ensete i think you must try a new phone with excatly same os and same firmware with your old phone,because even it is a same hardware but if it have a different software it will make difference like eyestrain migraine etc because if some day your old phone got lost,you wont have another solution
hansennnnn Well, duh 
That's easier said than done
I did do a shell swap and swapped the new motherboard into the old phone body (including screen) and it didn't help. So that proves it is not the screen, it's either a hardware difference with the motherboard, or a software issue (driver or patch level of OS)
ensete motherboard has storage so it is using the same storage and os,try find new one one market place
edit today i got my new phone with excatly same type dan same os but i still got eyestrain and headache,meanwhile i can use my old phone zenfone no eyestrain at all but so slow and have only 32 gb storage so it is not my eye problem
maybe i think after update the screen a little bit blurry is it from dithering ?i depressss stress,i dont know how to solve this issue,just join telegram grup about ledstrain maybe find something about disablw dithering
hansennnnn motherboard has storage so it is using the same storage and os,try find new one one market place
The two phones have different update levels. And the GPU and GPU drivers could be different. They are the same "Model" but have different manufacturing numbers.
I have proved it is not the screen hardware, so that leaves the GPU hardware, GPU driver, or O as the culprit
ensete i am sure in my case it is because of software because before update i can use same the phone with no eyestrain no headache at all,do you know how to disable dithering on android ?
do you have succes with one eye patch training ? is there a tutorial video how to do it ?
my lazy eyes in left my dominance eye is right than i cover my right eyes right ? how long a day ?if i close my right eyes is it the same with patch right eyes ? because is kinda embarasing using patch eyes in public room if closing right eye is the same with patch right eyes ?
KM sorry i want to ask where is force gpu rendering setting ?and how to input persist.sys.use_dithering=0 ?
hansennnnn I think the former is in Developer Settings and the latter has to be manually written into some Android config file. But I'm not sure which file anymore now after 8 years.
Right now I don't think those settings changed anything in terms of eye strain back then. What helped was probably adjusting the brightness to stay out of the PWM range.
After countless phone purchases (always ending up in a refund), I finally found my first usable phone since 2016. I read this whole thread and discovered many people were using Realme 9 Pro 5G. I've been using it for the past 4 months daily, even playing with it, and I can say it's a solid 7 or 8/10 about comfort. I notice some strain but it's quite light and goes away quickly.
Thank you all
hansennnnn am sure in my case it is because of software because before update i can use same the phone with no eyestrain no headache at all,do you know how to disable dithering on android ?
Dithering has nothing to do with my symptoms, never has.
do you have succes with one eye patch training ? is there a tutorial video how to do it ?
I put an eyepatch over my right eye. That's it.
my lazy eyes in left my dominance eye is right than i cover my right eyes right ?
You nly have two eyes, try them each and patch whichever one feels better
how long a day ?
I wear mine as long as needed
because is kinda embarasing using patch eyes in public room
Then your choices are getting painful eyestrain related headaches/migraines, or being embarrassed because you think people care about you wearing an eyepatch. Up to you. It was an easy choice for me
KM do you use % brigthness to stay away from pwm ?
but before disable hw overlay and disable dithering have been work for you in the past right ?
hansennnnn PWM never impacted me. I have had symptoms from PWN free displays
I did not disable dithering, on the phone, I don;t know how to do that no do I care to try
BEfore disabling HW overlays the phone was not comfortable to use, with it turned off it is more comfortable. It's not perfect, but on a scale of 1-10, previously it as a 5, Disabling HW overlays makes it an 8.
I'm more interested in what this means for a root cause. It seems the (as I always suspected) that it is primarily a software issue, not a screen issue or graphics hardware issue (for me at least I can't speak for everyone).
I've been doing some research into what Disabling HW overlays actually does, and to make a Windows analogy it seems to make the phone revert to a "GDI" display interface from a "Direct Draw" display interface, and for me Direct Draw is a distinct cause of eye strain on Windows PC.
ensete i dont know if its coincidence or not but each time i playing a game with same phone almost no eyestrain or maybe 9/10 mean while if i use it for reading like chating or browsing or watching video,few minutes later headache migraine in one spot often my left side of my head
hansennnnn I have been using a Motorola Edge 30 Neo since March 2024.
Like you when I game, sometimes for 1 or even 2 hours my eyes are barely affected by the screen.
However when streaming video content my eyes become a little tired and dry. Browsing the web less so.
I am surprised that gaming affects them so little as I assumed it would be the opposite.
jayd i think we have the same issue,what setting do you use on your phone ?example like what setting brightness,saturation,color mode,disable hw overlay,settind disable dithering etc
before update android 14 i can use my phone with no eyestrain at all so i am sure my issue is 100% software issue
hansennnnn When using my Motorola Edge 30 Neo I have the brightness anywhere between 5% and 40% depending on the time of day, natural light, how my eyes are and whether I am gaming or streaming.
All of my adult life I have preferred darker screens when using any type of screen….tv, pc monitor etc and this was before my eye issues started back in 2010.
I have the colour setting as Saturated with the colour temperature in the middle. I do not disable HW Overlays and there are no dc dimming options. I use an app called Twilight that I have been using with mobiles for many years and this kicks in at sunset.
The Motorola is my secondary phone that I use for gaming and occasional streaming, browsing as my Primary handset is a Google Pixel 3a that I have owned since 2019.
The battery life is not great and there is the occasional software issue hence the owning of a backup handset.
When I purchased the Pixel I had mild tiredness for the first few months but my eyes got used to the screen and although I have to be careful with some wallpapers. icons it has been excellent for my eyes. I can have the brightness on this set very high without issue.
The Motorola is a much brighter device. Since March when I started using it my eyes have got used to it and so my symptoms like the Pixel have reduced or though not to the same level yet.
I have never had issues with software updates such as Windows on my pc or Android on mobile. I have also updated ios on Apple devices that do not cause an issue.
I do not believe PWM is a major issue for me as I have tried LCD screens and they have caused issues and I have also tried an Apple iphone 12 and Google Pixel 4a that only caused mild issues in comparison.
jayd twilight is application that make screen more yellowish right ? me too have brightness below 40 or 30,more brightness i think i got more eyestrain.i dont have setting saturated in my phone,do you use application to settig saturated ?
so the solution is to adapt right ?how long to adapt ?
are your symtomph if too long use it like more than an hour,make headache and sometime migraine on one side of your head ?
hansennnnn The twilight app gives a soft red tint to the screen to help filter out "Blue Light" that can cause issues when its night.
The Motorola Edge 30 Neo has built in Colour Saturation….
When I look at a screen my issues start within 2 or 3 seconds, so quickly. The symptoms I have experienced include tiredness, nausea and pain. Each screen is different and the strength of symptoms vary. I have never experienced migraine or headache from a screen only pain / soreness around the eyes and tightness around the forehead at worst.
My symptoms are always around the eyes and forehead not at the side or back. Reading the comments on this forum I am lucky not to experience as strong symptoms as many others do.
In addition to the symptoms when looking at the screen it is also about how long my eyes take to return to normal. I tried a screen many years ago and my eyes didn't feel better until the next day after sleeping.
So when trying a new screen it is about the symptoms when looking at the screen and also how long they last for once I have stopped looking and my eyes return to normal.
So for me yes, it is about can my eyes adapt to the screen.
Over the first few days or week of owning a new screen I think about the symptoms and make a decision on whether I believe I can use the screen long term without serious issue and whether I believe my eyes will adapt.
My Google Pixel 3a took maybe 3 months or so to adapt. So far I have had the Motorola Edge 30 Neo for 5 months and my eyes are adapting slowly however I am unsure if it will be as good as the Pixel. Still I am happy enough to use the handset on a daily basis as the symptoms are mild.
Some mobiles that I have tried previously have been returned only a day or two after first using as the eye issues are so strong.
For example I bought an iphone XR which caused strong nausea and soreness so I knew I could not tolerate this long term.
Interestingly I tried an iphone 12 not long after and the symptoms were mild, not too different to the Motorola Edge 30 Neo.
Just tried a Moto G7 play that was quite good for my eyes. Unfortunately the phone itself was defective, but might eb worth trying to find one that isnt
jayd my bad phone use ips not amoled so pwm is not my issue right ?what setting in twilight app ? i use very low brigthness so headache not so much pain,i got headache and sometimes no eyestrain but just headache if use more than an hour,its like soreness and pain throbing on my behind head sometimes on top of my head make me a little bit dizzy,and it takes one or two hour to make the headache gone
hansennnnn Based on my experience using both IPS and OLED yes I believe that PWM is not the issue for you, it is certainly not the main issue as of course there is no definite diagnosis for what we are all dealing with here.
I use the Twilight app default settings which mean it is only in use between sunset and sunrise. You can customise it so that it is in use all of the time but I doubt that will help with your symptoms.
From everything I have read on this and other forums about the issue and my own experience over the last 14 years it is clear that there is not one solution or way of managing the issue for everyone as we are all dealing with different levels of symptoms, whether it is eye patching, diet, supplements, using LCD screens or other methods the reality is we are all searching for that magic solution or just a reduction of symptoms at best.
My eyesight is good, I do wear contact lenses and have regular checkups. Back in 2014 my then optician said it is most likely a communication issue between my eyes and brain. More recently in 2023 my current optician said I may have "Pattern Glare" though I think this only relates to the issue I have with patterns on clothing.
My theory is that as my main symptom is tiredness with the eyes it is a similar when exercising or going to the gym and your muscles become tired. The more you train the stronger your muscles get and therefore the more you can do.
Replicate this theory with my eyes and so when I use a screen for the fist time and I get mild tiredness such as with my Pixel 3a and Motorola Edge 30 Neo I believe by using it over time the muscles in my eyes get stronger and eventually the tiredness reduces.
I think that Motorola mobile phones appear to be the best screens to use for many people based on feedback on forums.