Apple has filed a patent for a system that would recognize when an iPhone is smudged, according to Business Insider.
Currently, iPhones are unable to differentiate between smudges that block light to the phone’s sensors and other reasons why the light might be blocked, such as when the user is talking on the phone and it is held to the user’s ear. Smudges to the phone can dim the screen accidentally, mimicking the dimming that occurs during a phone call.
The new system would be able to identify different types of smudges and make sure that they don’t interfere with the normal lighting of a phone.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com