Controls your external display brightness and volume and shows native OSD. Use menubar extra sliders or the keyboard, including native Apple keys!
Go to Releases and download the latest .dmg
, or you can install via Homebrew:
brew install MonitorControl
- Control your display's brightness, volume and contrast!
- Shows native OSD for brightness and volume.
- Supports multiple protocols to adjust brightness: DDC for external displays (brightness, contrast, volume), native Apple protocol for Apple and built-in displays, Gamma table control for software dimming, shade control for AirPlay, Sidecar and Display Link devices and other virtual screens.
- Supports smooth brightness transitions.
- Seamlessly combined hardware and software dimming extends dimming beyond the minimum brightness available on your display.
- Synchronize brightness from built-in and Apple screens - replicate Ambient light sensor and touch bar induced changes to a non-Apple external display!
- Sync up all your displays using a single slider or keyboard shortcuts.
- Allows dimming to full black.
- Support for custom keyboard shortcuts as well as standard brightness and media keys on Apple keyboards.
- Dozens of customization options to tweak the inner workings of the app to suit your hardware and needs (don't forget to enable
Show advanced settings
in app Settings). - Simple, unobtrusive UI to blend in to the general aesthetics of macOS.
- One of the best app of its kind, completely FREE.
For additional features, more advanced brightness control with XDR/HDR brightness upscaling and support for more Mac models and displays, check out BetterDisplay!
- Download the app
- Copy the MonitorControl app file from the .dmg file to your Applications folder
- Click on the
MonitorControl
app - Add the app to
Accessibility
underSystem Settings
»Privacy & Security
as prompted (this is required only if you wish to use the native Apple keyboard brightness and media keys - if this is not the case, you can safely skip this step). - Use your keyboard or the sliders in the app menu (a brightness symbol in the macOS menubar as shown on the screenshot above) to control your displays.
- Open
Settings…
for customization options (enableShow advanced settings
for even more options). - You can set up custom keyboard shortcuts under the
Keyboard
in Settings (the app uses Apple media keys by default). - If you have any questions, go to Discussions!
MonitorControl version | macOS version |
---|---|
v4.0.0 | Catalina 10.15* |
v3.1.1 | Mojave 10.14 |
v2.1.0 | Sierra 10.12 |
* With some limitations - full functionality available on macOS 11 Big Sur or newer.
For macOS Sequoia compatibility v4.3.2 or newer is required!
- Most modern LCD displays from all major manufacturers supported implemented DDC/CI protocol via USB-C, DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI or VGA to allow for hardware backlight and volume control.
- Apple displays and built-in displays are supported using native protocols.
- LCD and LED Televisions usually do not implement DDC, these are supported using software alternatives to dim the image.
- DisplayLink, Airplay, Sidecar and other virtual screens are supported via shade (overlay) control.
Notable exceptions for hardware control compatibility:
- DDC control using the built-in HDMI port of the 2018 Intel Mac mini, the built-in HDMI port of all M1 Macs (MacBook Pro 14" and 16", Mac Mini, Mac Studio) and the built-in HDMI port of the entry level M2 Mac mini are not supported. Use USB-C instead or get BetterDisplay for full DDC control over HDMI with these Macs as well for free. Software-only dimming is still available for these connections.
- Some displays (notably EIZO) use MCCS over USB or an entirely custom protocol for control. These displays are supported with software dimming only.
- DisplayLink docks and dongles do not allow for DDC control on Macs, only software dimming is available for these connections.
Compatibility with
- f.lux users: please activate
Avoid gamma table manipulation
underSettings
»Displays
! This step is not needed if you use Night Shift. - BetterDisplay users: either activate
Avoid gamma table manipulation
in MonitorControl or turn offAllow color table adjustments
in BetterDisplay (under Settings/Displays/Overview). You might want to disable native keyboard control either in MonitorControl or BetterDisplay, depending on which app you want to use for brightness control and dimming.
- You can help out by contributiong to the project with your one-time donation or by being a regular Sponsor!
- If you want, you can fork the code, make improvements and submit a pull request to improve the app. Accepting a PR is solely in the hands of the maintainer - before making fundamental changes expecting it to be accepted, please consult the maintainer of the project!
- Xcode
- Swiftlint
- SwiftFormat
- BartyCrouch (for updating localizations)
- Clone the project via this Terminal command:
git clone https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl.git
- If you want to clone one of the branches, add
--single-branch --branch [branchname]
after theclone
option. - You're all set! Now open the
MonitorControl.xcodeproj
with Xcode! The dependencies will automatically get downloaded once you open the project. If they don't:File > Packages > Resolve Package Versions
- @waydabber, developer of BetterDisplay.
- @the0neyouseek - previous (now honorary) maintainer
- @JoniVR - previous (now honorary) maintainer
- @alin23 (generally spearheaded M1 DDC support and figured out a many of the caveats)
- @mathew-kurian (original developer)
- @Tyilo (fork)
- @Bensge - (used some code from his project NativeDisplayBrightness)
- @nhurden (for the original MediaKeyTap)
- @kfix (for ddcctl)
- @reitermarkus (for Intel DDC support)
- javierocasio (app icon background)