- Edge Light adds ring light functionality to MacBook
- This is part of the upcoming macOS Tahoe 26 update
- Developer work is launched today with early access to new features
We’ve all been there: the last-minute video call on our MacBooks where we stand in front of a window and end up looking like our own shadow. A ring light might have solved the problem, but who has time to find and install one? What if the screen could be your light? The next macOS Tahoe update introduces Edge Light and, as the name suggests, turns your MacBook’s best screen into a rectangular ring of light.
Edge Light launches today (November 12) in the macOS 26.2 beta and will be released later this year. Create a light band around the edge of your MacBook if it uses an Apple Silicon processor.
As you might expect, the effect, which is part of Apple’s MacBook Video Effects suite (which also includes portrait mode, effects, voice isolation and studio lights), lights a wide border around the outer edge of your MacBook screen. It does not cover the top menu bar, avoiding the notch.
On MacBooks manufactured after 2024, Edge Light can be set to turn on automatically, for example, when the system detects that the ambient lighting in the room is dim and you are in the shade. As you can imagine, this can be useful for calls in the late afternoon, after DST, when the sun is setting earlier and earlier and you’re in the dark at 4pm.
It is currently unclear if and when Edge Light will also be available for iPadOS 26 and Apple Silicon.
This is how Edge Light should look on a MacBook desktop
There are a few controls, mainly for switching between warm and cool lights; Whether you want the intense glow of a whiter light or the pleasant warmth of a slightly more orange shade for your complexion.
Thanks to the built-in neural engine in the system, the Edge Light can detect where your face is, and even multiple faces, and adjust the Edge Light accordingly.
It’s unclear how Apple manages the balance between screen display and micro-LED backlighting on the excellent new 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro, for example. However, the aim is not to utilize all the screen performance and brightness, but to strive for pleasant lighting and less strain on the eyes.
Edge Light is also smart enough to recognize that it’s still a laptop screen and automatically moves to the side when you hover over it, so as not to block important information on the screen.
Since we don’t know the value of the light, it’s unclear if the Edge Light can be a real replacement for a decent ring light bought on Amazon, or even a small ring light that attaches to the top of the screen. However, it seems that your smiling face is illuminated enough during the video conference to ensure that you are heard. AND show.
