Stop the bright flash when you switch windows on Mac

How it works

Switch from a dark app to a bright window and the screen can jump to full brightness all at once. Flashbang Protection softens that jump, then eases back to normal.

It works when you switch apps with a Dock click or Cmd+Tab, switch desktops, or use Mission Control and App Exposé.

The picture above is a simplified illustration, not a recording. Without Flashbang Protection the screen goes straight to white. With it, the brightness rises gradually.

How to turn it on

Download Phosphor for Mac, then buy Pro and paste your license key into Manage License in the app. Flashbang Protection is a Pro tool, so it stays off until a key is activated.

Next, open System Settings and grant the permissions listed below. Without Input Monitoring, Flashbang Protection does not run.

Permissions

• Input Monitoring: lets Flashbang Protection see Dock clicks and Cmd+Tab. Without it, nothing happens.
• Accessibility: lets it see what a click on the Dock or in Mission Control landed on. Without it, those switches are not recognized.
• Screen Recording: lets it read how bright your screen is.
• Nothing is recorded, stored, or transmitted. The Features page explains each permission in more detail.

Good to know

• It does not cover brightness changes inside an app, such as switching tabs in a browser.
• Display Health, a free tool, counts how often Flashbang Protection fired in its Today summary.
• Pro is a one-time purchase of $19.99, and one license key works on one Mac.
• Requires macOS 13 or later.