f.lux

f.lux is a macOS menu-bar utility that adjusts display color temperature over the day. It uses your location and usual wake time to create a lighting schedule, keeping the screen closer to daylight during the day and warmer in the evening. It is a display-color tool, not a medical treatment or a guarantee of better sleep.

Schedule and color controls

The preferences window provides separate Daytime, Sunset and Bedtime settings, with recommended, custom, classic and working-late presets. Custom colors let you choose a time period and move the color-temperature slider. The official guide describes location detection through macOS Location Services, or manual entry using a nearby city, US postal code or coordinates.

Temporary disabling and effects

You can disable f.lux for an hour, until sunrise, or whenever a selected application is active. These controls are useful when checking colors. Optional dimming softens the transition when disabling the effect. The Mac guide also documents Movie Mode, which lasts 2.5 hours, and Darkroom, which removes blue and green light and inverts colors. Expanded daytime settings allow warmer daytime colors; optional reminders show how much time remains before your configured wake time.

Installation and compatibility

Install with brew install --cask flux-app, or use the official ZIP download and open Flux.app. Configure location and wake time in Preferences; the menu remains available beside the system clock. Quit f.lux before removing the application. The official 42.2 update documents Ventura full-screen-disable fixes, while warning that this functionality works with a single display but not multiple displays. The official updater additionally lists Monterey dim-on-disable fixes, native Apple Silicon support, DCI-P3 support and an Apple Silicon Darkroom fix.

Sources

• Official f.lux website
• Mac quick-start and settings guide
• Official Mac update notes
• Official Mac updater feed
• Homebrew cask