Android eyestrain - maybe it's the software?

floydian

Hello,

I know everyone is different, however, I hope that maybe we'll be able to find out some information which wll be helpful for at least some of us. I'd like to share with you my experience and point of view and Android strain, with an assumption that software itself may be huge factor there.

There are plenty of us, both here and on Reddit PWM strain subcommunity, who state that they were fine even with OLED display until specific point of time - threads like "Galaxy S9 was perfect, but newer phones are making me sick" (even LCD's without PWM). We're digging depp into PWM frequiencies, modulation etc - which of course is not good for health and may be part of the issue.

However, considering my experience, maybe it's rather software-related and perfectly usable device becomes unusable after OS update? Maybe something specific was changed in Android itself, which is causing the diziness, motion sickness, head and ear pressure?

Some facts from my experience: I was able to use all phones until May of 2021 (including Symbian Nokia's, Motorola Milestine, Galaxy S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S7, S8, S9). Installed all system and apps updates when they became available. Life was good 😉

Then, in May 2021 I installed another Samsung update on my perfect ly usable S9 (didn't even knew that phone can cause huge symptoms then) - G960FXXUFFUE1, which is described as only secuity update. In minutes after the update I noticed severe strain, diziness, then even motion sickness. First, I thought that maybe it's just some sickness, but after few days I connected it with the phone's update. Started Odin, installed April 2021 OS version (fortunately BL bit wasn't bumped) and all the symptoms disappeared.

Later on, Google Apps started giving me symptoms - beginning with both Google Maps and Youtube in August 2022. Google Maps 11.39.1606 was the last one I was able to use withhout getting severe symptoms (worked fine until April 2024). Over the time more and more apps started giving symptoms even on perfectly safe device - Teams, Signal, browsers etc.

What, however, I discovered over the time when trying tens of different Android phones to find the one that would allow me to use current OS version, apps (especially Google Maps), was that, at least in case of Samsung phones it's the very specific OS version that makes the specific phone usable or not.

I know they all had OLED's with terrible PWM, buf for some reason I can use the following devices without any strain IF they are on OS before 04.2021 (strain is intrudoced in April on May's 2021 update, depending on the device): S9, S10 Plus, S20 Plus, Note 9. In the case of S20 Plus, 60Hz refresh rate has to be selected - at 120 hz it immediatelly gives symptoms.

Samsung blocked OS downgrades via bootlader bit, so I was haunting for the phones which wasn't updated for years and tested it thoroughly. All the phones above became nightmare for my head when using OS since 05.2021, were absolutely fine with older one (up to 04.2021). The same HW, the same screen, the same "safe" apps version installed.

It's similiar case with different phones I tried, however, "switch date" is different - for example Huawei P20 PRO on EMUI 10 is perfect, after update it became unusable. I tried tens of phones with newer Android version - different manufacturers, screens, processors etc and none of them was usable for me. LCD, OLED with DC Dimming (Huawei P30 PRO), Motorolas, OnePluses, Xiaomis, Vivo's - wasn't able to find any recent device which was usable. And not any which, even if the are fine with old apps, would allow me to use recent apps without symptoms.

None of the options in Developer Menu (HW overlays, color, animation settings etc) made a difference for me. I am now on S10 Plus with 04.2021 Software and basically only Brave 1.31.87 installed (newer versions were giving me synptoms), as over the time all other apps I used became unusable.

I even recently bought another Galaxy S10 Plus on recent software - instant motion sickness, diziness, sickness. It's the software that makes all difference.

Maybe the overall reason for strain coming from Android smartphones can be found using this specific example?

PS. I even dig deep into Samsung May's 2021 updte Security Bulletin but haven't found any suspicious change: Security Updates Firmware Updates | Samsung Mobile Security.

[SMR-MAY-2021](javascript:; "Detail view close")

Samsung Mobile is releasing a maintenance release for major flagship models as part of monthly Security Maintenance Release (SMR) process. This SMR package includes patches from Google and Samsung.

Google patches include patches up to Android Security Bulletin – May 2021 package. The Bulletin (May 2021) contains the following CVE items:

Critical
CVE-2021-0473, CVE-2021-0474, CVE-2021-0475

High
CVE-2020-25705, CVE-2020-11246, CVE-2020-11234, CVE-2020-15436, CVE-2020-29368, CVE-2020-11251, CVE-2020-11236, CVE-2020-11247, CVE-2020-11237, CVE-2020-11191, CVE-2020-11255, CVE-2020-11243, CVE-2021-0445, CVE-2021-0472, CVE-2021-0485, CVE-2021-0487, CVE-2021-0482, CVE-2021-0484, CVE-2021-0476, CVE-2021-0477, CVE-2021-0481, CVE-2021-0466, CVE-2021-0480

Moderate
CVE-2021-0375, CVE-2021-0387, CVE-2021-0369, CVE-2021-0382, CVE-2021-0368, CVE-2021-0374, CVE-2021-0378, CVE-2021-0379, CVE-2021-0384, CVE-2021-0370, CVE-2021-0372, CVE-2021-0377, CVE-2021-0380, CVE-2021-0383, CVE-2021-0386, CVE-2021-0388, CVE-2021-0371

Already included in previous updates
CVE-2020-11242, CVE-2020-11245, CVE-2020-11210, CVE-2020-11252, CVE-2020-11292*

*Select devices have been patched since January of 2021

Not applicable to Samsung devices
CVE-2021-0468"

Do you maybe have similiar experience or some tips for us?

Best Regards,

Tom

Sunspark

floydian Interesting.. my Samsung is still on Dec 2019 so this tracks. I can probably guess what has happened with the security update. The Adreno GPU (and others) DO get CVEs. So, the security patch updates the GPU driver to resolve the CVE issue.

ocean10

I think software does make a huge difference. If you search around here on Ledstrain.org and other places you'll see similar issues on iOS, Windows 10, Windows 11, and Mac OS. It seems like in the last few years something has changed in how graphics/colors are rendered that is making a lot of us get pretty severe symptoms.

I have issues with newer versions of iOS and more recently have had similar issues with Windows 10 and 11. Since May of 2024 I can't seem to use Windows 10 computers without symptoms and I pretty much haven't been able to find a Windows 11 computer I can use. I have some computers on Windows 10 that I used for 10+ years that I could look at all day with no symptoms at all. Whatever Windows update came out in May 2024 gives me symptoms almost immediately when looking at the screens.

The first time I experienced severe screen issues was when the iPhone X came out. I almost called 911 the day I got it because I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me (before I realized it all started not long after I unboxed the phone). Back then I assumed it was all hardware related (figured it was OLED's / PWM etc.) Now I'm not so sure and wonder if maybe that was the first time I experienced whatever this graphics rendering change is. It may be a combination of both hardware and software as well.

The fact that in at least some cases it's software related gives me a little hope in that maybe some day someone will figure it out and it will be easy to change. I've had what seem like very minor updates to iOS make my phone completely unusable so the hope is that it would be a minor effort to switch it back if someone knew what to do. Or I hope that technology continues to move forward and this passes us by with another change some day.

floydian

Sunspark That's an interesting finding and would explain why (at least for me) in general Samsung AMOLED smartphones with OS up to 04.2021 are absoulutely usable for me, then, after GPU update, they become terrific. And it confirms that it's not the screen, PWM itself that's causing all the issues…. but some unidentified change in GPU driver.

So…. the same case as on PC, at least with Intel integrated graphics, there are specific old drivers which are fine. Installing newer ones ruins good otherwise setup. There even was a topic on Intel GPU driver for older CPU's, where they send laptops to TUV for tests… Solved: Re: Intel eye strain TUV results - Intel Community - many people reported that older drviers were absolutely fine, while newer ones made the computer unusable. Intel hasn't found anything. I still have Lenovo T420, which was affected by this case - older drivers were fine, newer causing problems (only on Windows 10 however - on 7 it was fine even on newer drivers).

Would be great to find out what exactly is changed… I won't be surprised it it's the same thing.

PS. Is there also GPU driver for Mali GPU (Exynos chip) included in the May's firmware update? I'm in Europe, so all my Samsung phones are on Exynos.

Best Regards,

Tom

Sunspark

Yes.. and looking at the May 2025 bulletin, Mali is listed.

https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2025-05-01

floydian

Sunspark You linked May's 2025 bulletin, while I was talking about May 2021. But still, there is Mali GPU driver update listed also in May 2021: Biuletyn bezpieczeństwa w Androidzie – maj 2021 r. | Android Open Source Project. So that would explain why there is strain introduction, at least for me.

Would be great to find out what exactly was changed then. I still have the old Galaxy S9 on 04.2021 software as one of my backups phone…. however, I have no idea on how to check it (camera on phone won't be enough, I suppose).

Maybe some of you have an idea on how to check what was changed in the screen image itself? I could then compare the same phone on safe 04.2021 OS and straining 05.2021. Have Galaxy S22, S22 Ultra, S21 Ultra, Note 20 Ultra available when it comes to cameras.

I don't suppose it's PWM, as I already checked S10 Plus on safe software vs S10 on the newest (straining one) with S22 camera at 6000 shutter, PWM looked the same.

Best Regards,

Tom

G3RDAS

I am a long user of Samsung. I bought Galaxy A7 in 2018. Did one update and never updated since. The updates are 2019.

I usually associate this eyestrain issue started somewhere around COVID. Both phones and PCs.

Currently I have bought 2 refurbished Galaxy A7 phones which are fine on the eyes.

Interestingly, the discomfort from iPhone and Redmi is somewhat different. Up to the point where I sometimes have bouts of eyestrain-free usage on harmful device. But that is 1 minute max. I assume it is because there is different dithering algorithm or (huge speculation) the pixels are arranged differently under microscope and my eyes are used to Samsungs pixel layout.

I also bought Galaxy A13 and Redmi 10 2022 which both give me eyestrain. That accords with OPs observation.

Besides, compared to their specs, in my view there is nothing my phone (Galaxy A7) cannot do what modern phones can do. My phone will only be slower but the job will be done. In my opinion, the last meaningful addition to functionality for phones was NFC. Afterwards, its just more lightweight, quicker, prettier, more battery, but functionality is the same.

floydian

My case is a bit different, as even on "safe" device I cannot use current software - it started with August 2022 Google Maps and Youtube updates, then more and more apps (like Signal, Teams, some Government apps in Poland, promo-ones for shopping, my carieer, browsers - currently it's hard to find an app that I can use at my smartphone). That's why I checked tens of different phones with OEM and custom ROM's etc.

But still, the finding about Samsung software causing the issues is interesting and I hope there will be more follow-ups on this topic in the future.

Best Regards,

Tom