Windows Screen Too Bright or Too Dim? Fix Brightness and Night Light
A screen that is too bright strains your eyes, and one that is too dim is hard to read, especially in a bright room. Most brightness problems are a slider setting, a power mode, or Night Light, and only rarely a driver. Start with the slider, then work through the rest.
Follow these steps
- Use the brightness slider first. Open Settings, then System, then Display, and move the Brightness slider until the screen is comfortable. On a laptop, you can also use the quick settings panel from the taskbar for the same slider.
- Check brightness changes with power mode. If the screen dims when you unplug the laptop, check the power settings, because Windows may lower brightness on battery to save power. Adjust the brightness while on battery separately, so it stays comfortable unplugged.
- Turn on Night Light for evenings. In the same Display settings, turn on Night Light and set a schedule, such as sunset to sunrise. Night Light warms the screen colours in the evening, which many people find easier on the eyes, and it does not change brightness itself.
- Check HDR if colours look washed out or too bright. If your display supports HDR, toggle Use HDR in Display settings and see if the picture improves. HDR can make some screens look too bright or washed out in normal desktop use, so turning it off is a valid fix, not a downgrade.
- Adjust brightness on an external monitor with its own buttons. If you use an external monitor, Windows may not control its brightness. Use the monitor's own menu buttons to adjust brightness and contrast, because the Windows slider only controls built-in laptop displays reliably.
- Update the display driver if the slider is missing. If there is no brightness slider at all, open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, right-click your display adapter, and choose Update driver, then restart. A missing slider usually means a driver problem, not a broken screen.
What NOT to do
- Set brightness to maximum all day to fix a dim screen. Maximum brightness strains your eyes and drains a laptop battery fast; find a comfortable middle instead.
- Download a brightness control app. Windows already has a slider, Night Light, and HDR settings, and extra apps rarely add anything useful.
- Assume the screen is failing because it is dim. Check power mode, HDR, and the driver first; a failing screen is far less common than a setting.
- Turn Night Light on at full strength all day. Night Light is meant for evenings; using it all day makes colours inaccurate for photos and design work.
If the slider works and Night Light is on a schedule that suits you, the screen should feel comfortable day and night. If the slider is still missing after a driver update, note your display adapter name, because that is what support will ask about next.