Flux on desktops can change display color, and radically reduce display brightness. iOS comes with a similar functionality for the latter feature. It is hidden deep down in the Accessibility Settings, and we will show you how to enable Flux-like Low Light mode in iOS without jailbreaking in a few steps.
I simply cannot use my computer without Flux installed. It’s an excellent utility that dynamically changes the color of your screen display so that it is easier to look at at night. Flux also comes with a useful feature which can lower display brightness beyond what the hardware supports through the power of a software-based filter.
Since Flux makes system-level changes – change of color and reduced display brightness – and since iOS does not allow apps to make system-level changes, Flux cannot exist on iOS without Apple making important changes to what third-party apps can and cannot do.
There is, however, a bit of a functionality baked right into iOS that mimics part of what Flux can do on desktops. If one of the main reasons why you use Flux is because it makes it significantly easier to use your computer in severe low-light conditions (such as when you wake up in the middle of the night to reply to a text, or jot down an important idea), then Low Light mode in iOS will be equally useful for you.
- Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Zoom
- Turn on Zoom
- Using three fingers, quickly tap three times anywhere on the iPhone or iPad’s screen.
- Tap on Choose Filter
- Select Low Light
Like Flux, this quite literally adds a software-based, system-wide filter which radically reduces display brightness. If you usually keep your display brightness below 40-50%, you might as well apply this Low Light filter which will dramatically improve reading experience in low light, while not radically affecting how you use your phone in daytime.
Seeing as how Apple did finally open up to ‘Custom Actions’ and ‘Extensions’ in iOS 8, I do genuinely expect Apple to allow system-wide tweaks in the future. Combined with Apple’s strong curation of App Store apps, there is very little chance that a malicious app may cause system-level havoc.
I would show a comparison screenshots showing display brightness before and after applying Low Light mode, but iOS disables Low Light mode before saving screenshots. You will have to experience it yourself!
