A screen that’s too bright strains your eyes at night, and one that’s too dim is hard to read in daylight and wastes battery if you compensate by leaning in. Windows 11 gives you several ways to adjust brightness: the Quick Settings slider, the Settings app, keyboard keys, and automatic brightness based on light or content. This guide covers all of them, how to change brightness on external monitors, and what to do when the brightness slider is missing.
Quick Answer
Press Windows key + A (or click the network, volume, and battery icons in the taskbar) to open Quick Settings, then drag the brightness slider (the sun icon). You can also go to Settings > System > Display > Brightness, or use the brightness keys on your laptop keyboard, which are often Fn plus an F-key with a sun icon.
Method 1: Quick Settings Slider
- Click the network, volume, and battery icons at the right of the taskbar, or press Windows + A.
- Drag the slider next to the sun icon left to dim or right to brighten.
With the pointer on the slider, you can also use the mouse wheel or arrow keys for fine control.
Method 2: Settings App
- Open Settings (Windows + I).
- Go to System > Display.
- Under Brightness & color, drag the Brightness slider.
With several displays, select the display at the top of the page first.
Method 3: Keyboard Brightness Keys
Most laptops have brightness keys marked with a sun icon, often on F1/F2, F5/F6, or the arrow keys. Press them alone or with Fn, depending on your Fn Lock setting. If they don’t work, install your laptop maker’s hotkey software and the latest display driver.
Automatic Brightness Options
| Setting (Settings > System > Display > Brightness) | What it does |
|---|---|
| Change brightness automatically when lighting changes | Uses the ambient light sensor, if your device has one, to adjust brightness to your surroundings |
| Help improve battery by optimizing the content shown and brightness | Content adaptive brightness. Dims or brightens based on what’s on screen. Turn it off if brightness keeps shifting when you switch apps. |
Also check Settings > System > Power & battery > Energy saver, which can lower brightness when it turns on.
Night Light (Warmer Colors, Not Brightness)
Night light reduces blue light in the evening. It changes color temperature rather than brightness. Turn it on in Quick Settings or Settings > System > Display > Night light, where you can schedule it and adjust the strength.
External Monitors
- Monitor buttons: use the on-screen menu (OSD) buttons on the monitor itself. This works on every monitor.
- Windows slider: some monitors, especially laptop docks and certain newer displays, show a brightness slider in Display settings when Windows can control them.
- Apps: the monitor maker’s software or free tools such as Twinkle Tray (from the Microsoft Store) can control brightness on monitors that support DDC/CI. Turn on DDC/CI in the monitor’s menu first.
Brightness Slider Missing? Try These Fixes
- Desktop PCs with external monitors usually don’t have a Windows brightness slider. Use the monitor’s buttons.
- Update the display driver: go to Device Manager, expand Display adapters, right-click the adapter, and choose Update driver. Or download the latest driver from your PC or graphics card maker.
- Check the monitor device: in Device Manager, expand Monitors. If Generic PnP Monitor shows a down arrow, right-click it and choose Enable device.
- Microsoft Basic Display Adapter: if this is listed under Display adapters, the real graphics driver isn’t installed. Install it.
- Restart the PC after driver changes.
Set Brightness with a Command
On laptops and other built-in displays, this PowerShell command sets brightness to 60%:
(Get-CimInstance -Namespace root/WMI -ClassName WmiMonitorBrightnessMethods) | Invoke-CimMethod -MethodName WmiSetBrightness -Arguments @{Timeout=1; Brightness=60}It doesn’t work on most external monitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the brightness shortcut in Windows 11?
There’s no universal keyboard shortcut. Press Windows + A and use the slider, or use your laptop’s brightness keys.
Why does my brightness change by itself?
Automatic brightness, content adaptive brightness, or Energy saver is adjusting it. Turn those off in Display and Power settings.
Why can’t I make my screen any brighter?
You may be at the maximum. Energy saver or a low battery can also cap brightness, so plug in the charger and check Energy saver.
Summary
- Press Windows + A and drag the brightness slider.
- Or use Settings > System > Display > Brightness.
- Use laptop brightness keys, or monitor buttons for external displays.
- Turn automatic or content adaptive brightness on or off to suit you.
- Update display drivers if the slider is missing.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.