External Display,
Brightness on Demand

Control your external display brightness using the keyboard keys you already have. No software overlay. True hardware-level brightness control.

Every Detail, Carefully Crafted

Brightness Control does one thing and does it exceptionally well — hardware-level brightness control for external displays.

Native Brightness Keys, Now for External Displays

Press F1 and F2 — the brightness keys already on your keyboard — and your external display responds immediately. No extra shortcuts to memorize, everything works as expected.

F1
F2

True Hardware Brightness

Communicates directly with your monitor hardware via the DDC/CI protocol — the same method used by professional color calibration tools. The backlight truly dims, color accuracy is fully preserved. No Gamma overlay, no dark filter.

75
Hardware Brightness %

Silent in the Background

Summon it anytime with a single click. A clean popup panel provides independent sliders for each display. No Dock space taken, no unnecessary windows.

Multiple Displays, All Under Control

Dual or triple monitor setup? Brightness Control detects all external displays and supports individual adjustment for each one.

Silky Smooth Transitions

Brightness changes are animated at 60fps with a custom easing curve. Every adjustment feels smooth and natural, never abrupt.

Ready at Boot

Enable "Launch at Login" and forget about it. Every time your Mac starts, Brightness Control is already running in the background.

Up and Running in 60 Seconds

1
Download and Open
Drag Brightness Control into your Applications folder and open it. The sun icon appears in the menu bar immediately.
2
Grant Permission
macOS will request Accessibility permission so the brightness keys can be captured globally.
3
Press F1 or F2
That's it. Your external display responds immediately. Fine-tune anytime using the menu bar slider.

Built for Your Workstation

Supports a wide range of modern Mac configurations, from Apple Silicon to Intel models, as well as most displays that support the DDC protocol.

Full Apple Silicon & Intel Support
Natively supports Apple Silicon M-series chips via Apple frameworks; fully supports Intel Macs via DDC/CI over I²C.
Designed for External Displays
Built specifically for external displays. MacBook built-in screens already have native brightness support; Brightness Control handles all the rest.
DDC-Compatible Display Support
Compatible with all displays that support the DDC/CI protocol — the industry standard, supported by modern monitors from Dell, LG, Samsung, BenQ, and more.
Lightweight and Fast
The app is tiny in size and uses virtually no CPU or memory while idle. It runs quietly in the background, ready instantly when you need it.

Control Every Display You Own

Completely free. No subscription, no in-app purchases.

Download for macOS
macOS 13 Ventura and above Free Forever