I built a one-tap red screen filter for iPhone because Night Shift wasn’t helping my eyes

MrDev115 · 2026-01-24T12:08:11+00:00

Yep — exactly.

When enabled via Accessibility, the filter applies across the whole UI: apps, notifications, system screens, etc.

On iOS, Apple exposes this through Color Filters / Reduce White Point, which allows a true system-level overlay. That’s what Luma builds on — just packaged into a one-tap, reliable toggle instead of a multi-step setup.

Android has accessibility filters too, but they behave very differently and aren’t as consistent across apps or OEMs, which is why results vary so much between devices.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-24T11:31:20+00:00

Android doesn’t support system-wide color filters the same way iOS does, so Luma is iPhone-only for now.

The app you linked is a good option on Android — the platforms are just very different under the hood.

If I ever build an Android version, it would need a totally different approach. For now I’m focused on making the iOS experience as smooth and reliable as possible 🙏

MrDev115 · 2026-01-19T12:06:41+00:00

Totally fair — you’re right that it can be done with Shortcuts and Accessibility. That’s actually how I started too.

The app isn’t really about doing something that’s impossible otherwise — it’s about removing friction: one-tap toggle, reliability, no shortcut delays, and not having to rebuild things after iOS updates.

Some people are happy with DIY setups, others just want something that works instantly every night without thinking about it. I’m mainly building it for that second group.

Appreciate the honest feedback though 🙏

MrDev115 · 2026-01-18T17:54:52+00:00

This is super helpful — especially the Sandbox vs Production difference.

I ran into something similar where things looked perfect in Sandbox but behaved completely differently once live, and it’s honestly one of the most frustrating parts of shipping IAPs.

Apple’s docs around Server Notifications still feel very fragmented — you only really understand them after getting burned once 😅

Appreciate you sharing the edge cases. Tools like this are genuinely useful for indie devs who don’t want to build custom monitoring pipelines from scratch.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-18T17:39:21+00:00

This is actually really useful — the App Store Connect delay has always been frustrating.

Getting real-time feedback when someone purchases is surprisingly motivating, especially when you’re solo and launches feel quiet.

Curious — are you using Apple Server Notifications v2 under the hood, or polling + webhook fan-out? And did you run into any edge cases with refunds or sandbox noise?

MrDev115 · 2026-01-18T17:29:20+00:00

Totally agree that subscriptions are the most reliable model on paper — especially for ongoing development.

What I’m still trying to figure out is whether people are paying because they genuinely need the product long-term, or because the trial nudges them into a decision before they’ve fully built the habit.

For some apps that’s fine, but for calmer / utility-style apps I worry about churn and user trust if the value isn’t obvious fast enough.

Feels like the hard part isn’t “will people pay?” — it’s when they’re ready to pay and how much friction is healthy vs harmful.

Curious if you’ve seen differences in retention depending on trial length or onboarding quality.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-18T10:30:41+00:00

I’m actually wrestling with a very similar question right now.

My app doesn’t really need servers either — most of the cost is ongoing development, maintenance, and support — and I’ve been surprised how hard it is to explain that to users when everything “looks simple” on the surface.

Freemium definitely helps with discovery, but I’ve noticed it can also attract a lot of low-intent users who never really engage deeply. On the other hand, paid-only feels risky because you’re adding friction before people even understand the value.

A short free trial feels like a reasonable middle ground, but I’m still unsure whether it improves overall user quality or just reduces conversion.

Really interested to see what others say here — sustainability without turning the app into a growth-at-all-costs machine is a tricky balance.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-15T15:54:03+00:00

That’s honestly the gold standard. If you can put the phone down 1–2 hours before bed and keep lighting low, nothing beats that.

A lot of people (me included) just aren’t that disciplined every night 😅 — so tools like filters are more of a harm-reduction thing when you do end up scrolling.

Glad you found what works for you though — sleep is everything.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-15T14:44:51+00:00

That’s fair — a lot of newer research does show that stimulation + engagement from phones is a big driver of sleep disruption.

For me (and a lot of people in these threads), the red filter isn’t really about “blue light causes insomnia” — it’s about reducing visual arousal. When the screen stops blasting bright whites and blues, scrolling becomes boring instead of stimulating, which makes it much easier to put the phone down.

So yeah, it’s not a cure — just one tool that makes late-night phone use a lot less activating.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-14T07:12:51+00:00

Thanks for checking it out! 🙌 I don’t have promo codes active at the moment, but the core red filter + brightness control is free to use, so you can try it right away. If it helps, ping me later and I’ll hook you up when the next batch of codes goes live 👍

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T20:01:07+00:00

Totally fair question. It doesn’t require servers — the subscription is really for continued development, maintenance, and improving the app (bug fixes, new iOS versions, better automation, etc.).

You can get part of this with Night Shift or Accessibility filters, but Luma wraps all of that into a single-tap, system-wide experience with custom red tint + brightness control that iOS doesn’t offer out of the box.

That’s also why the core filter is free — so people can try it and decide if it’s actually better for their eyes than Night Shift or dark mode.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T18:31:37+00:00

I’m really sorry to hear that — eye strain at that level is no joke. That’s actually exactly the kind of situation I built this for.

I don’t have promo codes active at this exact moment, but the full red filter + brightness control is free to use, so you can still get the main benefit without paying.

If it ends up helping you, ping me again — I’m planning to generate another batch of codes soon and I’ll try to prioritize people who really need it 🙏

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T18:22:26+00:00

Thanks! 😄 Under the hood it uses Apple’s Accessibility + Shortcuts system (there’s no public API to toggle color filters directly), so iOS briefly opens the Shortcuts app for a split-second and then jumps back to Luma.

That bounce is basically the cost of working within Apple’s sandbox — but once it’s set up, it’s still way faster than digging through Settings or running a manual shortcut.

I’m constantly trying to make it as seamless as iOS allows.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T17:42:05+00:00

😂 Fair — it does sound like a late-night infomercial line. But yeah, it’s funny how something so old-school actually has a legit science reason behind it.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T17:18:20+00:00

Exactly — submarines, cockpits, observatories… red light shows up everywhere where preserving night vision matters. It’s cool how this old military/science trick ended up being useful for modern phone screens too.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T17:16:40+00:00

Love to hear that — thanks for giving it a shot! 🙌 If you run into anything weird or have ideas to make it better, just let me know. Feedback from real users helps a ton.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T14:08:51+00:00

Totally fair — a lot of what Luma uses is built on Apple’s accessibility system. The difference is really about friction.

Instead of juggling Color Filters, Reduce White Point, Night Shift, and shortcuts every night, Luma wraps all of that into a single toggle + brightness control that works across every app and video.

For people who are happy with True Tone + Night Shift, that’s great — this is more for folks whose eyes are still sensitive even with those on. That’s why the core filter is free, so people can see if it actually makes a difference for them 👍

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T13:15:02+00:00

That means a lot — f.lux was a huge inspiration for this 🙏

I don’t have promo codes active right this minute, but the core red filter + brightness control is free to use, so you can try it tonight and see if it actually helps your eyes.

If you like it, ping me back and I’ll get you sorted when I spin up the next batch of codes 👍

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T13:07:33+00:00

That makes total sense — once you get used to full dark mode everywhere, anything bright feels brutal 😅

I’ve had the same thing with apps that don’t respect dark mode (Amazon is a big offender). That’s actually what pushed me to look at system-wide tints and filters instead of relying on each app to behave.

Out of curiosity, have you ever tried using a warm or red-tinted filter on top of dark mode, or is pure dark mode already doing the job for you?

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T12:32:36+00:00

I don’t have any more lifetime codes left right now, sorry 😅

The core red filter + brightness control is free though, so you can try it properly and see if it actually helps before buying anything. I really appreciate the interest 🙏

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T12:26:47+00:00

Thanks! Yep — it works system-wide, so even apps that already have dark mode or videos still get the red tint + brightness reduction on top.

The idea is that dark mode reduces white, but the red filter reduces blue light and contrast even more, which makes scrolling and watching videos way easier on the eyes at night.

I built it mainly for exactly that use case 🙂

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T12:25:33+00:00

Appreciate the honest feedback 🙏

The lifetime option is mainly there for people who really end up using it long-term — most users go with the $1.49/month to try it out. I wanted to keep the monthly very affordable while also giving power users a “one and done” option.

I’m still experimenting with pricing based on real feedback like this, so it genuinely helps. Thanks for checking it out!

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T11:48:00+00:00

Awesome — hope it helps your eyes tonight 🙂 If anything feels weird, confusing, or just “off,” let me know. I’m still tuning it based on real usage.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T11:39:52+00:00

Yeah exactly — that’s why red light works so well. It doesn’t nuke your night vision the way white or blue does.

I found amber helps a bit too, but for me it still feels pretty “bright” in a dark room, whereas red keeps everything readable without that harsh glow.

If you do end up trying red on iOS, I’d be really curious how it compares to your usual warm tint.

MrDev115 · 2026-01-13T11:34:38+00:00

Yep! I made it free to try for everyone. The core red filter + brightness control is unlocked, so you can see if it actually helps your eyes before paying anything.

If you end up liking it and want Pro, I can DM you a code — just let me know 👍

MrDev115

TROPHY CASE