SUPPORT FOR BCMphoto AND BCMvideo APPS

If you need help that isn't covered on this page, email us — we try to respond as quickly as possible.

Contact

If you need support, please email:

Include the app name (BCMphoto or BCMvideo), your device model (e.g., iPhone 12), iOS version, and a short description of the problem. Attach screenshots or a short screen-recording if possible.

Helpful Info & Tips

BCMphoto Tip

Use light pressure to move the white dividing line between the normal color area and the red-removed (BCM) side. Pressing too hard makes the contact area large, which can be harder for the phone to detect accurately.

Rotate your phone to landscape to use the magnified view. In landscape you can scroll up and down by sliding with a finger to inspect different parts of the image more closely.

How the Simulation Works

These apps simulate Blue Cone Monochromacy (BCM) by removing red from photos and the live camera video feed. The simulation is intended to give a visual approximation of how some people with BCM perceive color — but it is not a perfect reproduction of every patient's experience.

Why this approach can approximate BCM

In BCM, functioning S-cones (short-wavelength, blue-sensitive) are generally present, while the M-cones (medium, green) and L-cones (long, red) do not function normally. Rod photoreceptors — typically important for low-light vision — can remain active in bright light for many people with BCM. Because rods have peak sensitivity in the medium wavelengths (around 498 nm) they can partially substitute for M-cone (green) information.

Key peak sensitivities (approximate):

  • S-cones (blue): ~420 nm
  • Rods (peak): ~498 nm
  • M-cones (green): ~534 nm
  • L-cones (red): ~564 nm

Why the simulation is not exact

There are several reasons our simulation can't perfectly reproduce BCM perception:

  • Photoreceptor differences: Rods overlap partially with S-cones and are not exact substitutes for M- or L-cones, so color perception still differs from real BCM vision.
  • Individual variation: BCM severity and residual sensitivity vary between individuals — some may experience much less color sensitivity than the simulation indicates.
  • Display limitations: Phone displays approximate colors for normal vision and cannot reproduce the complex spectral mixtures of real-world objects accurately.

Other BCM symptoms

BCM can include additional visual symptoms such as reduced visual acuity (poor detail vision), photophobia (sensitivity to bright light), and nystagmus (shaky eyes, especially in young children).

Further Reading & References

For patient-oriented information about BCM visit:

Blue Cone Monochromacy (blueconemonochromacy.org)

Selected scientific references (for deeper reading):

  1. Luo X, Cideciyan AV, Iannaccone A, Roman AJ, Ditta LC, et al. (2015). Blue Cone Monochromacy: Visual Function and Efficacy Outcome Measures for Clinical Trials. PLOS.
  2. Blackwell HR, Blackwell OM. (1957). Blue mono-cone monochromacy: A new color vision defect. Journal of the Optical Society of America, 47:338.
  3. Blackwell HR, Blackwell OM. (1961). Rod and cone receptor mechanisms in typical and atypical congenital achromatopsia. Vision Research, 1:62–107.

If you need direct links to the journal articles, or copies (when available), include that request in your support email and we'll try to help or point you to publicly available PDFs.