Topic

Screen distance

5 reads on screen distance.

A small child sitting cross-legged on a floor cushion holding a phone right up close to their face, while a parent kneels nearby and reaches out gently to move it back.

13 Jul 20267 min read

Why does my child hold the phone so close to their face?

Short arms are only part of it. Young eyes can focus crisply at a few centimetres without any strain, so close just doesn't feel close to them yet.

children's eyes · screen distance

Two parents sitting side by side on a park bench, each holding a phone and comparing the two screens, while their children play on a slide behind them and a tablet rests propped on a stand in the foreground.

6 Jul 20266 min read

Apple Screen Distance: the Android version for kids

iPhones can warn when a child holds the screen too close. Most Android phones can't on their own, so here's what fills the gap.

screen distance · children's eyes · Android apps

A phone propped upright on a stand at the edge of a table, with a young child sitting back comfortably on a rug and a parent walking past carrying laundry.

30 Jun 20266 min read

A phone stand: the simplest fix for kids' screen distance

Reminding a small child to hold the phone back every two minutes never lasts. A cheap stand does the job quietly, while you get on with something else.

phone stand · screen distance · children's eyes

A parent sitting on the floor at a low table holding one phone, with two more phones lying flat on the table beside them, while a young child plays with wooden blocks on a rug nearby.

25 Jun 20269 min read

Screen distance apps for Android kids in 2026

A few Android apps promise to stop your child holding the phone too close. Here's what each one actually does, and which one suits a young child.

screen distance · children's eyes · Android apps

A parent and a young child sitting together on a sofa, sharing a phone held at a comfortable arm's length, with daylight coming through the window behind them.

3 Jun 20269 min read

How far should a phone be from your child's face?

Eye doctors suggest keeping a phone at least an arm's length from a young child's face. Here's why little ones hold screens so close, what it does over time, and small fixes that actually help.

screen distance · children's eyes · myopia