Blank Black Screen vs Watch Speaks
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Blank Black Screen
Enjoy videos without interruptions and save battery life. This app allows you to play videos and music with the screen locked, perfect for pocket use. Customize your viewing experience with a dimmable screen and adjustable clock.
- Distraction-free full-screen viewing
- Power-saving screen dimming
- Customizable clock display
- Quick start and exit
- Automatic settings memory
- Picture-in-picture support
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Blank Black Screen turns your iPhone or iPad into a true black screen that stays on. Use it to rest your eyes, keep a video playing in the dark, or as a calm clock on your nightstand. TWO MODES, ONE TAP • Black: a dark screen for video, Picture in Picture or just resting your eyes. • Nightstand: a large, dim clock that keeps the screen on all night. Keep it charging. Swipe up on the dark screen to switch between them. ON THE BLACK SCREEN • Swipe left or right to dim the screen • Swipe down to exit • Drag the clock to move it, or hide it • Clock color: white, amber or red (red and amber are easier on the eyes at night) • Full screen hides the status bar and home indicator • The clock shifts slightly now and then to protect the display On OLED iPhones and iPads black pixels are switched off, so the black screen uses very little power. LOCK OUT ACCIDENTAL TAPS Turn on Screen lock and a lock icon appears. When locked, touches are ignored until you tap the lock a few times in a row. LISTEN WITH THE SCREEN DARK Paste a YouTube link and play the video on the black screen, with the rest of the screen kept dark. Picture in Picture works too, using the button in the video controls. WAKE-UP ALARM AND SUNRISE LIGHT (iOS 26 OR LATER) On iOS 26 or later you can set a wake-up alarm in Nightstand mode. It is a real iOS alarm: it rings even when the app is closed, the phone is locked or on silent. With the sunrise light, the screen slowly glows from red to warm white over the 30 minutes before your alarm. The sunrise light only works while the app is open on screen in Nightstand mode, so keep your phone charging overnight. It is a gentle light, much dimmer than a wake-up lamp. The wake-up alarm and sunrise light are not available on iOS versions earlier than 26. FREE • Black and Nightstand modes • Swipe to dim, movable clock, clock color, full screen • Screen lock • Play a YouTube link, Picture in Picture • Wake-up alarm (iOS 26 or later), with your first sunrise morning free PREMIUM • Sunrise wake-up light every morning (iOS 26 or later) • Remembered brightness: the level you dim to is used every time, or set a fixed brightness. Also in Nightstand. • Custom clock size and clock brightness • Faster unlock of the locked screen • Nothing else on the black screen: no "Blank Black Screen" text and no upgrade prompts Premium is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or as a one-time lifetime purchase. Premium includes a free trial for new subscribers on the yearly plan where offered. Prices are shown in the app before you buy. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. If a free trial is offered, any unused part of it is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://punnerud.github.io/info_blankscreen/privacy-policy/
Watch Speaks
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Your dad loves his Apple Watch, especially when it speaks to him during walks, such as announcing each mile completed, but he wishes it would speak his other notifications aloud This iPhone app, “Watch Speaks,” lets an Apple Watch speak announcements through an Apple Shortcut. Shortcuts can be triggered through automations such as time of day, arrival/departure, and message/email received.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Watch Speaks at none against Blank Black Screen's 3. Watch Speaks also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). Blank Black Screen's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Blank Black Screen sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Watch Speaks asks for nothing beyond the download.
Blank Black Screen ships an update every 3 days, Watch Speaks daily. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Blank Black Screen | Watch Speaks |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (19 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 19 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Morten Punnerud | Technology4Seniors LLC |
In-app purchases
Blank Black Screen
- Advanced features monthly$1.491 Month
- Advanced features yearly14 Days trial$14.991 Year
- One-time all advanced features$19.99
Watch Speaks
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Blank Black Screen free?
Is Watch Speaks free?
Do Blank Black Screen or Watch Speaks have ads?
Which is updated more often, Blank Black Screen or Watch Speaks?
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