Language: EN

Red Night Light

A soft red, amber or warm white glow for the bedroom, the nursery or a late night read. Turn it down further than a normal screen goes, let it fade to black over the time you choose, and show the time if you like.

Click the preview or press F to turn the light on full screen. Tap the screen to show dimmer, brighter and exit buttons; Esc also exits.

Light color

The low end of the slider is extra fine, so you can go very dim. Lower your device brightness too for the dimmest light.

The light dims slowly and evenly to black, starting when you turn it on.

How to use it

  1. Pick a color: Red, Deep amber, Amber, Warm white, or any color.
  2. Set the brightness. The slider is extra fine at the low end, so the light can go very dim.
  3. Choose a fade out time if you want the light to dim slowly to black, and what happens after: stay black, or let the screen turn off.
  4. Tap Turn on. The screen fills with the light and stays awake.
  5. Tap the screen any time for dimmer, brighter and Exit buttons (they hide again after a few seconds). Esc exits too.

Why red for a night light

Your eyes adjust to the dark over many minutes, and white light undoes much of that adjustment quickly. The rods in the eye that do most of the work in the dark are not very sensitive to deep red light, so dim red light disturbs your night vision less than white light of similar brightness. That is why astronomers, pilots and ship crews use red lights at night.

Amber and warm white are brighter to the eye for the same setting, which makes them better for reading or finding your way, while red is best when you want to keep your eyes adjusted to the dark.

Tips for the dimmest glow

  • Lower the device brightness as well. The page can only choose the color; the backlight is set by your device. Both together give the dimmest light.
  • OLED screens go darker. On an OLED screen unlit pixels are fully off, so a dim red night light gives almost no stray glow. On an LCD screen the backlight is always on, so the darkest setting still shows a faint glow.
  • Face the screen away from the bed, toward a wall or the ceiling. Bounced light is softer and spreads more evenly.
  • Plug it in. A screen on all night uses battery, and some devices dim or stop keeping the screen on when the battery is low.
  • Turn off notifications or use your device's do not disturb mode, so messages do not light up the screen.

Questions

Can I use my phone or tablet as a night light?

Yes. Pick a color and brightness, tap Turn on, and the screen stays awake with a soft glow. Plug the device in if you leave it on all night.

How does the fade out timer work?

The light starts at the brightness you set and dims evenly to black over the time you choose. When it has faded, the screen can stay black and on, or be allowed to turn off as usual.

Can I use it as a reading light?

Yes. Warm white or amber at a medium brightness is easier to read by than red. Put the screen close to the page and angle it so it does not shine in your eyes.

Why does the screen still glow a little at the lowest setting?

On an LCD screen the backlight stays on even when the picture is black. Lower your device brightness too. OLED screens can go fully dark.

Will my screen stay on all night?

The page asks the browser to keep the screen awake while the light is on. Most current browsers allow it; if yours does not, set a longer screen timeout in your device settings.