shade of red with black is commonly associated with horror movies and books, as well as villains in general, giving the color combination an ominous feeling.
The text on the screen also does not appear to be layered or raised against the background, so if a person has poorer eyesight or blurry vision from being tired, the red font will naturally look a little bit smudged against the black, which again, inspires thoughts of horror movies, old-school hacking, and general doom.
One Twitter (X) user also voiced her concern on the neighboring platform, inspiring lots of similarly creeped-out folks to speak up.
Fortunately for those who do not like the clock, they can disable or change it. The Standby Mode settings can be adjusted into colors and fonts that feel less ominous, and the orientation lock can be also be turned on, preventing the phone's orientation from ever flipping sideways, which activates the clock at night.
@WhiteHouse/X
