Click the f.lux Mac download link. Click the zip file to expand it; Double click the 'Flux' application in your Finder window. Enter your location and wake time; Uninstalling. Go to the f.lux Settings panel (to the left of your system clock) Choose 'Quit f.lux' In Finder, search for 'Flux' and select and delete the f.lux app by dragging it to. Free for Android By downloading, you agree to the f.lux EULA (also available for Windows Mac Linux iPhone/iPad Android). Click the f.lux Mac download link. Click the zip file to expand it Double click the 'Flux' application in your Finder window. Enter your location, set your wake time, and select the type of lighting in your room at night. Go to the f.lux Settings panel (to the left of your system clock) Choose 'Quit f.lux'.
Thanks for installing f.lux.
Your f.lux installer is a .zip file - it should be in your Downloads folder. Install f.lux by double-clicking it.
Once f.lux is installed and running, you should see the f.lux Preferences window appear. Here, you can enter your location and set your usual wake time. f.lux uses this information to create a custom lighting schedule for you.
You can open up Preferences any time to view and change your f.lux settings.
The f.lux menu can always be found to the left of your system clock.
f.lux Preferences
Daytime is whenever the sun is up in your location. By default, f.lux is at 6500K during the daytime, and does not change your screen’s color.
If you prefer very warm daytime colors, select Options> Expanded Daytime Settings from the f.lux menu.
Sunset is when the sun has set, but you are awake. If you are an early riser, this is also your pre-sunrise morning setting.
Sunset colors are designed to work well with normal warm white room lighting. If you usually wake up before sunrise, you might prefer a more moderate (4500K or brighter) Sunset setting.
Bedtime is the time before sleep when you’re getting ready for bed (or already in it).
The Bedtime setting changes with your wake time. It removes as much alerting light from your screen as possible so that you can feel your body growing tired. You can go to sleep anytime with f.lux - whenever you feel sleepy.
f.lux presets
The f.lux preferences window lets you change and preview settings. There are several presets you can choose from. f.lux will default to the Recommended colors preset.
Recommended colors: Use these for the first week while you get used to the change of colors and discover how you like to use f.lux.
Custom colors: Custom color control, click the time of day you want to change and then drag the slider to your preferred color temperature.
Classic f.lux: At sunset, f.lux will fade to 3400K, and turn off at sunrise. For large screens this setting is probably not strong enough to remove all alerting light.
Working late: for extreme night owls, removes solar timing and gives 14 hours of bright waking light.
Location
For most machines, f.lux can automatically detect your location with OS X Location Services.
You can also use postal codes (US only), the name of a nearby city, or map coordinates (find them on the map at justgetflux.com/map.html).
If you’ve been traveling, you might need to update your location. Make sure your computer’s internal Timezone settings are correct under System Preferences > Date & Time > Time Zone
Options
Fast transitions: 20 second fade at sunrise and sunset. When unchecked, f.lux changes gradually over one hour.
Sleep in on weekends: For people who want brighter light later on Friday and Saturday nights (and sleep in on Saturday and Sunday mornings)
Extra hour of sleep (ages 13-18): Starts Bedtime one hour earlier for teens and other people who need a little more sleep
Expanded daytime settings: Warmer daytime settings (to 1900K) for people who want to reduce eyestrain or match office lighting
Backwards alarm clock: Calculates how many hours remain until your wake time and gives reminders every thirty minutes when it gets very late
Dim on disable: Gentle fade on disable so it hurts less to check colors
Color Effects
Darkroom: Removes 100% of blue and green light and inverts colors. Darkroom mode also preserves night vision while using a screen.
Movie mode: Lasts 2.5 hours. Preserves colors and shadow detail for watching movies with reduced alerting light.
OS X Dark theme at sunset: Uses the normal theme during the day and switches to dark theme (dock and menu bar) each night at sunset. Disabling f.lux will also disable dark theme.
Disable
For an hour: Disables f.lux for one hour and returns your screen to its normal setting.
Until sunrise: Disables f.lux until your local sunrise.
For current app: Open the app you want to disable f.lux for, then choose this option to disable f.lux whenever a particular app becomes active. You can re-enable f.lux later by opening the app and unchecking this option.
If you often check colors after dark, you might like to use the Dim On Disable setting under Options.
About f.lux
This is where to find what version you have installed, see our contact information, and get a measurement of your screen’s current brightness.
Quit f.lux
This will quit the f.lux process and remove the f.lux icon from your menubar. Always quit f.lux before uninstalling or deleting files.
Troubleshooting: Answers to some common OS X questions
Installing
- Click the f.lux Mac download link.
- Click the zip file to expand it
- Double click the 'Flux' application in your Finder window.
- Enter your location and wake time
Uninstalling
- Go to the f.lux Settings panel (to the left of your system clock)
- Choose 'Quit f.lux'
- In Finder, search for 'Flux' and select and delete the f.lux app by dragging it to the trash
Uninstalled but can’t delete files
- Open Activity Monitor and select Flux
- Choose Force Quit
- Delete f.lux app by dragging it to the trash
Quit f.lux but the color still remains
Rebooting often fixes any problems with color tint. But if that does not help you, try the following:
- Open Activity Monitor and verify there is no 'Flux' process running
- In Finder, open System Preferences> Displays> Color
- Delete the f.lux profile
- Reboot if needed
Other video display issues
Some Macbooks were recalled for problems with video hardware. You can check if your model is on the list at: https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/
Flashing
On dual-GPU machines we write an ICC profile in order to make the “switch” between video cards more seamless. In some older machines, and every so often, this doesn’t work so well. You can use gfx.io to lock to one card, or to read about how this system works and disable if you want, check out our f.lux profile + prefs article.
If you still have questions about f.lux or need more help, you can check our FAQ or ask a question in our support forum.
Download f.lux for Windows to save your eyes by making your display's brightness adapt to the time of day. F.lux has had 0 updates within the past 6 months. F.lux warms up your screen at night to help you relax and wind down before bed. Created in 2008 to help screens look more like a book, f.lux is now informed by science in sleep and circadian biology to help you adjust your body's sense of night and day. Redshift adjusts the color temperature according to the position of the sun. F.lux is a small app that adapts your screen color to the amount of light in space you're in. F.lux uses both the type of light in the room you're in and the time of day as points of reference. You can select halogen, fluorescent, or natural light to get greater precision.
Reading Time: 4minutesDo you have f.lux installed on your computer?
F.lux is a free blue light exposure protection app you can install on your desktop to filter out the blue light from your monitor. The app automatically shifts the color to a reddish amber as soon as the sun goes down.
Night Shift is another great blue light filter app option you can try out on your smartphone or tablet.
Blue light exposure problem solved! Right?
Not really…
Let’s find out the truth about the effectiveness of these blue light filter apps, and what you can do to solve this problem.
The problem with blue light filter apps
We all know the problem with blue light exposure is real. All the blue light from your devices is throwing off your circadian rhythms – a 24-hour internal clock that is running in the background of your brain and cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals.
Your circadian rhythm works best when you have regular sleep habits, like going to bed at night and waking up in the morning around the same times every day (including weekends).
When things get in the way, like jet lag, daylight savings time, or a compelling show on TV that keeps you up into the wee hours of the morning, you can disrupt your circadian rhythm.
This can be why you feel out of sorts and struggle to focus.
Additionally, lack of sleep can have other very serious health consequences. Research shows that sleep deprivation can increase the risk of these health problems:
- Anxiety
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Obesity
Find out how the effects of blue light can increase your risk of cancer here.
As for the blue light filter apps, they don’t work as a proper filter. Their lack of efficiency is due to the fact that they can only reduce the blue light instead of filtering or blocking it.
Why do we need proper filters to protect our eyes from blue light exposure?
Because ALL screens have this problem called backlight bleeding which means your monitor will still “bleed” light from the backlight and around the edges. That excess light isn’t picked up by f.lux, Night Shift or any other blue light apps as they are essentially offering a software solution to a hardware problem.
The problem with f.lux is it can’t eliminate but only reduce blue light exposure. Therefore, your eyes can still get strained when you use these blue light filtering apps.
Unfortunately, that’s not the only problem we’ve identified with blue light filter apps. Blue light is not only released by our smartphones and computers, but also by our TVs and all sources of artificial light. While these apps are certainly a step in the right direction, it definitely falls short to solve the problem completely. In fact, this study indicates that “less than 1 lux of monochromatic light elicited a significant suppression of nocturnal melatonin”.
To reevaluate your lighting strategies is no longer an option but a necessity to ensure maximum health. And this is what excited us the most. We needed a better blue light exposure solution, and thanks to Swanwick Sleep we have one.
Blue Light Exposure Eliminated!
At Swanwick Sleep, we believe sleep is crucial! And our mission is to help you achieve it. We don’t do things by halves. To prove it, we created our Swannies® Blue Light Blocking Glasses, our high quality sunglasses to not only filter but block all the blue light in your space.
You can wear your Swannies at night (at least one hour before going to sleep) to protect your eyes from all the blue light in LED emitting street lamps, while watching LED electronic screens, at baseball games, or anywhere blue light exposure can be an issue. There’s increasing scientific evidence that blue light may not just damage your sleep, but your eyes as well. The simple color shift provided by blue light filter apps is not enough to prevent such damage. If you’re already wearing glasses, it might as well be Swannies. That way you’re guaranteed healthy eyes and a good night’s sleep! Win-win!
Here are 10 tips to improve your sleep hygiene. When you sleep better you feel better, right?
That’s not to say your f.lux doesn’t offer any protection from blue light exposure. But if you’re wondering why you still haven’t achieved the peaceful sleep you’re dreaming about, Swannies just may be the answer for you.
Do you want full protection from blue light exposure?
F.lux, Night Shift, and other screen “filter” apps are not the solution to circadian disruption and poor sleep. Read on to learn why.
Light-emitting Devices
It seems that every week there are new studies and news articles about the dangers screen use at night. These screens that we’re staring into, emit large amounts of blue light. It turns out that light at the blue end of the spectrum is how our bodies track what time of day it is. Shining blue-rich light into our eyeballs at night is screwing with our body’s timekeeping mechanisms. And it’s not only making it harder for us to fall asleep. Circadian dis-regulation and chronic melatonin depletion have very serious health consequences. These are compounded by lack of quality sleep.
The standard advice is no screen-time an hour or two before bed. That’s great advice, but not practical for many people. Most articles now recommend installing blue “filtering” apps. F.lux is a very popular app for PC users. Android users can install Twilight. Apple now has Night Shift built in to their latest operating systems. Most people believe that is all they need to do. As you will see, this is not the case.
F.lux and other screen “filter” apps
F.lux is a free app that automatically shifts the color of your screen to a reddish amber color as the sun goes down. You set it to your time zone and the degree of color shift that you want and it does the rest. The idea is to match the color of your screen to the color of the ambient lighting. In the daytime your screen is in full color spectrum. As the evening wears on, the color shifts to amber/red over the course of an hour. Once you get used to the colors, most people love the app and won’t go without it. Of course people doing design work or other color sensitive work may not be able to use it. It can also take some getting use to. Most people start with a mild color setting at first. You can turn it further to the red as you become accustomed to it.
The newer version of the app can even sync with the Phillips Hue lighting system. That way your home lighting can shift in sync with your screen! I have not tried this feature yet but it seems pretty awesome.
So what’s the problem?
They are not nearly as effective as a proper filter
These apps do not “filter” anything. They reduce or (on the highest settings) cut out the color blue. The problem lies with the screens themselves. Screens are always emitting some degree of blue light due to bleed through from the back-light. You can’t fix a hardware problem with software. These apps are great but not nearly as effective as a true filter.
The silly-looking orange Uvex glasses are an actual filter that is far superior. With a little self experimentation, you can prove it to yourself.
These apps will reduce your blue light exposure and the stress on your eyes. They cannot eliminate it. There is a huge difference between reducing blue light and elimination it!
F.lux Mac Download Chip
In fact, this study demonstrates that “less than 1 lux of monochromatic light elicited a significant suppression of nocturnal melatonin”! My advice is to go the extra step and block all blue light exposure as part of your evening routine.
F.lux Review
People tend to hold the screen closer to their eyes
Some of these apps reduce the screen brightness as well. The lower the back-light, the less blue will be emitted. This is great in theory. In real life, people tend to counteract the effect by holding the screen closer to their face.
If someone is holding the screen closer to their eyes, they are negating much of the benefits of using the app. The proximity to a light source make a huge difference in the biological response.
The “easy button” & the bigger problem
F.lux Mac Download
People are always looking of an easy “set it and forget it” solution. We tend to read an article that says “blue light at night = bad” then we can “just get f.lux” and go on with our lives. The problem is much greater than our electronic devices.
All energy efficient lighting, LED and florescent, emits strong blue light. Even the “soft white” color lamps have a sharp spike at the blue end of the spectrum. These sources are becoming cheaper and more ubiquitous in our homes. Some government jurisdictions are banning the use and/or sale of incandescent lamps. Cash starved city government are highly motivated to “upgrade” street lights to LEDs. Despite overwhelming evidence of harm to the environment and public health, LEDs are taking over. Exterior lighting on homes and businesses is almost always blue rich LEDs. Even night lights are usually white LEDs that emit blue light all night long. We need to start structuring lighting environments that work with our physiology. Greater public awareness is desperately needed! I believe these apps are a step in the right direction. My concern is that filtering apps are like broom with which to sweep the problem under the bed and out of our sleep deprived minds.
Electronic Screens
At this point there are two main type of screens on our electronic devices: LCD and OLED. Most screens out there are some sort of LCD except for Samsung phones which use a variation of an OLED (AMOLED). LCD screens are back lit with either a white florescent or a white LED. Most computer screens are edge lit with a cold-cathode florescent tube on the top or bottom of the screen. A white diffusion panel that scatters the light uniformly across the screen.
Light Leakage
F.lux Forum
The main thing to realize about LCDs is that there is always some level of blue light passing through. No matter what color is on the screen. Theoretically OLED screens should have less of a problem with light leakage. The pixels are self-illuminating (no back-light). Therefore, filtering apps should be far more effective. I have seen a spectrograph of an iPhone (LCD) compared to Samsung (AMOLED). They are very similar, however they were measured with the screens displaying white. I would like to see spectrograph comparisons with the screens displaying all black.
Try this at home
Is Flux Safe To Download
You can see for yourself the blue light from your screen by doing the following test. If you go to BlueLightAtNight.com/black you will see a plain black page. Take your computer into a dark room and you can see how much blue light is coming out. If you shine it on a white wall, you will see that it is blue light. Play with the brightness levels. The light that you are seeing is from the white florescent or LED back light. Hides meaning. If you put a spectrometer on this, you will see the spike in the blue range which is typical of florescent tubes or LEDs. No matter what color is on your screen, this back-light is always shinning through even if you don’t see it.
So why do I use it (and recommend it)?
F.lux
Despite the fact that I spent the last 10 minutes of your time somewhat bashing f.lux, I still use it and recommend it. For one, it is better than nothing and it does help bring awareness to the problem. It does relieve eye strain. I like how it transitions in to nighttime mode as the sun goes down. It helps to keep me connected with nature in some small way even if I’m full absorbed into some computer project. Any reduction in blue light exposure is beneficial. But, if you want to optimize your health, I recommend using a proper pair of blue light blocking glasses.
F.lux For Mac
Flux Blue Light Filter
Oh, and did I mention that f.lux is free? Not only is it free, but the developers graciously provide tech support as well. They are nice people who are dedicated to helping others, and that’s something that we can all appreciate.