How do I increase my screen brightness?

Increase your screen brightness quickly and reliably using built-in controls on your device, whether you’re on a computer, a phone, or an external monitor. The exact steps depend on your platform, but most devices share a few common options: quick-access sliders, system settings, or hardware buttons.

This guide explains how to raise brightness on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and external displays, including tips on automatic brightness, color temperature features, and troubleshooting when brightness won’t budge. It’s meant to be a practical, up-to-date reference for everyday use and troubleshooting across devices.

Windows

On Windows laptops and desktops, you can adjust brightness with a quick hardware-based slider, through the operating system’s display settings, or via keyboard shortcuts. If you’re using an external monitor, its own controls may also affect brightness.

• Use Quick Settings: press Windows key + A to open Quick Settings, then drag the brightness slider to the desired level.


• Through Settings: open Start > Settings > System > Display and use the Brightness and color slider to increase brightness.


• Keyboard shortcuts: many laptops provide dedicated brightness keys (often on the function row, sometimes requiring a Fn key).


• External monitor considerations: if the system slider doesn’t affect an external monitor, adjust brightness on the monitor’s own OSD (on-screen display) menu, or check whether Windows is overriding the monitor.


• Auto-brightness note: if “Change brightness automatically when lighting changes” is enabled, brightness may shift on its own; turn this off if you want a fixed level.

For persistent issues, update graphics/display drivers, review power settings (some power plans dim the screen to save energy), and ensure auto-brightness is configured to your preference.

macOS

Apple’s macOS provides multiple ways to control brightness, including keyboard keys, System Settings, and Control Center. When using an external display, the OS relies on the monitor’s own controls in many setups.

• Keyboard keys: use the F1 and F2 keys (or the brightness controls on your MacBook’s keyboard) to raise brightness.


• System Settings: go to Apple menu > System Settings (or System Preferences in older macOS) > Displays and slide Brightness to the desired level.


• Control Center: click the Control Center icon in the menu bar and adjust the Display brightness slider there.


• External displays: brightness is often controlled by the monitor itself; macOS cannot always override external panel brightness with a system slider.


• Ambient-light adjustments: enable Automatic brightness if you want the Mac to adapt to ambient light, and consider True Tone for color-temperature adjustments that can affect perceived brightness.

If you’re using a Mac with a built-in ambient light sensor, automatic brightness can help, but you can disable it for consistent brightness in challenging lighting conditions. For color accuracy, evaluate True Tone and Night Shift settings as needed.

iOS and iPadOS (iPhone and iPad)

On iPhone and iPad, brightness control is easy to reach via Control Center or the Display & Brightness settings, with optional automatic adjustments and color-temperature features.

• Control Center: on iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right; on older models, swipe up from the bottom. Drag the brightness slider to increase brightness.


• Settings: go to Settings > Display & Brightness and move the Brightness slider to your preferred level.


• Auto-brightness and color: enable Auto-Brightness to let the device adjust brightness based on ambient light, and use True Tone to adapt color temperature for comfortable viewing in various lighting.


• Night Shift: while not a brightness control per se, Night Shift changes color temperature in the evening and can affect perceived brightness when used in tandem with brightness settings.

For travelers or outdoor use, setting higher brightness and turning off Auto-Brightness can help ensure screen readability in bright conditions, though battery life may be impacted.

Android

Android devices vary by manufacturer, but most offer straightforward brightness controls via quick settings and the system Settings app, with optional adaptive brightness to automate the process.

• Quick Settings: swipe down from the top of the screen and adjust the brightness slider.


• Settings: open Settings > Display and use the Brightness slider to raise brightness.


• Adaptive/Auto-brightness: toggle Adaptive brightness (auto-brightness) on or off depending on whether you want automatic adjustments based on ambient light.


• Special features: some OEM skins include Eye Comfort, Blue light filters, or similar features that may interact with brightness or color temperature.


• External displays: if you’re connected to a monitor or dock via USB-C/HDMI, brightness may be controlled by the external display rather than the device itself; adjust the external monitor’s controls as needed.

If brightness fluctuates unexpectedly, check for battery saver modes that reduce display brightness and verify that any automatic brightness settings are configured to your preference.

Linux and external displays

Linux offers multiple ways to tweak brightness, depending on your desktop environment and hardware. You can use graphical tools or terminal commands, and external monitors may require their own controls.

• Desktop environments: GNOME users can adjust brightness in Settings > Power or Displays; KDE Plasma users can adjust brightness under System Settings > Display & Monitor > Brightness.


• Other environments: look for a brightness setting in your locale’s display or power options; many DEs expose a per-monitor brightness control.


• Command line options: you can adjust brightness with xbacklight or xrandr, or directly modify /sys/class/backlight/*/brightness on supported hardware (requires appropriate permissions).


• External monitors: many displays expose brightness control via the monitor’s OSD; some setups allow software control through DDC/CI if enabled in the monitor and GPU driver.

Linux brightness control can be powerful but may require permissions or driver support; consult your distribution’s documentation if you run into permission or path issues.

External monitors and hardware controls

When you rely on an external display, the monitor itself often governs brightness, sometimes independently of your computer’s settings. Using both together can yield conflicting results if not synchronized.

• Use the monitor’s on-screen display (OSD) controls: press the monitor’s dedicated button to open the brightness menu and adjust.


• Check for DDC/CI support: some displays respond to software brightness commands via the graphics driver if DDC/CI is enabled in the monitor’s menu.


• USB-C and docking scenarios: brightness control may be split between the laptop/PC and the monitor; verify which device is actively controlling backlight.

To avoid mismatch, set a baseline brightness on the monitor, then adjust your device’s slider accordingly, or disable autonomous brightness features that override manual control.

Automatic brightness and accessibility features

Many devices offer automatic brightness and accessibility tools that can improve readability in changing lighting, but they can also obscure manual control. If you want consistent brightness, switch off adaptive/auto-brightness and review how ambient-light or color-temperature features (like True Tone or Night Shift) affect perceived brightness. For accessibility, you may increase brightness to the maximum or adjust contrast to improve readability in varying environments.

Summary

Across platforms, increasing screen brightness typically comes down to a few reliable methods: a quick slider in your device’s Quick Settings or Display/Settings panel, dedicated hardware keys on laptops or phones, or the brightness controls on an external monitor. If brightness won’t respond, check for auto-brightness settings, update drivers, verify power or battery-saving modes, and inspect external display configurations. With these steps, you should be able to regain comfortable, legible screens in any environment.

How do I increase the brightness on my screen?

To change the brightness on an external monitor, use the buttons on it. The Brightness slider appears in action center in Windows 10, version 1903. To find the brightness slider in earlier versions of Windows 10, select Settings > System > Display, and then move the Change brightness slider to adjust the brightness.

How do I brighten the screen on this phone?

To brighten your phone's screen, use the quick settings panel by swiping down from the top of the screen and dragging the brightness slider to the right, or go to Settings > Display to adjust the brightness slider there. For automatic adjustments, you can enable auto-brightness in the same settings menu.
 
Using quick settings

• Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the notification shade. 
• On some devices, you may need to swipe down a second time to see the full quick settings panel. 
• Find the brightness slider, which is often a horizontal bar with a sun icon. 
• Drag the slider to the right to make the screen brighter. 

Using the Settings app

• Open the Settings app on your phone.
• Tap on Display (or "Display & Brightness").
• Locate the Brightness slider and drag it to the right to increase brightness. 

Enabling automatic brightness 

• Go to Settings and select Display. 
• Look for an option like Adaptive Brightness or Auto-Brightness and toggle it on. 
• Your phone will now automatically adjust the brightness based on the ambient light. 

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What is the shortcut key to adjust brightness?

The brightness shortcut keys are typically found on the top row of your laptop keyboard, often as a secondary function on the F keys, and can be adjusted by holding the Fn key and pressing the corresponding key with a sun or brightness icon. For example, Fn + F5 or Fn + F6, Fn + the left/right arrow keys, or Fn + the Home/End keys are common combinations, but the exact keys vary by manufacturer.
 
Common laptop shortcut keys

• Fn + F key: Many laptops use a combination of the Fn key and an F key (e.g., Fn + F5 for decrease, Fn + F6 for increase). The F keys will often have a sun or brightness icon on them. 
• Fn + arrow keys: Some keyboards use Fn + left arrow to decrease brightness and Fn + right arrow to increase it. 
• Fn + Home/End keys: Another common combination is Fn + End to increase brightness and Fn + Home to decrease it. 

Other methods

• Windows Action Center: For Windows users, you can press Windows + A to open the Action Center and use the brightness slider. 
• Mac: On a Mac, use Option + Shift + Brightness Up or Option + Shift + Brightness Down for smaller adjustments, or use the brightness keys on the top row of the keyboard, which may have a sun icon. 

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Can I make my iPhone screen brighter?

Access Settings: Open the 'Settings' app on your iPhone. 2. Adjust Brightness: Scroll down and tap on 'Display & Brightness'. Here, you'll see a slider under 'Brightness'--slide it to the right to increase brightness or to the left to decrease it.