Candela is a free, open-source macOS menu bar app that provides OLED burn-in protection and display health monitoring for Apple Silicon Macs. (Free, open-source)
The burn-in prevention system uses adaptive dimming — it reduces brightness in screen areas displaying static content for prolonged periods, lowering cumulative pixel wear without requiring manual adjustment. Users can view an exposure heat map showing which screen regions have accumulated the most light over time, along with a panel health checkup report that surfaces potential wear patterns and defects.
Beyond burn-in protection, Candela provides a unified control panel for all connected monitors. Controls include brightness, volume, contrast, mute, HDR switching, and resolution — including sizes beyond what macOS natively exposes in System Settings. Additional capabilities include virtual display creation, display arrangement, mirroring, rotation, and refresh rate control. Keyboard shortcuts are configurable for all panel controls. The app sends no telemetry and stores all data locally on device. It is licensed under the MIT license with source available on GitHub.
System requirements: macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Requires Apple Silicon; Intel Macs are not supported.
Pricing: (Free, open-source; MIT license).
Limitations: Requires Apple Silicon, limiting availability to Macs from late 2020 onward. Intel Mac users cannot install Candela. Burn-in protection is relevant only for OLED panels — LCD Macs gain no benefit from the adaptive dimming feature.
Alternatives: MonitorControl (free, open-source brightness and volume control via DDC), BetterDisplay (display management with additional resolution modes, freemium), and DisplayBuddy (simplified multi-monitor controls, $7.99). Candela is the only free option that combines OLED health monitoring with comprehensive multi-display controls.
Suitable for users with OLED-equipped Apple Silicon Macs who want proactive display protection alongside centralized monitor controls without paying for third-party display software.
