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To make a built-in screen dimmer in Windows 11, open Quick Settings from the taskbar and move the Brightness slider to the left. You can also go to Settings > System > Display and lower Brightness. External monitors are usually adjusted with the monitor’s own buttons.
Lower brightness on a built-in screen
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Select the network, sound, or battery area at 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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You can reach the same control through Settings > System > Display. These Windows controls apply to built-in laptop, tablet, and all-in-one displays. Microsoft’s brightness and color instructions cover the available controls.
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Adjust an external monitor
If your PC is connected to a separate monitor, change brightness using the monitor’s physical buttons or on-screen display (OSD). Windows may not show a Brightness slider for an external monitor, particularly on a desktop PC.
Why brightness changes on its own
Automatic adjustment for room lighting
Some supported PCs can change screen brightness based on ambient light. Open Settings > System > Display > Brightness and look for an automatic brightness adjustment control. Its availability depends on the device.
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Content-adaptive brightness
Some PCs adjust brightness or contrast depending on what is displayed. If that makes brightness shift between scenes, inspect the content-adaptive brightness options in Display settings. Depending on the PC, the choices can include Off, Always, and On Battery Only. Turning the feature off can stop scene-based changes, but may reduce battery life.
Energy saver
Windows 11 can lower screen brightness automatically when Energy saver is active if Lower screen brightness when using energy saver is enabled. This is an automatic power-saving setting, not the manual Brightness slider. See Microsoft’s Windows 11 power settings guidance.
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When the screen looks too bright with HDR
If the problem is the brightness of SDR or HDR content rather than the overall screen level, open Settings > System > Display > HDR and adjust the relevant content-brightness control. HDR settings affect SDR and HDR content differently depending on the display. On an external HDR monitor, the SDR content brightness control changes SDR brightness relative to HDR. A built-in display also has a separate overall brightness setting. The visible result varies by display. For details, see Microsoft’s HDR settings guide.
Night Light is not the brightness control
Night Light makes screen colors warmer by reducing blue light; it does not directly lower overall brightness. To change its strength or schedule, go to Settings > System > Display > Night light. If Night Light is unavailable or grayed out, Microsoft says a display driver may need updating.
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If the Brightness slider is missing or does not work
On a non-desktop PC with a built-in display, try updating the display driver. Device and driver support can determine whether Windows exposes the brightness control. If you are using an external monitor, use its own controls instead; Windows may not provide a slider for it.
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