Setting the correct screen brightness is important to avoid eye fatigue. A screen with a low or high brightness causes eye strain in no time. Experts recommend setting the screen brightness to match the brightness of your workplace for the best experience.
Adjusting the screen brightness of a Windows 11 computer is easy. Windows 11 offers multiple options to change the screen brightness. In fact, on supported laptops, it automatically adjusts the screen brightness to match the ambient light.
Following are the five easy ways to change the screen brightness in Windows 11.
Tip 1: If you are unable to change the screen brightness, it’s likely because the display/video driver is not installed or it has issues. Reinstall the display driver and try again.
Tip 2: While using your PC under low light conditions, turn on the night light mode to use warmer colors.
Tip 3: On supported laptops, Windows 11 automatically adjusts screen brightness to match the ambient light. Refer to our how to turn on/off automatic brightness in Windows 11 for directions.
Method 1 of 6
Adjust screen brightness via the Settings app in Windows 11
NOTE: You cannot use this method to adjust the brightness of the external monitor.
Step 1: Open the Settings app using the search or Windows logo + I hotkey.
Step 2: On the left side of the Settings app, ensure that the System is selected, and then click Display on the right side (refer to the picture below).
Step 3: Now, in the Brightness & color section, move the slider to the left of the screen to reduce the brightness and to the right of the screen to increase the display brightness. Your screen should reflect the new brightness level immediately.
Method 2 of 6
Use keyboard shortcuts to adjust screen brightness in Windows 11
If you are using a laptop, you can use the function keys to change the screen brightness.
The function keys to adjust screen brightness changes from OEM to OEM. For instance, on my Lenovo ThinkPad, it’s Fn + F5 to reduce and Fn + F6 to increase the display brightness.
Look for the brightness symbol on the function keys.
Method 3 of 6
Adjust display brightness via Quick Settings in Windows 11
The Quick Settings in Windows 11 can be used to change various system settings, including brightness.
Step 1: Open the Quick Settings flyout by clicking on the network/volume/battery icon on the taskbar. The Quick Settings can be accessed using Windows + A hotkey.
Step 2: Use the brightness slider on the Quick Access flyout to adjust the screen brightness. Again, you cannot use this method to change the external monitor’s screen brightness.
Method 4 of 6
Use Windows Mobility Center to change screen brightness in Windows 11
The classic Windows Mobility Center also allows adjusting screen brightness.
Step 1: Open the Windows Mobility Center using the search. Type Mobility Center and then hit the Enter key to open it.
Step 2: Use the slider in the Display brightness section to change the screen brightness.
Method 5 of 6
Adjust the display brightness using monitor buttons
If you are using an external monitor, you cannot use the options offered in Windows 11 to change the brightness level. You need to use the physical buttons provided on the monitor to adjust the display brightness.
On some monitors, you need to open the menu first (use the physical button on the monitor to open the menu) and then select the brightness option to adjust the same.
If you are unsure, please check your monitor’s manual for directions.
Method 6 of 6
Use PowerShell to adjust screen brightness in Windows 11
Step 1: Open the PowerShell as administrator. This can be done by searching for PowerShell, right clicking on the PowerShell entry and then clicking the Run as administrator option.
Step 2: Copy and paste the following command:
(Get-WmiObject -Namespace root/WMI -Class WmiMonitorBrightnessMethods).WmiSetBrightness(1,60)
In the above command, replace the value “60” with the percent of the brightness you want to set. That is, if you want to set the brightness to 70%, change the value to 60.
In addition to these, you can also use third-party tools like Brightness Slider to adjust the screen brightness right from the taskbar.
