I previously wrote an article about ScreenShade which reduces the brightness of your Mac monitor.  I found it great for late night computing.  I recently stumbled upon Flux for Mac (also multi-platform).  This free application adjusts the color of your display based on the time of day.  I wasn’t necessarily searching for an application of this type, I had no idea something like this existed.  It’s one of those applications now that I can’t live without.  I highly recommend you visit their website to read more about it, it is truly amazing.  Computer monitors and digital devices typically emit a sunlight color temperature (blueish tint).  This is fine for day use, but at night it is extremely stressful on the eyes.  At night, we’re not meant to be looking at the sun.  Continue reading to learn more about this application and the features.

Flux will automatically adjust the color temperature of your computer screen for example transition around sunrise and sunset.  In the Preferences your location can be set up by Current Location or type it in the Search field.  You can have the color temperature transition Fast (20 seconds) or Slow (1 hour) during those periods.  1 hour is great because as you work at the computer the color temperature gradually changes over time.  I think it is easier to get used to this way.  There is a Lighting at Night Drop Down to choose between Tungsten, Halogen, Fluorescent, and Daylight.  I like Fluorescent the best, but this may be different in your workspace.  You can read up more about this at their website.  The application recently received an update for the Mac to allow custom color temperature settings if you do not like the default options (see screenshot above).

The final preference I would like to mention is that you can Start Flux at Login.  I find this great because whenever my computer is on, Flux will work in the background ensuring my screen is the proper color temperature no matter what time of day.  I don’t have to remember to open the application at a certain time of day or turn it off at a certain time.  It’s all automatic and loads when I start my Mac.  You can Preview any of the setting changes.  It may take you a few hours or days to get used to this new color temperature.  You may not like it at first, but I guarantee you that a difference will be seen.  It feels way more comfortable computer at night with the proper color temperature.

The last tip I will mention about Flux is that you can Disable Flux for 1 Hour.  In the menu bar of your Mac, you can Disable Flux at any time.  The 1 Hour disable setting is great for designers who want to see “accurate” colors when graphic designing.  I like to mention this though because you can temporarily disable Flux during night hours to see the “difference” between using Flux and not using Flux.  Try Flux for a few hours or days at night, then Disable it temporarily.  Your eyes will feel overwhelmed with the blue tint!  I wish I found this application sooner.  Computing at night is very comfortable now.  I recommend reading my article about ScreenShade for monitoring your screen brightness.  It is great for night computing and great for Mac computers that do not have a brightness control.  It is great too if you want your Mac monitor brightness lower than the built-in lowest brightness.