With a plethora of apps boasting that they can offer us protection against blue light, I decided to investigate the pros and cons of blue light filter app. Read on to find out if they’re any good along with some helpful tips and articles.
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Pros And Cons Of Blue Light Filter App
There are both benefits and disadvantages to using blue light filter apps. These are listed below.
Advantages of blue light filter apps
- Relatively easy to use and setup
- Cheaper than other blue light protection devices
- Can automate blue light strength
- Minimal battery usage
- May help reduce eyestrain
- Helps promote normal sleep patterns
Disadvantages of blue light filter apps
- Not all apps are compatible with all devices
- Limited customization in some apps
- Apps consume storage space
- Not all anti blue light apps offer adequate protection
- May distort the color of your screen
- Only offers protection against blue light from the device
Blue light apps are the easiest method of achieving blue light protection. But are blue light filter apps worth it? Let’s delve deeper into the advantages and disadvantages of blue light apps to see.
Blue light is linked to digital eye strain and can disrupt your sleep patterns. Source
Advantages of blue light filter apps
Relatively easy to use and setup
Compared to blue light glasses and blue light blocking screen protectors, blue light apps are probably the easiest and quickest means of obtaining blue light protection.
With blue light glasses, you’ll need to ensure that they fit you properly. If you purchased glasses from an optician, it’s usually a matter of paying them a visit when they arrive to try them out.
However, some opticians now send them out to your home. This typically takes a few weeks for the glasses to be produced and delivered.
After that’s all arranged, you will need to remember to wear them or bring them with you when you are going between different areas, and even between rooms.
For blue light screen protectors, there is the initial hurdle of affixing it to your screen.
There is a technique to this as you’ll want it to sit perfectly on the screen without bubbles.
However, after this is completed, the screen protector sits there until you remove it. From this perspective, it may be the simpler of the 2, especially if you’re a forgetful individual.
In comparison, an app is downloaded immediately on to your device, and you have instant protection.
If you have a Windows 10 laptop, relatively new Android phone or an Apple product, then you might even have a blue light filter pre-installed on your device.
Windows 10 comes with Night Light while iPhones have a feature called Night Shift.
The Night Shift feature is compatible with all 64-bit iOS devices running on iOS 9.3 and above as well as Mac computers from 2012 onwards.
Blue light filters are available on most Android phones operating on Android Oreo (8.0) or newer.
But if you don’t have this version, then you can just jump on the Google Play Store and search for a blue light filtering app.
I have listed some of the most common blue light filtering apps in the next section.
Related: How To Choose Blue Light Screen Protectors – 10 Easy Steps!
Cheaper than other blue light protection devices
When compared to blue light glasses and blue light blocking screens, blue light filters cost the least. Some blue light filter apps are free, while others come with in-app purchases or an upgrade option which tends to cost
The next cheapest option tends to be blue light blocking screen protectors followed by blue light glasses.
Blue light glasses range in prices from $13.99 up to $129.99+. If it’s prescription blue light glasses, then you can expect even higher costs.
GUNNAR prescription blue light glasses cost between $189.99 – $249.99.
In contrast, blue light screen protectors vary in price depending on the size of the screen. As the screen size increases, so does the price.
Anti blue light screen protector prices start at $9.99 for a phone and can range all the way up to $125+ for a 27” monitor.
Prices can rise as much as double or even triple when comparing budget priced blue light glasses with better quality ones.
At a minimum, you should anticipate spending at least $30 on a pair of clear lenses.
Tip: Avoid selecting lenses which are too dark as this could cause eye strain due to insufficient lighting getting into your eye.
Related: Where Should Light Be When Using A Laptop? + Helpful Tips!
Below is a price comparison table of some of the top 5 blue light filter apps.
| App Name | Pricing Options |
| Twilight | Free, pro $2.99 |
| F.lux | Free |
| Iris | Free 7-day trial, up to $15 afterwards |
| Darker | Free, pro $1.99 |
| Blue Light Filter | Free with in-app purchases |
Can automate blue light strength
Some apps have a feature where you can sync your time zone to the app. By doing this, the app knows when to go into night mode and when to lower the blue light strength for daytime.
The F.lux app is one example which offers this feature, and it automatically adjusts the strength of the night light.
This means that it is automated and saves you the hassle of having remember to turn it on and off every day.
Minimal battery usage
Generally, battery used by apps or Night Light or Night Shift is minimal. All apps tend to use some amount of battery, even if they’re running in the background. Therefore, you’re unlikely to notice the amount of battery used by the blue light app.
Some people think that it might in fact save your battery, but this isn’t the case either.
I have been using night light on my laptop and the battery hasn’t been affected by it.
Other apps, such as Twilight tend to use minimal battery as well.
May help reduce eyestrain
Blue light exposure can increase eye strain in individuals who use devices or work in the presence of artificial light that emits blue light.
Many people spend a significant portion of their day working on a device. This has led to a rise in the number of people complaining of digital eyestrain or computer eyestrain.
Some of the common symptoms of digital eye strain include:
- Blurry vision
- Headaches
- Sore eyes
- Irritated eyes
- Dry eyes
Helps promote normal sleep patterns
When we look at blue light, it signals to our body that it is daytime, and we should be awake. However, if we’re looking at screens which emit blue light at night, our circadian rhythm gets confused and thinks that we should still be awake.
Blue light filters encourage melatonin to be produced in the body.
Cortisol is a hormone which is helps to wake us up, whereas melatonin is a hormone which helps us to fall asleep.
Therefore, by reducing blue light exposure, it helps us to fall asleep better. Another strategy to promote sleep is to get a dimmable light.
Recommended product: LED light, flicker-free, dimmable + lifetime warranty
Disadvantages of blue light filter apps
Not all apps are compatible with all devices
Most apps that are downloaded through an app store are compatible with Android, Windows, Linux and Apple devices. There are some cases where they do not work will all devices or they are not installed on older versions of devices.
Fortunately, by downloading one of the many blue light apps, you can still achieve the necessary protection.
Limited customization in some apps
Most of the blue light blocking apps are free to download. However, customization levels tend to be limited compared to when you are on the upgraded version.
This may leave you feeling restricted since the features that you want may require you to fork out some money.
Many of the free blue light blocking apps also come with an upgrade option.
Unfortunately, this means that you’ll need to upgrade and pay in order to obtain the various bells and whistles that you want.
Apps consume storage space
Some devices have limited amount of storage. This may inhibit you from being able to download a blue light blocking app if one is already not pre-installed.
Furthermore, if your phone is already filled with apps or other items then storage capacity may be limited.
Therefore, you may have to sacrifice some of your precious apps or downloads in order to make space for the app.
Not all anti blue light apps offer adequate protection
There are varying theories on the effectiveness of blue light apps. Some people recommend them above a blue light screen protector or blue light blocking glasses since they target and block the blue light at source.
However, many other people and companies suggest that they are only effective to a certain extent.
One such person is Lisa Ostrin who is an assistant professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry.
She stated that blue light filter apps are useful, but they are less effective than blue light blocking glasses.
Therefore, your best bet may be to pair a blue light app with a blue light screen protector or blue light blocking glasses.
In order to minimize digital eye strain, people will generally find sufficient relief by using clear blue light lenses which provide protection at the peak of 455nm.
May distort the color of your screen
The primary mechanism that apps use to reduce blue light exposure is to adjust the color tone to a warmer part of the color spectrum. These colors include yellow, amber and red.
Typically, the color displayed is a yellow to orange color. This will depend on how strong you set the blue light strength.
Generally, blue light blocking screens come in a clear film which means that they won’t give off a yellow tint on your screen.
So, they might be the best solution if you want an option that minimizes discoloration of the screen.
If you opt for tinted blue light glasses, then you’ll either have to tolerate the yellow tint or take off the glasses if the yellow tint is affecting your work.
Thankfully, good quality blue light filter apps, blue light screen protectors and blue light glasses should offer a blur-free view.
Tip: Some blue light screen protectors offer the added bonus of a privacy filter.
Related: How Do Blue Light Screen Protectors Work? + Myths Debunked!
Only offers protection against blue light from the device
With blue light blocking filters, you are protected from the blue light of the device that you are working on. The same applies to blue light blocking screens.
However, if you alternate frequently switch between looking at your phone and your laptop, tablet or TV, then you’re only really receiving protection from the devices that have a blue light filter.
With anti blue light blocking glasses, you are protected from any blue light emitting device that you look at while wearing them.
This includes lights in the area which also emit blue light.
Therefore, if you regularly switch between looking at different devices, you will probably benefit more from wearing blue light glasses.
High energy short wave blue light between 415 and 455 nm is the most dangerous. Source
When picking the best blue light blocking screen protector, make sure that it offers protection against blue light in the above range.
Tip: The best method to reduce eye strain is to adopt the 20-20-20 technique. This involves looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
Conclusion
Blue light blocking apps boast many benefits, but they do come with their faults.
With apps, adding a yellow tint is generally how they work, so this is often a bug bearer for many people.
Fortunately, there are other options such as blue light screen protectors and blue light blocking glasses that cause less color distortion and often provide greater protection.
If you’re unsure about which would suit you best, I’ve completed a comprehensive comparison of Blue Light Screen Protector Vs Blue Light Glasses + Top Tips to help you make your mind up!
I have personally looked into the Ocushield brand, and they seem like the most promising product on the market.
Regardless of what option you choose, the key element is to obtain adequate protection from harmful blue light.
If you require protection from digital eye strain throughout the day, opt for a solution which blocks blue light at a peak of 455nm.
Do you own any blue light protection products, or do you rely on a blue light filter app? I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
