# Shining Mask vs Playful Pause

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shining Mask at none against Playful Pause's 2. Shining Mask also leads on iOS requirement (9.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Playful Pause sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Shining Mask asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shining Mask ships an update every 5 weeks, Playful Pause every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shining Mask | Playful Pause |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.2 (421 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shining-mask/id1528108780/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **421** | — |
| Positive reviews | 45.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shenzhen Heaton Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1076063818) | [Aaron Edell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1850186803) |

## What reviewers say

### Shining Mask

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shining-mask/id1528108780)

Control your LED display mask with this app. Customize text, effects, and choose from various animations and pictures. You can even capture or import images to display on your mask, making your device stand out.

**Highlights:** Change display text, Customize display effects, Select animations and pictures, Read display from photos, Import from photo album, Unique mask customization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good artist
- 🚀 Amazing app
- 💡 DIY and music features
- 👍 Comfortable to wear
- 👍 Cruise use is great

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Mask switches faces constantly
- 🐛 Music doesn't work
- 🐛 DIY doesn't work
- 🐛 App doesn't load
- 🐛 Mask glitches and stops working

**Reported bugs**

- DIY mode doesn't work
- App gets stuck loading
- App doesn't connect to mask
- Mask stops working after some time
- Bluetooth connection issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to upload custom animations/GIFs
- Ability to create custom designs
- Ability to sync with Spotify
- More mask designs and animations
- Ability to control light patterns


### Playful Pause

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playful-pause-screen-time/id6791802851)

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Playful Pause Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Playful Pause Annual | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shining Mask free?

Shining Mask is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Playful Pause free?

Playful Pause is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Shining Mask or Playful Pause have ads?

Neither Shining Mask nor Playful Pause shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shining Mask or Playful Pause?

Shining Mask ships an update every 5 weeks, and Playful Pause every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shining Mask was updated on November 3, 2026 and Playful Pause on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*