Blackout Camera vs NoLight
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Blackout Camera
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Screen off. Still recording. Record at night without screen glare. Blackout Camera gives iPhone and iPad a dim red interface and, with Blackout Pro, manual controls and a black recording screen, so your eyes stay adjusted and your surroundings stay dark. Take photos and record video up to 1080p at 30 fps for free, with advertising. Capturing with the screen off and the advanced tools described above require Blackout Pro, subject to existing Basic access below. • Mark frames: save the moments that matter as full-resolution stills or one labelled contact sheet (Pro). • Blackout Glance: while recording with the screen off, a tap shows the take's time, storage left and battery in dim red. • Faster photos: take the next shot while the last is still processing. Every photo gets full-quality processing. • Smoother camera, lens and Photo/Video switching. A CAMERA WORKFLOW FOR DARK SHOOTS Keep attention on the scene with a dim red interface. After initial setup and permissions, use the Home Screen widget or supported system controls to open the app and start recording with your chosen setup. Press and hold anywhere for about a second to wake the black screen. Apple's camera and microphone indicators remain visible. Keep the app open: locking the phone or leaving the app can interrupt capture. SHAPE YOUR LOOK WITH BLACKOUT PRO Adjust ISO, shutter, focus and white balance. Check exposure and focus with monitoring tools. Natural grade gives Rec.709 video restrained color, a softer tone curve and a touch of warmth, with the graded image in the preview and saved recording. Pro also includes Astro frame stacking, time-lapse and advanced camera formats. 4K, higher frame rates, ProRes, HDR, Apple Log, ProRAW and high-resolution photos depend on your device, lens and settings. FRAME IT. KEEP IT. See the whole photo composition that will be saved. Choose the full image or 4:3, 1:1 and 16:9 crops at the original image resolution, without upscaling. ProRAW keeps the full sensor image. Open a video from the in-app Library or Files, select a moment and export a full-resolution SDR PNG to Files. The still uses the video's frame resolution; HDR video is tone-mapped to SDR. Photo framing and single-frame export are free; marking frames and contact sheets are part of Pro. Save to Apple Photos, the in-app Library, the Pro Private Folder, or a combination. The Private Folder uses device biometrics or a passcode; existing files remain accessible when your subscription ends. No app account is required. Media is processed on your device; you control export and sharing. Apple Photos and device backups follow your Apple settings. Existing Basic subscribers keep black-screen capture and an ad-free experience. A device passcode is required to protect the Private Folder. SUBSCRIPTIONS Pro offers optional monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscriptions. Your localized price, billing period and any eligible introductory offer are shown before purchase. Apple charges your account at confirmation or after an applicable free trial. The subscription renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. Restore Purchases is available in the app. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://mwsupplylimited.github.io/blackoutcamera/privacy.html APPLE WATCH CAMERA CONTROL — PRO Frame photos and supported SDR video. Take photos, start/stop video, switch camera, zoom and toggle the blackscreen. See time, actual resolution/quality and Auto Black Screen status. Requires Blackout Pro and a compatible Watch paired with iPhone (not iPad). Enable Watch control on iPhone; keep the app on screen and iPhone unlocked. Live connection needed; no offline capture queue. Preview may be unavailable during recording, depending on format, settings and camera feed. No preview for HDR/Apple Log or Monitor LUT. Recording controls remain available without preview.
NoLight
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NoLight is a black screen camera and recording workspace designed for focused, distraction-free video capture. Record video while keeping your screen dark, or continue working inside NoLight with useful tools like Web, Notes, and Clock. KEY FEATURES BLACK SCREEN RECORDING Start recording and switch to a completely black display whenever you want. Restore the screen instantly without stopping your recording. ALWAYS-VISIBLE RECORDING INDICATOR While NoLight is recording, an on-screen indicator is shown at all times - including while the screen is black. It cannot be turned off, and there is no setting or gesture that hides it. RECORDING WORKSPACE Keep recording while using built-in tools: • Web browser • Notes • Clock • Vault CAMERA CONTROLS Choose the settings that fit your session: • Video or photo • Front or back camera • 1080p and 4K on supported devices • Microphone control • Recording background options QUICK BLACKOUT Start directly in blackout mode, or switch to the black screen while recording using supported controls. NOTES WHILE RECORDING Capture ideas, reminders, or research notes without ending your recording session. VAULT A separate space inside NoLight, unlocked with Face ID or a PIN you choose, for your own recordings, notes and browsing — much like the Hidden album in Photos or a Face ID–locked folder in Notes. It protects your own material from someone else picking up your unlocked phone. It does not change how recording is indicated. STORED ON YOUR DEVICE Recordings are saved on your device. NoLight has no accounts and uploads nothing; files leave your device only when you choose to export or share them. BUILT FOR REAL SESSIONS NoLight is useful for lectures, meetings, research, events, presentations, long recording sessions, and other situations where a bright camera screen can be distracting. NoLight respects iOS camera and microphone permissions and system privacy indicators.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: NoLight at none against Blackout Camera's shown. Blackout Camera's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Blackout Camera sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and NoLight sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Blackout Camera ships an update every 3 days, NoLight every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Blackout Camera | NoLight |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 4 days |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Matthew Wong | Sang Cao |
In-app purchases
Blackout Camera
- Blackout Basic7 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Blackout Pro$5.991 Month
- Blackout Basic7 Days trial$9.991 Year
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- Blackout Pro3 Days trial$39.991 Year
- 150 Tokens$0.99
- 550 Tokens$2.99
- 1,500 Tokens$6.99
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- 3,600 Tokens$14.99
NoLight
- NoLight Pro$14.99
Questions
Is Blackout Camera free?
Is NoLight free?
Do Blackout Camera or NoLight have ads?
Which is updated more often, Blackout Camera or NoLight?
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