What is LightBuddy?

LightBuddy is a macOS utility that lives in your Mac’s Menu Bar and turns your display into an adjustable ring light for video calls. Instead of buying a separate physical light, you get a configurable ring of light around your screen—controlled entirely from software. It works on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, supports both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, and doesn’t require an Apple-branded display.

Who it's for

• Remote workers and freelancers who want better lighting for daily video calls without cluttering their desk with extra hardware.
• Streamers and content creators who need flexible, color-adjustable lighting that can be toggled on the fly and customized per display.
• Mac users with older displays who can’t use Apple’s built-in ring light feature (introduced in macOS 26.2) because they run Sonoma or Ventura, or use a third-party monitor.

Key features

Toggle from the Menu Bar

LightBuddy isn’t tied to any specific camera app. You turn the ring light on or off from the Menu Bar whenever you need it—no app switching, no extra clicks.

Works on every display

You can enable a ring light on each connected display independently, or use just one. This makes it easy to create interesting multi-display lighting setups for different camera angles or creative effects.

HDR brightness boost

On HDR-capable displays, LightBuddy can push the ring area brighter than the rest of the screen. That means you keep your display at a comfortable brightness while your face stays well lit.

Full color and temperature control

Match your room lighting with a temperature slider, or pick any color for a more creative look. Warm, cool, or custom—the choice is yours.

What stands out

LightBuddy turns your display into a configurable light source — no need to rearrange your desk.

Unlike Apple’s built-in ring light, which requires macOS 26.2 and an Apple-branded display, LightBuddy runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later and works with third-party monitors. It’s also universal across Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, so it covers a much wider range of hardware. The ability to control brightness, color temperature, and even push extra brightness on HDR displays gives you professional-level lighting control from software alone.

Worth checking out if…

You spend a lot of time on video calls and want better lighting without buying a physical ring light. LightBuddy is especially useful if you use a third-party display, run an older version of macOS, or want per-display lighting control that Apple’s built-in feature doesn’t offer.