- The Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with a new Privacy Display
- Some users are complaining that it causes eye strain and nausea
- Other Galaxy S226 Ultra owners aren't seeing any issues
Samsung's 2026 flagship phone earned plenty of praise in our Galaxy S26 Ultra review, but we're seeing a significant volume of complaints concerning one of its key selling points: the Privacy Display that hides what's on screen from those around you.
This is done through some clever screen technology trickery, and you can switch it on or off in the phone's settings. However, as reported by Android Police and others, a number of users think the display upgrade isn't very easy on the eyes.
"The new display is making me nauseous," claims one Redditor who is returning their Galaxy S26 Ultra handset, while others are complaining of eye strain or finding the screen fuzzy compared to their previous smartphone display.
This is obviously not affecting everyone, though – as you'll see if you scroll down those Reddit threads, some users are having no issues at all with the Galaxy S26 Ultra display, and we didn't see any problems when reviewing the device ourselves. In fact, the reaction to the phone overall has largely been very positive.
Compromised screen quality?
Since most people say they can’t notice anything unusual on the Galaxy S26 Ultra display after turning off Privacy Mode, I guess there’s no point in continuing this discussion.All I can say is: good luck to everyone.Hopefully when you move on to the S27 Ultra, S28 Ultra, or…March 9, 2026
Some of the biggest tipsters on X are weighing in on the controversy, with Tarun Vats saying the display makes their eyes feel "tired and slightly uncomfortable" (with screenshots attached), and Ice Universe less than impressed too.
Samsung hasn't shared too many details about how Privacy Display works, but it essentially limits the light emitted by individual pixels. It means the screen (or certain parts of it) can only be viewed from directly in front of it.
Even with Privacy Display disabled, however (which is the default setting), there are complaints on Samsung's forums and social media about a downgrade in screen quality — perhaps a necessary compromise for the option of extra privacy.
It's worth remembering that there were similar eye strain complaints when Apple rolled out its Liquid Glass update for iOS, though such complaints seemed to have died down in the months since iOS 26's initial rollout.
In any case, Samsung's new display tech seems to be affecting different users in different ways. If you're a new Galaxy S26 Ultra owner, have you experienced any eye strain? Let us know in the comments.
We discussed Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra, its privacy display and more in the latest episode of the TechRadar Podcast. Check it out below!
