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In this article we will show you how to Adjust External Monitor Brightness on Windows and Mac. Increasing your productivity or having more fun while playing video games are both excellent reasons to invest in an external monitor. No matter what you are working on, the brightness of the external monitor should remain consistent. Continue reading this article to find out how to adjust the brightness of your second screen so that it better suits your needs. The brightness keys and the system preferences are not normally able to be used to control the behavior of external hardware; however, certain apps make it possible for you to do so.
You can adjust the brightness of all of your displays in the following ways, in addition to using the keys on your monitor. The brightness of the display on a Windows 11/10 laptop or desktop computer can be easily adjusted by the user using either the slider located in the Action Center or the buttons located on the keyboard. On the other hand, there is no option to change the brightness of an external monitor after it has been connected. How to Adjust External Monitor Brightness on Windows and Mac? The solution can be found in this section.
What is external monitor brightness?
The brightness of an external monitor refers to a computer monitor that is connected to a computer by means of a video cable such as HDMI or DisplayPort. It is not typically a setting that can be adjusted from within the operating system of the computer because it is controlled by the monitor itself. You will need to make use of the buttons located on the actual monitor in order to alter the brightness settings of an external monitor. These buttons are typically found on the front or side of the monitor, and they are denoted by symbols like a sun or a minus sign. They can be used to adjust various aspects of the display.
The on-screen display (OSD) of some external monitors also includes an adjustment for the brightness of the display, which can be found on some of those monitors. Simply pressing the monitor’s menu button will grant you access to the OSD. The on-screen display (OSD) will typically have a number of settings, such as those for the brightness, contrast, and color temperature of the display. The circumstances in which an external monitor is being utilized will determine the optimal level of brightness that should be configured for the device. In most cases, adjusting the brightness of the screen to a level that is both comfortable to look at and capable of producing accurate color reproduction is the best course of action.
Why is it important to adjust external monitor brightness?
- Eye Comfort: Properly adjusting the brightness reduces eye strain and fatigue when using the monitor for extended periods. An excessively bright monitor can cause discomfort and potentially lead to issues like eye strain, headaches, and blurred vision.
- Energy Efficiency: Reducing the brightness of the monitor can help save energy. Lower brightness levels consume less power, contributing to environmental sustainability and potentially reducing electricity costs.
- Optimal Viewing Conditions: Adjusting brightness ensures that you can see the content on the screen clearly under different lighting conditions. For example, you may need to increase brightness in a well-lit room and decrease it in a dimly lit environment to maintain visibility without causing discomfort.
- Color Accuracy: Proper brightness adjustment is essential for color accuracy. Overly bright monitors can wash out colors and affect the accuracy of image and video editing tasks, graphic design work, and other color-sensitive applications.
- Prolonging Monitor Lifespan: Reducing brightness can extend the lifespan of the monitor’s backlight. Running the monitor at maximum brightness for prolonged periods may lead to quicker wear and tear of the backlight, resulting in a shorter lifespan for the monitor.
- Privacy: Adjusting brightness can help maintain privacy, especially when working in public spaces. Lowering the brightness reduces the chances of others around you unintentionally seeing sensitive information on your screen.
How to Adjust External Monitor Brightness on Windows
Through the Monitor Menu
- You can access the menu interface by pressing one of the buttons that are typically located on the back or sides of the monitor.
- In most cases, the menu will also specify the buttons that must be pressed in order to navigate the user interface.
- In order to find the Brightness setting, you will need to navigate to the Image menu or another option that is very similar.
- We suggest adjusting both the Brightness and the Contrast settings depending on your preferences in order to get the screen brightness just right. If the contrast is too high, the screen will appear very bright even when the brightness is set to its lowest possible level.
Via the Action Center
- To open the Action Center, press Windows key + A on your keyboard.
- You also have the option of clicking on the Notification icon in Windows 11/10, which is located on the right side of your Taskbar, or the Network/Power icon in Windows 11, both of which are located on the left side of your Taskbar.
- Locate the Brightness slider and drag it to the desired level to make the necessary adjustments.
How to Adjust External Monitor Brightness on Mac
- Download and install MonitorControl.
- Open MonitorControl.
- Click on the brightness slider for the external monitor that you want to adjust.
- Drag the slider to the desired brightness level.
- Click on the Apply button.
Conclusion
If you use an external monitor on a regular basis, you probably already know that there are times when you need to quickly adjust its brightness. However, because Windows does not support that functionality out of the box, we are only able to use the hardware buttons that are already installed on the device. Having said that, there is a helpful application that is available for Windows 11 and 10 that enables you to adjust the brightness of your external monitor. On your personal computer, you can even program a shortcut to quickly adjust the brightness of the monitor. In light of this, let’s look at our instruction manual down below to figure out how to do that.
Questions and Answers
Checking the power on your external monitor should come first, followed by double-checking all of your connections. This may appear to be an overly simplistic step. If you are using an external monitor that has a different connection, you will need to check your adapter or dock in addition to your MacBook Pro because the majority of MacBook Pros only offer Thunderbolt/USB-C connectors for such connections.
If the problem can be seen on the computer’s external monitor, it may be a problem with either the internal or external LCD cable. Switch out the cable for the LCD. If that doesn’t work, the LCD screen will need to be replaced, and you should probably take it to a repair shop because replacing the monitor can be a delicate process. Replace the RAM card.
When there is a problem with the graphics driver or the LCD screen back light, the screen might not light up at all. This can be very frustrating. Connect an external monitor to the computer, then restart it, in order to check the display. This test is useful if the display is black but you can hear the computer working in the background.
During system startup, while the software is being updated, or in the middle of using the device, you might find that the screen is blank or black. In Windows 10 or 11, restarting your device is one of the troubleshooting steps that may help you resolve a black screen. On the other hand, if the problem is severe, you might be required to reinstall the operating system (OS) or perform a system restore.