Man with a Smart phone in a blue light

Our Guide on How Blue Light Filter Apps Work

Photo taken of lights with a strong blue hue


With the advancements in technology, people are regularly using various devices for several hours each day. Because of this, they get easily exposed to blue light emitted by their device’s screen throughout the day.

Blue light is a high-energy short-wave light that’s not necessarily bad with a regulated amount of exposure. In fact, blue light can positively lead to good mood and energy. However, repeated and long-term exposure to this can be detrimental to your eyes and health. That is why protecting your eyes from overexposure to blue light is imperative. That is where the use of blue light filter apps come into play.

Keep on reading to learn more about how blue light filter apps work.

The negative impact of blue light

As mentioned, constant exposure to your computer and digital screens can lead to several health issues. Minor irritations to major problems can be linked to several hours spent looking at screens.

Digital eye strain is a common problem associated with overexposure to blue light. It is a condition called computer vision syndrome (CVS). Under this condition, you can expect the following common problems:

  • Dry eyes

  • Blurred vision

  • Headaches

  • Sleep loss

  • Fatigue


CVS can lead to various problems in other areas of the body and can even cause severe health issues such as the following:

  • Melatonin disruption

  • Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)


Protection for the eyes

Because of the detrimental effects of overexposure to blue light, having protection for the eyes is essential. When it comes to eye protection, there are several solutions that you can resort to, such as screen filters, apps, and computer glasses. Below are some of these:

  • Screen filters: Screen filters can be set in front of the device, which filters out blue and UV light to protect your eyes from the screen. The only challenge is that you’ll have to get multiple sizes and styles of screens when using various devices. Chances are, screen filters can distort text and images, which might even add digital eye strain.

  • Filter apps: Blue light filter apps can be used for smartphones and computer apps. They “filter” blue light by shifting the colour tone of your screen to warmer shades such as yellow, orange, or red. It’s worth knowing that many devices come with at least a basic, built-in app for this purpose. However, it’s still best to utilize and customize these apps to make the most out of them. Below are some of the popular apps being used nowadays:

    • Night Shift - This is is included on all Apple devices that allow you to automatically or manually adjust the screen for light filtering.

    • Night Mode - This is the Android-compatible version, similarly built-in function to Night Shift on the Apple device.

    • Twilight - This is an Android-based app that automatically adjusts the screen’s filtering based on your location.

    • Flux - This is a popular app that adjusts your display to a more natural colour spectrum.

    • Iris - This is another popular, easy-to-use app for light filtering.




To best protect your eye and prevent it from getting severe health problems, getting screen filters and using blue light filter apps are necessary. Take note, however, that apps alone aren’t the ultimate solutions. Regulating your exposure to blue light and taking breaks from the screens for your eyes is essential, as well.

How we reviewed this article:

Ocushield has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version
September 30, 2020

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published