Grayscale on your Mac,
done properly

macOS can go grayscale, but the switch is buried four menus deep and it is all or nothing. Nox puts an e-paper mode one click away and lets you shape it.

The built-in way first

You do not need an app to try grayscale. Open System Settings → Accessibility → Display → Color Filters, pick Grayscale, and switch it on. If you just want to see whether a colorless screen calms your eyes or your feed-scrolling, start there. It is free and it works.

Its limits show up with daily use. The toggle lives four levels deep in Settings. It applies to every connected display at once. It cannot be mixed with dimming, warmth, or contrast changes. And there is no way to keep two or three variations you actually like.

What E-Paper mode adds

Nox ships grayscale as a preset called E-Paper, one of 12 built-in filters, and treats it like every other filter: fully adjustable and instantly reachable.

  • One click in the menu bar, or a global keyboard shortcut, to enter and leave grayscale.
  • Per-display control: gray on the writing monitor, full color where color matters.
  • Combine it with dimming below minimum brightness, black point lift, contrast, and color temperature for a true e-ink feel at night.
  • Save your own variants: a soft warm gray for reading, a dimmer gray for late work, whatever your eyes prefer.

People reach for grayscale for different reasons: fewer color pings from icons and badges, a calmer reading surface, or plain visual fatigue. Nox comes at it from the light-sensitivity side; the same app carries research-based spectral presets for people whose eyes need more than less color. If your screen is a comfort problem and not just a distraction problem, that page is the deeper story.

One click instead of four menus

Side by side, the difference is less about whether grayscale works and more about how often you will actually use it.

System Settings

Four menus deep, all or nothing

Accessibility, then Display, then Color Filters, then Grayscale, then the toggle. Every display switches at once, and there is no way to add dimming, warmth, or a second variant without leaving the filter and starting over.

Nox E-Paper preset

One click, per display, adjustable

Menu bar click or a global shortcut turns it on. Choose which display it applies to, combine it with dimming and black point for a paper-like feel, and save the result as its own preset for next time.

What Nox changes on your Mac

Nox is a menu bar app for macOS 14 and later, downloaded as a signed DMG from this site. While running, it writes to the display's gamma tables through the standard macOS display APIs. It installs no kernel or system extensions and requires no account. Toggling the filter off or quitting Nox restores full color immediately. To uninstall, quit Nox and move it from Applications to the Trash. Details on data handling are in the privacy policy; support is support@getnoxapp.com.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make my Mac grayscale without installing anything?
Open System Settings, go to Accessibility, then Display, then Color Filters, choose Grayscale, and turn the filter on. It works, but it applies to every display, sits several menus deep, and cannot be combined with dimming or warmth.
What does Nox's E-Paper preset add over the built-in grayscale?
One click in the menu bar or a global keyboard shortcut, per-display control, and the ability to combine grayscale with dimming, black point, contrast, and color temperature. You can also save your own variants as custom presets.
Does Nox's E-Paper preset really look like e-ink?
It gets closer than the built-in grayscale filter, but it does not fully close the gap. E-Paper reshapes the display's gamma curve for a flatter, paper-like grayscale, and pairs well with the Dimming and Black Point sliders. The screen is still an LCD panel that emits its own light; a real e-ink display is reflective. Nox reduces the difference, it does not eliminate it. For the full comparison, see e-paper mode on Mac.
Can I schedule E-Paper mode to turn on automatically?
Yes. Pause any filter for 15 minutes, 1 hour, or until morning from the menu bar, or set a schedule with custom times or sunset to sunrise so E-Paper turns on and off on its own.
Does grayscale save battery on a Mac?
Generally no. Most Mac displays are LCD, where the backlight uses the power regardless of color. Grayscale is about reducing visual stimulation and distraction, not battery.
Does Nox change my Mac permanently?
No. Nox adjusts the display gamma tables only while it runs. Toggling the filter off or quitting the app restores full color immediately. Uninstalling is quitting Nox and moving it from Applications to the Trash.

Try e-paper mode on your Mac

Every feature free for 14 days. No credit card. Then $9.99 for a lifetime license.

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Nox is not a medical device. It applies filter profiles based on published research on light sensitivity. Consult your physician regarding migraine management.