I got this stupid idea yesterday after my phone died in my hand. Thought maybe the lock screen color was sucking up battery like crazy. Pulled out my phone right then to check.
Starting the Experiment
First I set my lock screen to pure black. Easiest thing ever – just grabbed a plain black wallpaper. Looked kinda depressing honestly. Like a void staring back at me whenever I tapped the screen. Used it whole morning like that.
Black Screen Observations
- Phone felt friggin’ colder to touch for some reason
- Notifications kinda blinded me when they popped up
- Didn’t notice any magical battery savings whatsoever
- Felt like I was unlocking a tombstone every time
Then around lunch I switched to gray. Grabbed this foggy gray wallpaper that looked like bad weather. Immediately noticed differences.
Gray Screen Surprises
- Everything felt less harsh on my eyes somehow
- My wallpaper’s clock actually became easier to read
- Missed calls and texts didn’t scream at me like emergencies
- Weirdly made my cheap phone look more expensive?
By dinner time my black screen experiment already felt ancient. Kept unlocking gray screen like it was nothing special. But next day I forced myself back to black. Hated it within hours. Felt like somebody dimmed all the lights in my room.
The Real Test
Took both setups outside in sunlight. Total disaster. Pure black made every fingerprint look like oil smears. Gray hid my greasy thumb marks better. And when sunshine hit my screen? Black turned into this weird mirror reflecting my dumb face. Gray just… existed.
Honestly thought battery life would be the big factor here. Tracked it for three days with each background. Difference? Less than 3%. Might as well argue over pebble sizes.
Final Verdict
Gray won for me by knockout. Black screens made my eyes work overtime like bad subtitles. Gray felt like that comfy hoodie I wear everywhere. Unless you’re staring at lock screens all day (weird hobby btw), just pick whatever doesn’t annoy you at 3am.
Still think this whole test was pointless? Totally. But now I don’t wince unlocking my phone anymore. Worth the hassle.