Windows 10 & Windows 11
An independent resource for Windows brightness control software. Find out how to adjust the brightness of laptop screens, desktop monitors and external displays, then pick the utility that gives you one slider for every screen.
Two separate applications. Both download directly from this site.
Both applications run on Windows and adjust display brightness. Download either one directly from this site.
Brightness app
A Windows brightness control application with a simple slider interface for every connected display.
Independent application
A separate application with per-monitor brightness sliders in the system tray.
These are two separate applications. Both download directly from this site.
What Windows brightness utilities typically cover, and where to read more about each capability.
One slider per display, reachable from the system tray instead of a monitor menu.
Set the backlight of desktop monitors from Windows rather than bezel buttons.
Software brightness for HDMI and DisplayPort screens over DDC/CI, where supported.
Internal panels, adaptive brightness quirks, and dimming below the minimum.
Match two or three screens so your eyes are not readjusting all day.
The standard behind software brightness, and what to do when it is blocked.
A tray icon and optional hotkeys, so brightness is always two clicks away.
Version-specific steps for Quick Settings, the Action Center and Settings.
Windows 11 keeps brightness in Quick Settings, the panel that opens from the taskbar icons. On a laptop the slider is right there; on a desktop PC it is usually absent because Windows has no interface for external displays. Adaptive features such as content adaptive brightness control can also change levels on their own, which is worth switching off if brightness seems to drift.
Full instructions are on brightness control for Windows 11, and the step-by-step version is in how to adjust brightness on Windows 11.
Windows 10 offers more entry points: the Action Center slider, Settings, and the Mobility Center on laptops. They all control the internal panel, and none of them reach a monitor connected to a graphics card. Windows 10 machines are also more likely to be paired with older monitors, where DDC/CI is sometimes disabled by default in the on-screen menu.
See brightness control for Windows 10 and how to adjust brightness on Windows 10.
Software-based monitor brightness control works by sending the same command the monitor's own menu uses, over the data channel in the video cable. The backlight really changes, so contrast is preserved and power draw drops. It is the practical way to manage a desktop screen without reaching for buttons under the bezel.
More detail on monitor brightness control and DDC/CI monitor control.
External monitors are separate devices, so Windows deliberately hides brightness controls for them. Utilities restore that control where the monitor supports DDC/CI and the connection passes it through. Adapters, KVM switches and some docks can block the channel, which is the usual reason a slider appears to do nothing.
Read external monitor brightness, multiple monitor brightness control, or the fix list in fix external monitor brightness on Windows.
Twinkle Tray is a free, open-source Windows application that puts a brightness slider for each display in the system tray, including external monitors. It is an independent project with its own website, and it is not the same product as the Microsoft Store brightness control app.
Start with the Twinkle Tray overview, or go straight to Twinkle Tray download. Undecided? Read Twinkle Tray vs Brightness Control.
No. Windows shows a brightness slider only for displays it drives directly, which usually means a laptop panel. External monitors keep brightness in their own firmware, so you need the monitor's buttons or a utility that supports DDC/CI.
If you prefer software installed and updated through the Microsoft Store, use the Microsoft Store brightness control app. If you want per-monitor sliders in the system tray with keyboard shortcuts, look at Twinkle Tray. They are separate applications.
Yes. Brightness utilities enumerate every connected display and give each one its own slider, so you can match levels across a multi-monitor desk in seconds.
Many panels bottom out above what is comfortable in a dark room. Lower contrast slightly and add software dimming, which darkens the image beyond the hardware minimum.
Sending a brightness command is a normal, supported monitor function. Download the installer here and run it as you would any other Windows app.
Both featured applications target current versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. Only the surrounding Windows interface differs between versions.
Compare both Windows applications on one page, with official download links and no re-hosted installers.