The latest version of Windows 11 offers multiple options for adjusting screen brightness. You can use the dedicated hotkeys on the keyboard, the quick settings panel, or the Settings app to adjust the screen brightness.
Although adjusting screen brightness is an easy and straightforward job, the same cannot be said about external monitors, as Windows 11 does not support adjusting the screen brightness of external displays out of the box. For instance, if you have connected your Windows 11 laptop to an external display, you cannot adjust the screen brightness of the external screen via hotkeys or the Settings app. Using the physical buttons on the external display is the only option.
Although Windows 11 does not support adjusting the brightness of an external display, there is a nifty tool that allows you to adjust the external display’s brightness from within Windows 11.
Twinkle Tray app to adjust external screen brightness & contrast in Windows 11
Twinkle Tray is a free app designed to help Windows 11 users control the brightness of an external monitor directly from the Windows 11 taskbar. Once installed, the Twinkle Tray’s icon appears in the system tray of the taskbar.
To adjust the external monitor’s brightness or contrast, all you need to do is click the Twinkle Tray’s icon in the taskbar system tray and then move the slider to the left to reduce and to the right to increase the brightness or contrast.
The best part about Twinkle Tray is that it supports multiple monitors as well. Additionally, it allows you to create keyboard shortcuts to adjust the brightness. And if you don’t want to adjust the screen brightness manually, you can configure the app to change the brightness according to the time of day.
The only requirement is that your external screen should be DDC/CI compatible, which most modern screens support. The Display Data Channel/Command Interface (DDC/CI) is a communication protocol that enables the adjustment of display settings via software. A monitor manufactured in the last few years should support DDC/CI.
You may visit this Microsoft Store link of Twinkle Tray to install the app.
NOTE 1: Check if your external screen’s manufacturer offers a dedicated Windows app to adjust the screen brightness. If offered, you might want to try it out before trying out third-party tools.
NOTE 2: Monitorian is another app available in the Microsoft Store to adjust the external display’s brightness.
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