It seems unbelievable, but many users forget to make adjustments on their monitors and interpret the factory setting as optimal. At the same time, our brightness and contrast requirements can vary during the day, and sometimes we need to lower the intensity of the panels a couple of points. If you want to know how to change the brightness of your screen in Windows 10, don't go far. Today we have four different routes to explore.
Options for changing screen brightness in Windows 10
Unfortunately, devices for calibrating screens don't have friendly prices, and generally they are not justified if you plan to adjust one or two monitors. That means we must rely on traditional methods to optimize certain visual aspects. For example, changing the brightness of your screen in Windows 10 should be a matter of a couple of clicks or a keyboard adjustment (if you have a laptop), but in practice we know things don't always work on the first try. So, what options do we have?
Windows 10 itself
Microsoft has a whole article dedicated to changing screen brightness in Windows 10, which allows us to confirm several details. First, the main brightness control for the most recent versions of Windows 10 should appear in the Action Center. Second, if you have a laptop but the brightness control is not there, Redmond recommends updating video drivers. Finally, on desktop systems with external monitors, it suggests... using the monitor's controls (!).
In editions of Windows 10 prior to 1903, the brightness control is found in Settings -> System -> Display. Now, if the brightness control in Windows 10 refuses to appear (for whatever reason), you can try what follows.
Video driver control panel
Regardless of the version or age of your GPU, its video driver should offer some kind of control panel that enables brightness and contrast adjustments. Both Nvidia and AMD are particularly generous in this aspect, extending their parameters to gamma values, position, geometry, hue, and much more. There is ample room to experiment, and if you feel you've made a mistake, a simple click on Reset/Restore will easily undo your adjustments.
Win10_BrightnessSlider
This small open source application has been around for a few years, but its main goal hasn't changed: to place a brightness slider in the system tray. However, it's not limited to changing the brightness of your screen in Windows 10 only, but extends that function to Windows 7 and Windows 8.x.
Its technical requirements focus on .NET Framework version 4 (maybe it needs to be installed on Windows 7) and enabling DDC/CI mode on the monitor if for some reason it was disabled. Although it's not free of bugs (users report duplicate controls and false positives in Windows Defender), it's one of the simplest and lightest options.
Free Monitor Manager
If the idea of an independent slider interests you but you want a more complete tool, all arrows point to Free Monitor Manager. This small application is a kind of 'middle ground' between Windows 10's brightness adjustment and the control panel in video drivers. You can change brightness, contrast (on systems that allow it), and RGB values, but most importantly it supports creating custom profiles. Games, movies, YouTube, Twitch... the sky is the limit.
Summary
Changing the brightness of your screen in Windows 10 doesn't have to be a headache. Our alternatives are simple, intermediate, and advanced. At the end of the day, you choose. Good luck!
