iOS 9.3 is currently in beta mode, but Apple announced all the new features that come with the new update earlier this month, including a new iOS 9.3 night mode feature called Night Shift.
What it does is automatically change the color temperature of the screen to a warmer shade as day turns to night, making the screen easier on the eyes by removing the deep blue cast that the LCD screen. .
It’s a really cool feature and one that we’re excited about, but you can actually use such a feature on a jailbroken iPhone or iPad, thanks to a Cydia tweak called F.lux.
Plus, you can get F.lux on your Mac or Windows computer for free without updating anything, allowing you to take advantage of iOS 9.3’s night mode feature now, even before update complete.
Here’s how to get the new iOS 9.3 night mode feature on your Mac or Windows machine.
The big problem with LCD screens
The backlight of LCD screens emits a cooler color temperature, which means that this light is designed to closely match the color temperature of daylight, rather than the warmer colors of lamps.
Not a problem during the day when the sun is shining, but at night, the cooler color temperature. it can mess with your eyes, and because the color tone your monitor emits closely resembles the colors of daylight, your brain thinks it’s still light when it’s actually 11 p.m.
Because of this, looking at LCD screens at night can affect your circadian rhythm, which is the 24-hour cycle in physiological processes that people go through. Part of the circadian rhythm is the cycle of day and night, and when the sun goes down, it signals to your brain that it’s time to wind down and get ready for sleep.
However, the bright blue color that your screens give off can hinder this. Fortunately, there is a quick fix.
Download F.lux
F.lux is available for free on any Mac or Windows computer, as well as jailbroken iPhones and iPads. However, we will only focus on Mac and Windows for this.
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The first thing you want to do is go to the F.lux website and download the free tool. From there, install it like you would any app, and then fire it up.
On Mac, a small icon will appear in the menu bar, while on Windows it will be in the system tray.
Opening the F.lux preferences will give you a small window where you can adjust F.lux and customize it by adjusting when the display adjusts its color temperature setting.
There is a slider to change the color temperature, so when you move the slider to the left, the color temperature of the screen will be warmer, and moving it all the way to the right shows the natural color temperature of the screen. You can set a setting for three different times of the day: day, night, and bedtime.
You can also tell the app when you usually wake up so that your screen has the optimal color temperature when you wake up, as well as when you go to sleep, based on the traditional eight hours of sleep.
Finally, you can set your location to get more accurate results of where the sun is relative to the sky at a given time, based on your location, simply because the sun can be in different positions to others different places, even though the weather is the same.
Make sure to put a check mark next to Launch F.lux at login so that it turns on automatically when you turn on your computer.