How to use a blue light filter on your PC or Mac

Researchers are continuously continuing studies on the potential harm of blue light. When you keep staring at screens all day and into the evening, it can affect your sleep and disrupt your body’s natural rhythms. For these reasons, blue light filters are incredibly important.

Whether you’re spending your day on a Windows PC, Mac, or Chromebook, you should enable their blue light filters to help reduce strain on your eyes. Desktop screens and laptops usually have a built-in filter you can access, and there are also downloadable options if your computer doesn’t have this feature.

However, if you are looking for a blue light filter for your smartphone, there are several great apps that you can download from the Google Play Store or the iOS App Store.

What’s the problem with blue light?

The reason why blue light is harmful is completely biological. Sleep is a part of the circadian rhythm, which is a cycle of biological processes that is partly determined by the levels of light and darkness our bodies are exposed to.

In the most natural setting, where we are only exposed to sunlight, our retina senses when the sun goes down and the environment becomes darker. This triggers our hypothalamus to produce melatonin and other sleep hormones and begin the process of lowering our body temperature.

However, when we use artificial light to extend our day, our bodies become confused, and various sleep signals are disrupted. Even worse is the blue light emitted by fluorescent and LED lights – like those on our various device displays – which makes us more alert and produce less melatonin.

That’s why it’s so important to use a blue light filter.

windows 10

Microsoft added a blue light-limiting feature to Windows 10 in the Creators Update released in April 2017. This feature, called Night Light, changes the Windows 10 and 11 display to show warmer colors that reduce the amount of blue light emitted. Activating the feature is a simple process.

step 1: right click on Start Press the button and select Adjustment But power user Menu. Alternatively, you can press Windows + X keys and then click Adjustment,

step 2: choose System In the pop-up window.

step 3: on windows 10, Display The category opens by default. In Windows 11, you’ll need to select it from the list of categories on the right. Scroll down to the right and toggle night light setting. In Windows 11, you will find Settings shine and color Section.

step 4: To configure the Night Light feature, click night light settings Link located below the toggle. Here, you’ll find options to turn Night Light on instantly, adjust the power, and schedule when it turns on and off. In Windows 11, press the right arrow key to access these settings.

Step 5: To set a schedule, toggle schedule night light Option to turn on. Then, you can choose to give either night light Auto turn on at sunset and off at sunrise – automatically determined by your location – or you can set the time manually by clicking set hours And choosing when the feature should turn on and off.

When you turn on the feature for the first time, you’ll notice the color change immediately. After a while, your eyes will adjust to the change and it should be less noticeable. However, by reducing the amount of blue light, the Night Light feature will limit the impact of using your Windows PC late at night – you may find it easier to fall asleep, and your sleep may be deeper and more restful.

Mac OS

First introduced in iOS, Apple brought Night Shift to Macs in macOS Sierra in March 2017. Like Windows, this feature is easy to turn on and configure to your liking.

step 1: Click Apple logo in the top-left corner and select system Preferences On the drop-down menu. Alternatively, click the System Preferences icon the dock, In macOS Ventura and later versions, the utility is called system arrangement,

step 2: choose It shows In the pop-up window. On macOS Ventura and later, select It shows From the categories list on the left.

step 3: Click night shift Tab into the following pop-up window.

Here, you can configure when night shift Runs automatically, keep it on until the next sunrise, and set your preferred color temperature. As for scheduling, you can let macOS turn it on and off at sunset and sunrise based on your location, or you can set up a custom schedule.

Like Windows 10’s Night Light feature, Apple’s Night Shift makes your display’s colors warmer and reduces the amount of blue light emitted. Try it to see if it improves your sleep habits and helps you become healthier, more productive, and generally a happier Mac user.

chromebook

Devices based on Google’s Chrome OS have a built-in blue light filter called Night Light. The simplest way to enable this feature is to click on system clock after this night light Button on the pop-up menu. The screen automatically washes out with a dark amber color.

For more control over Night Light, do the following:

step 1: click on system clock choose more gear Icon on the pop-up menu. opens with Adjustment window.

step 2: choose equipment Listed on the left.

step 3: choose It shows Listed on the right.

step 4: Click the toggle to the right of night light To enable this feature. Click on macOS Ventura and later night shift… at the bottom of the window to open Settings.

Step 5: move the slider to the middle Coolant And Hot To adjust blue light levels.

Step 6: Near ScheduleClick down arrow to select Never, from sunrise to sunsetOr custom,

Step 7: if you choose customA timeline appears from 6 PM to 6 PM, select the duration by increasing the start and end times accordingly.

external display

While you can change blue light levels on the software side, external monitors may include a blue light filter that you can manage with integrated on screen display (OCD) controls.

For example, press ocd button A control panel appears on Acer’s SB220Q 21.5-inch display, and on a separate screen from the PC’s desktop. As shown above, it includes options to adjust brightness, sharpness, and blue light. You can manually switch between 50% to 80%. As you increase this value you will get more blue light.

Overall, it is more convenient to adjust blue light levels directly through your computer’s operating system than to do so on a monitor. On the other hand, if you use the same monitor for multiple devices, changing the settings on the side of your monitor may be a far simpler approach.

third-party options

F.Lux:
F.lux is an innovative third-party option for adjusting your monitor’s color levels. This technology carefully monitors the sunlight levels in your area and adjusts the color temperature of your screen accordingly. It is available free for Windows, macOS and Linux. You can also use it to adjust the lights in your home by connecting it with a smart lighting system. You can turn off the feature whenever you want by toggling the switch.

Iris Mini:
Iris Mini is an impressive, ultra-lightweight blue light filter application. This is a streamlined option; There are no UI, buttons, or extra steps. This feature can automatically adjust the color on your monitor to reduce the effects of glare or blue light. You can change the settings manually or rely on Iris Mini’s automatic feature. Automatic mode evaluates the time of day and adjusts colors accordingly. Versions are available for Windows, Mac and Linux.