Migraine-friendly Mac: Night Shift, Reduce motion, Dim flashing lights

Updated 2026-11-02

Quick answerOn a Mac, open System Settings > Accessibility > Motion and turn on Reduce motion and, on Apple silicon Macs, Dim flashing lights; turn off Auto-play animated images. Then schedule Night Shift and make its color temperature warmer. Apple says Dim flashing lights should not be relied on to treat any medical condition.

Motion

  1. Open System Settings > Accessibility > Motion.
  2. Turn on Reduce motion.
  3. Turn on Dim flashing lights (Apple silicon, compatible media).
  4. Turn off Auto-play animated images.

Night Shift

  1. Apple menu > System Settings > Displays > Night Shift.
  2. Schedule it (custom, or sunset to sunrise).
  3. Make the color temperature more or less warm.

Good to know

  • Apple: Night Shift shifts colors to the warmer end of the spectrum; warmer temperatures show more yellow and less blue.
  • Night Shift requires macOS Sierra 10.12.4 or later.
  • Research note: very warm screens (2800 K) caused the most visual fatigue in one 2024 study, so moderate warmth may be more comfortable than the maximum.

FAQ

What does Dim flashing lights do on a Mac?

Apple says it automatically dims the display of content that depicts flashing or strobing lights, on Apple silicon Macs with compatible media.

Sources

  • Apple Mac User Guide: Customize onscreen motion. Link
  • Apple Support: Use Night Shift on your Mac. Link
  • Effects of screen color mode and color temperature on visual fatigue under different ambient illuminations. Int J Hum–Comput Interact, 2024. Link

Not a medical device and not medical advice. Migraine Mode is a screen-comfort tool: it does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent migraine or any other condition, and it does not replace a doctor. Its settings are based on studies of light, colour, flicker, patterns and motion; the extension itself has not been clinically tested. When to see a doctor.