Skip to main content

Tips: Missing alerts? Try the little known Screen Flash alert

Just in case a bouncing icon in your dock or a Sosumi sound from your speakers isn’t enough to catch your attention, this OS X accessibility feature is certain to be just the news flash you need when OS X demands your attention.

Enabling ‘screen flash’ in the Accessibility panel in System Preferences adds an extra layer of alertness to a busy environment by displaying a lighting fast flash across your screen, similar to what you see when snapping a shot in Photo Booth.

You can test out the screen flash before enabling the feature, and personally I found the experience to be quite jarring, but it  certainly can be a handy accessibility feature and could be a useful tool for your workflow.

You can also do similar on the iPhone: Settings > General > Accessibility > LED Flash for Alerts.

Have any helpful tips and tricks of your own? Let us know in the comments!

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel