Apple released the latest version of its computer operating system today, MacOS 10.12.4. One the new features included in the update is called “Night Shift,” which first appeared on iOS mobile devices in 2016. It allows users to adjust the color temperature of their device’s display, turning down the amount of blue light, and making the screen look warmer. This, theoretically, puts less strain on your eyes when looking at the screen in low light, or at night. While Apple has said it could potentially help you get “a better night’s sleep,” it’s not entirely clear whether that is the case.
Either way, Night Shift definitely makes screens feel less harsh when viewed in low light, and users can now make the displays on their Mac laptops and desktops warmer at night. Mac owners can also set timers so that Night Shift comes on at specific times every day, gradually reducing the amount of blue light over the course of the evening. It’ll be interesting to see how the app will compare to the popular F.lux program, which has been doing the same thing for years, and was barred from launching an iOS app, months before Apple first released Night Shift for iOS.