LightBuddy - Look better on video calls using the screen you already have
by•
LightBuddy lives in your Mac’s Menu Bar and allows you to add an adjustable ring light around your display.
Unlike the built-in feature Apple added in macOS 26.2, LightBuddy supports macOS 14 Sonoma or later, works on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, and doesn't require an Apple-branded display.
Replies
Raycast
Brilliant! Turn your existing display into a lightbox...!
Yes, this was Sherlocked in macOS 26.2, but the idea preceded that launch, and this one adds some nice touches that the Tahoe implementation misses:
No Apple Silicon and macOS 26.2 Requirement
No Apple Display Requirement
Multiple Display Support
HDR Support
Custom Colors
minimalist phone: creating folders
But I reckon that during video calls this tab has to be minimised, when you want to see your colleagues (taking into account that you have only one screen). Or?
AirBuddy
@busmark_w_nika Hi Nika. LightBuddy is a native app that runs in the Mac's Menu Bar, the ring light only occupies the edges of the display, and it moves out of the way in the area where your cursor is, so you can continue to see your video call and interact with other apps as you normally would :)
DeepTagger
Amazing, definitely something I would need! 🚀
Does it also dims the centre of the screen?
AirBuddy
@avloss Hi Anton. It doesn't dim the center of the screen. If your display supports HDR, enabling HDR Boost will have a similar effect, allowing you to reduce the overall brightness of the display whilst still benefiting from the extra brightness around the edges. Dimming the center of the screen is an interesting idea though for displays that don't support HDR, I'll look into that 🤔
Loki.Build
Clean and clever idea! Love the simplicity — will give it a try today. Good luck with the launch! 🚀
@LightBuddy The cross-compatibility (Intel, older Macs, no Apple display required) is a huge advantage over the native solution. Wondering: what's the market size potential beyond Mac users? And how are you thinking about competing as Apple potentially improves their built-in feature?
pretty cool ! bought, tried, it does the job !
Great problem addressed 👍🏻
Looks nice Guilherme! Guessing how will you monetize it but I'm sure many content creators gonna check this out. Wish you all the best here!
Product Hunt Wrapped 2025
Nice. My Intel mini + old LG don’t get Apple’s version, so this is handy. Menu bar ring light is a smart hack. Curious how it behaves with HDR and two screens at night. If it remembers per‑app brightness, even better. Trying it on Sonoma later.
Visla
Might be worth it for those nights I'm in a hotel and don't have my usual office setup! Will check it out.