Best Blue Light Blocking Apps

Blue Blocking Apps for smartphones and computers

Blue blocking apps for Android and iPhone are also available and more and more phones have implemented a built-in feature for reducing blue light. Though these blue filters can help reduce blue light, they can not completely block it. 

We recommend using these blue filtering apps and software during the day. When it gets dark outside we strongly recommend putting on blue light blocking glasses with orange-red lenses that are able to block all blue light.

In this way, your sleep hormone melatonin can do its job at its best and you can make sure that you will have a refreshing deep sleep.  

Here are the free blue filtering apps for Android phones:

1. Our favorite is Twilight
2. Iris is good during daytime
3. Blue Light Filter – Night Mode, Night Shift is also a very popular blue-blocking app 

Best iPhone blue-blocking apps:

1. iPhone has a great built-in feature for blocking blue light. In this video, you will learn how to turn your phone’s screen red.

Disclaimer: THIS SETTING DOES NOT ELIMINATE ALL BLUE LIGHT FROM THE PHONE.  Because of the blue-based backlight, this cannot be done with software, only with a physical filter. This is why we recommend using Blue Blocking Night-time Glasses.

2. iPhone has another blue filter built-in feature that can be accessed more easily. This setting though is only recommended during the daytime because it only filters out the harshest – HEV – high energy visible light from the screen. This is perfect during the day.

How to Enable blue light filtering on your iPhone or iPad:

1. Go to Settings of your iPhone or iPad
2. Go to Display & Brightness
3. In this section, you will find the option to switch on the Night Shift feature – this feature filters out the blue light 

Best Blue Light Filter for PC

For computers we recommend two apps that works well with Windows and Mac too.

1. F.lux is a free software for PC, Mac, Android and iPhone.
2. Iris has a free and paid version. The paid version has the greatest blue blocking feature. It has a bunch of other cool features too. At jakabstore, we use this app for all of our devices.

Why we need to block blue light on our digital devices.

Blue light from smartphones, computers, and other digital devices not only makes it harder to fall asleep, but it also accelerates vision loss. Research at the University of Toledo in the United States has found that light-sensitive cells in the eye that are constantly exposed to the blue light of digital devices can produce molecules that can cause atrophic disease or macular degeneration in those who use these gadgets frequently. This is common worldwide problem and is one of the main causes of vision loss.
A study published in the current issue of the scientific journal Scientific Reports states that macular degeneration is caused by the destruction of light receptors, photosensitive cells. 

Blue light damage can cause other problems too such as computer vision syndrome, itchy dry eyes, headaches, red eyes, and sleep problems.

“It’s no secret that blue light damages vision by damaging the retina of the eye. Our experiments explain how this process works,” said Ajith Karunarathne, an assistant professor in the chemistry and biochemistry department at the university. 

Laboratory tests have also clearly shown that if we read, play, or browse on a mobile phone or tablet before going to bed, melatonin levels (the hormone responsible for sleep) drop significantly. And the lack of proper sleep at night can lead to vascular diseases, obesity, tumors in the long run. It especially puts our brains to a greater risk of disease.

What can you do about it?

Against blue light, researchers advise users to wear blue-light blocking glasses and not use their smartphone or tablet after sunset. Scientists also recognize that it is not easy to solve the complete omission of evening use. That is why it is recommended that you use blue-blocking eyeglasses and blue filtering apps. 

LED street lights and all other types of artificial lighting such as compact fluorescent tubes commonly used in offices and schools also emit huge amounts of blue light. 

To protect yourself it is advised to use blue blocking glasses since apps can not be used against these light sources.

[js-disqus]