Why I Use f.lux Instead of Night Light on Windows 11
January 6, 2025

Why I Use f.lux Instead of Night Light on Windows 11

Night Light on Windows 11 is a handy feature if you often use your computer at night, but it’s not the best implementation of the feature. I use it for free Lux photometric Replace Night Light on Windows 11; here’s why.

1

f.lux has more customization options

The most common argument you’ll hear in favor of f.lux over Night Light is that f.lux has more customization options than the native Windows implementation. You can change anything from the color temperature of your screen to the exact time and number of color temperature changes.

To be fair, the Windows implementation does allow you to set the intensity and schedule for when the night light activates, but f.lux takes this to a whole new level. You can choose a preset for when the color temperature changes, such as when you’re working late or want to reduce eye strain.

Rather than simply synchronizing with the sunrise and sunset at a given location, f.lux lets you choose when to wake up and start using your computer and adjusts the color temperature accordingly. There are many options for choosing the color temperature itself. After a little tinkering, You’ll get the most out of F.lux And protect yourself from blue light.

2

Night light interrupts full screen apps

I’ve had bad experiences with nightlight and games – or more specifically, full-screen apps in general. The Windows implementation changes the color of the screen no matter what you are doing. So if you play games or watch movies at night, a yellow tint will appear on your screen.

I’ve seen Night Light behave finicky in full-screen applications. Sometimes the game works just fine. Other times, I get a yellow tint on my monitor and I have to manually deactivate the night light to get it to go away.

However, f.lux handles full-screen applications better. I use a dual monitor setup (Less than the original four screens), f.lux resets the color temperature on my main monitor every time a game or full-screen program is run. Meanwhile, f.lux maintains its colors on my second monitor, which the Windows feature fails to do.

3

F.lux is more consistent

Adding to the previous point, f.lux is more consistent in managing desktop color temperature. Sometimes, if you turn off your computer while Night Light is active, you may still find it enabled when you restart your computer, even in broad daylight.

Windows functionality also kicks in fairly suddenly, simply by changing the screen’s color temperature the moment the sun sets. This change is extremely jarring to me compared to the smooth transitions provided by f.lux. As the sun sets or rises, f.lux gradually changes color temperature so you don’t even notice the change.

There are far fewer crashes, bugs and glitches when using f.lux. Additionally, it includes keyboard shortcuts for deactivating services, changing brightness, or adjusting color temperature on the fly. So even if the program has the wrong color or doesn’t switch automatically, you don’t have to dig through the menu.

4

F.lux can also control your smart light bulbs

Finally, the F.lux comes with a ton of additional features you won’t find in a night light. This includes the ability to sync Phillips Hue smart light bulbs with desktop color temperature, allowing for seamless lighting switching between day and night.

You will find these settings under Connected lighting f.lux tab in options. You can set the light color to match your desktop and even choose which lights turn off when the sun rises. This feature also works with Philips Color Kinetics intelliWhite, YeeLight and LIFX lights.

Overall, f.lux is a free program that is easy to use and lightweight. This can be helpful if you’ve been using your computer at night. Switching up your computer’s color temperature can also help you sleep better – the blue light emitted by your computer is not conducive to sleep, especially if you’re staring at your monitor at three in the morning.

2025-01-05 12:00:17

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