For a built-in laptop, tablet, or all-in-one display, open Quick Settings from the taskbar and move the Brightness slider left. You can also go to Settings > System > Display and lower Brightness. External monitors are usually adjusted with their own buttons or on-screen menus.
Lower brightness on a built-in display
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Select the network, sound, or battery area on the right side of the taskbar to open Quick Settings.
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Move the Brightness slider to the left until the screen is comfortable to view.
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Alternatively, open Settings > System > Display and move the Brightness slider lower.
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These Windows controls apply to built-in displays. Microsoft’s brightness and color guidance notes that Windows may not show a brightness slider when a desktop PC is connected to an external monitor.
Adjust an external monitor
Use the monitor’s physical buttons or its on-screen display (OSD) menu to change brightness. The control is typically part of the monitor’s own settings, rather than Windows Display settings.
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Fix a missing or unresponsive brightness slider
If you are using a laptop or another PC with a built-in screen and the slider is missing or does not work, try updating the display driver. The availability of Windows brightness controls can depend on the device and its display-driver support; Microsoft includes driver updating among its troubleshooting steps in its Windows brightness guidance.
Stop brightness from changing automatically
Ambient-light adjustment
Some PCs can adjust screen brightness in response to room lighting. If your device supports the feature, look under Settings > System > Display > Brightness for an automatic brightness adjustment control. Turning it off can prevent lighting conditions from changing the screen level.
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Content-adaptive brightness
Some Windows 11 PCs also adjust brightness or contrast according to what is on screen. If the control is available under Settings > System > Display > Brightness, its choices can include Off, Always, and On Battery Only. Choose Off to stop scene-based adjustments. Microsoft notes that disabling content-adaptive brightness may shorten battery life. Availability depends on the PC. See Microsoft’s display brightness and color instructions.
Energy saver
Windows 11 can lower screen brightness automatically while Energy saver is active if Lower screen brightness when using energy saver is enabled. This is a power-saving behavior, not the manual brightness slider. Microsoft explains the setting in its Windows 11 power settings guide.
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Use Night light for warmer colors, not lower brightness
Night light makes colors warmer by reducing blue light; it does not replace the main brightness control. To configure it, open Settings > System > Display > Night light, where you can adjust or schedule the feature. If Night light is unavailable or grayed out, Microsoft says a display driver may need updating. See its instructions for display brightness and color.
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If HDR or SDR content looks too bright, Windows provides content-brightness controls under Settings > System > Display > HDR. The available control and effect depend on the display:
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On an external HDR display, the SDR content brightness control changes SDR brightness relative to HDR content.
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On a built-in display, there is also a separate overall brightness setting.
These HDR controls are distinct from the regular brightness slider, and the result varies by display. Microsoft describes the differences in its Windows HDR settings guide.
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