Protoplasm

Light you can play with. Mineral oil, dyed water, and an overhead projector made the liquid light show. Protoplasm brings that experiment to iPhone and iPad, simulated live. Drop some oil, stir the liquid, and watch the light change. PLAY WITH THE LIQUID Drop oil and ink, sprinkle small drops, stir the liquid or reshape it with soap. Curved tool menus keep your canvas in view. Switch between Plate, Ink and Distort, with your last tool remembered in each group. Drag along the size arc to change your brush. Press the top glass, turn the dish with a two-finger twist, or enable motion control and tilt your device. Adjust Focus from the menu to soften the image or bring the liquid into sharp relief. A '60s light show with a digital twist: controllable jets stir and circulate the liquid. Choose side or rim jets, a centre rotor or twin rotors, then adjust their strength and direction. BRING SOUND INTO THE SHOW Microphone reactivity is included free. Tap the mic and let nearby sound affect the liquid: bass adds movement, while higher frequencies brighten the light. Adjust sensitivity to suit your room, or turn the mic off and keep shaping the liquid. Sound is analyzed on your device. WATCH IT PERFORM Leave it alone and Protoplasm performs on its own, as a 1960s light-show operator would. It drops oil and ink, presses the glass, lets the focus drift and changes the dye every few minutes. Reach in whenever you like. LIGHT THROUGH LIQUID Every frame is the projector's light after it passes through the dish. Blobs of oil bend the light like lenses. Bright nets gather where the light converges, and dark rims trace the edge of each blob. The dye filters the color, so magenta over cyan gives blue. INCLUDED • Single- and triple-dish simulations, with overlapping layers of liquid light • A collection of dye palettes • Oil, ink, stir, sprinkle, soap and pen tools • Plate pressing, rotation, motion-controlled tilt and adjustable focus • Free microphone reactivity with adjustable sensitivity • An autopilot that performs on its own • Disc and full-screen views • A welcome tour, available again from the menu GOOD TO KNOW • Free, with no purchases and no account. The app sends no analytics. • Microphone and motion access are optional. • Requires iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later. • Color changes become gentler when Reduce Motion is on. • The screen stays awake while the show is in front. Protoplasm is made by Mind Bending Pixels, an independent studio.