FlexBright Approved and Then Pulled
FlexBright, an app that allows the user to manually adjust the display temperature of an iOS device, was recently approved by Apple, marking one of the first third-party apps that’s able to function in a manner similar to the company’s own Night Shift mode, set to be released in iOS 9.3. The only catch is it must be triggered somewhat manually in response to a notification, rather than continuously, like Night Shift or f.lux.
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According to one of the developers behind FlexBright, using this notification system was the only way Apple would allow the app to change brightness or blue light while running in the background.
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FlexBright is notable because it offers display temperature adjustments for devices that are not compatible with Apple’s Night Shift mode. FlexBright is available on devices running iOS 7 or iOS 8, while Night Shift is limited to devices running iOS 9.3, and it’s also available on non-64-bit devices like the iPhone 5 and earlier.
An update says that FlexBright has been removed from the App Store, for unknown reasons. The developer claims not to have used private API.
Previously: Apple Forbids Sideloading f.lux, Night Shift in iOS 9.3.
Update (2016-03-10): Juli Clover:
FlexBright developer Sam Al-Jamal told MacRumors he had worked with Apple through several app rejections to get FlexBright into the App Store and that no private APIs were in use, something that was seemingly confirmed by the app’s approval, but further review from Apple led to FlexBright’s removal. Al-Jamal has shared Apple’s explanation with MacRumors following an “exhausting discussion” with the Cupertino company. “The bottomline is [Apple] won’t allow apps to change screen colors,” he said.
