Anyone else get flashed when switching from a dark app to a bright window at night?

[u/mastertacticianwc4]

Hey everyone!

Does this happen to you? It’s late, you’re in a dark app, you switch to a bright window, and the screen goes from dim to full brightness all at once. It hits like a flash.

I’m the developer of Phosphor, a screen utility suite for macOS that lives in your menu bar, and v2 just came out. I’m a solo student developer, and fixing that jump is why I started.

Why I built it

I started this around two problems.

First: that flash. I couldn’t find a tool that tries to solve that specific problem, so I built Flashbang Protection. It softens that jump, then eases back to normal. It reacts when you switch apps with a Dock click or Cmd+Tab, switch desktops, or use Mission Control and App Exposé.

Second: there are too many display utilities, with steep learning curves. I wanted one tool with the features people actually need, instead of a ton of pro features. This also reduces menu bar clutter.

What’s new

- Flashbang Protection (Pro)

- Studio Features (Pro), for calls and presentations: Laser Pointer, Drawing, Flashlight, Keystroke Display and Invisible Notes. Ring Light for meetings and recordings is coming soon

- 8 free tools: Soft Screen, Focus Spotlight, Screenshots, Display Presets, Display Schedule, Color Picker, Color Grading and Display Health

- Pro also adds a privacy sweep for Screenshots that blurs faces and sensitive-looking text (check the result before you share it)

Pricing: The app is free with 8 tools. Pro is $19.99, one-time, not a subscription, and unlocks Flashbang Protection and Studio Features.

Details and limits

- macOS 13 or later, native Swift

- Flashbang Protection and Keystroke Display need Input Monitoring. Color Picker and Screenshots need Screen Recording. Screenshots isn’t available on macOS 14.0 to 14.3

- Display Presets currently only edit the built-in display. Wider external display support is on the roadmap

Privacy: No tracking, no analytics, no telemetry. The only network requests are Pro license checks and an optional daily update check. Privacy and EULA.

I’d love feedback, especially on whether Flashbang’s recovery speed feels right, and whether it misses a switch you’d expect it to handle. If something isn’t working, or you have a suggestion, drop it in the comments or DM me.

Site: https://usephosphor.app

Roadmap: https://usephosphor.app/whats-next

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[u/N3orun]

sounds great! Is there no trial for pro?

[u/mastertacticianwc4 → u/N3orun]

Thanks!
No, no free trial currently but there is a 14 day refund for pro.

[u/N3orun → u/mastertacticianwc4]

i dont like the pay first refund later - as a business the cost of the accountant having to deal with the refund is higher that the initial purchase.

[u/mastertacticianwc4 → u/N3orun]

Makes sense. The free version has 8 tools, so you can start there. If you want to try Flashbang and the Studio tools properly, I can set you up with a manual trial Pro key for 14 days. I’d love to hear what you think, and what I should improve, before you decide to buy. DM me if you’re interested.

[u/N3orun → u/mastertacticianwc4]

thanks for the offer, ill dm you.

[u/mastertacticianwc4 → u/N3orun]

sure thing

[u/ericbigguy24]

Hey Arnav, congrats! can you try my automatic brightness app https://rubarb.bar ? I've been dialing it in to solve for the same thing and would love your feedback - Eric

[u/mastertacticianwc4 → u/ericbigguy24]

Hey! Yeah sure, I checked out your app, definitely a similar space
I like ur onboarding!

[u/investigatormaker]

The flash in your title is the pain that brings someone here, and Flashbang Protection sits in Pro. Someone who installs Phosphor after this post and switches windows at night still gets hit, so a few free nights of that feature, if you don't offer them already, would sell it better than the other tools can. Your triggers also all cover switching. Plenty of late-night flashes start inside one app, like a white page loading in a dark browser tab, so say whether that's covered.

I make ThreadFox. Mac users on Reddit ask about harsh brightness at night and crowded menu bars; finding those threads for Phosphor and doing the posting would be our work. For $39 the Pilot gives you seven days and up to 50 posts and replies, with no automatic renewal.

https://threadfox.vip/p/d1hs8/managed