Lights Out: Support
The five-light reaction test for iPhone and iPad. Need a hand? Start here, or write to singlebrackets@outlook.com.
How to play
- Press and hold the button. Five red lights come on, one every second.
- They stay lit for a random moment, from a fifth of a second to three seconds.
- The instant they all go out, let go. Your reaction time is shown to the thousandth of a second.
Let go before they go out and it's a Jump Start: it doesn't count as a time, but it's saved in your history. In the app, Options > Help > How to Play shows the walk-through again.
The modes
- Grand Prix: a start whenever you like. Your time is placed on a 22-car grid of simulated rivals and your Game Center friends.
- Qualifying: three attempts, and your best one counts.
- Daily: one start a day, the same lights for everyone. It resets at midnight UTC. You can practice first without it being recorded.
What the colors and grades mean
Every result is colored by how quick it was:
| Color | Time |
|---|---|
| Legendary (purple) | 0.160 or faster |
| Elite (blue) | 0.161 to 0.200 |
| Quick (green) | 0.201 to 0.250 |
| Average (yellow) | 0.251 to 0.320 |
| Sleepy (gray) | 0.321 or slower |
Your racing license is graded on your last 30 clean starts, from Karting up to World Champion. It uses your typical reaction (the middle time) and, for the top two grades, how steady your starts are, so it moves with your form. See Options for the full ladder and how far you are from the next grade.
Common questions
My history is missing after updating to 4.0. Version 4.0 is a rebuild, so results saved by earlier versions can't be carried over, and everyone starts fresh. If you already owned Lights Out, 4.0 is a free update.
My history doesn't show on my other device. Sync works through your own iCloud. Check that you're signed in to iCloud on both devices and that Options > Data > Sync History with iCloud is on. The line below it says what's happening ("Up to date", "Sign in to iCloud to sync" and so on). New starts usually appear within a few seconds; opening the app on the other device helps. If it says iCloud storage is full, free up some space in Settings > [your name] > iCloud.
The leaderboards or achievements don't show. Sign in to Game Center in Settings > Game Center, then reopen Lights Out. New scores can take a minute to appear. Practice runs, Jump Starts and incomplete starts are never sent. If a time looks unusually fast, the app keeps it in your history but doesn't send it.
A tip didn't go through. Open Options > Tip Jar and try again. Tips are optional and unlock nothing. If you were charged and it didn't register, Apple can help at reportaproblem.apple.com.
I can't see the lights well, or the flashing bothers me. Lights Out shows bright red lights that come on and go out. Options has Reduce Flashing (no red blink after a Jump Start, and no shake), adjustable light brightness, three light colors, and an audio cue that plays a tone the instant the lights go out. If flashing lights affect you, turn on Reduce Flashing or check with your doctor before playing.
There's no Haptics option that works. Haptics need an iPhone. iPads don't have them, so the switch is grayed out there.
Why is my time different on another phone? Screens and touch sensors differ a little, so compare times on the same device.
Can I use it on an Apple TV or a Mac? Not yet. Lights Out is for iPhone and iPad (iOS 18 or later).
Contact
For a bug or a question, write to singlebrackets@outlook.com and please include your device (for example "iPhone 16"), your iOS version, and the app version (the App Store shows it under Version History). A screenshot helps. I read everything, and I'll reply as soon as I can.