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Last evening, I received the new ThinkPad laptop that I had ordered a couple of days ago through an eCommerce website. Since the ThinkPad ships with an earlier version of Windows 10, I upgraded the OS to the latest version of Windows 10 Pro, and the upgrade process went smoothly without any issues.
After upgrading to the latest version of Windows 10 and installing/updating all drivers, while browsing the web, I noticed that Windows 10 was automatically adjusting the screen brightness. Like most users, I prefer manually setting screen brightness and don’t want the operating system to automatically adjust screen brightness with the help of ambient light sensors.
For the uninitiated, when the adaptive screen brightness feature is running, Windows 10 calculates the ambient light using the built-in sensors of your PC and automatically adjusts the screen brightness accordingly.
If your Windows 10 is automatically adjusting the screen brightness, it’s most likely because a feature called adaptive brightness is turned on. And if you’re sure that the adaptive brightness or auto-brightness is disabled on your PC, then it could be because your PC using Intel HD graphics and the Intel power saver technology is trying to save some power by automatically decreasing the backlight intensity.
In this guide, we will see how to disable the auto-brightness or adaptive brightness in Windows 10. Use the directions in Method 3 to configure the Intel HD Graphics Control Panel and instructions in Method 4 to turn off the display power-saving technology in AMD, which decreases backlight intensity to extend the battery life.
Method 1 of 5
Disable automatic brightness in Windows 10 via Settings
NOTE: Available in Windows 10 build 21354 and later only. Also, the option shows up only if your PC supports the Content adaptive brightness control (CABC).
Step 1: Go to Windows 10 Settings app > System > Display page.
Step 2: Turn off the option labeled Automatically adjust contrast based on the displayed content to help improve battery.
Method 2 of 5
Disable adaptive or auto brightness via Control Panel
Step 1: Right-click on the battery icon in the system tray and click Power Options to open the same.
Step 2: On the left pane, click Choose when to turn off the display option to open the Edit Plan Settings window.
Step 3: Here, click Change advanced power settings to open the Power Options dialog.
Step 4: Extend Display, extend Enable adaptive brightness, and then select Off option for both On battery and Plugged in.
Click the Apply button.
Note that you have just disabled adaptive brightness only for the current power plan. So, if you often switch between the power plan, you need to repeat the same for all power plans. For instance, if you just disabled adaptive brightness for a Balanced power plan, you will need to do the same for the Power saver plan as well if you don’t want Windows 10 to automatically adjust the brightness while using the Power saver plan.
Method 3 of 5
Disable automatic brightness via the Intel Graphics Command Center app
Step 1: Launch the Intel Graphics Command Center app using the taskbar/Start search. If not installed, you can get it from the Windows 10 Store.
Step 2: Once the app is running, in the left pane, click on System.
Step 3: Now, on the right side, click Power.
Step 4: In the On battery section, turn off the Display Power Savings option. That’s it!
Method 4 of 5
Disable auto-brightness via Intel HD Graphics Control Panel
If you have AMD graphics, follow the directions in Method 3.
I am no expert and I might be completely wrong, but it looks like the Intel power saver technology was the reason why I was feeling like the display brightness was automatically adjusting even after turning off adaptive brightness.
Use this method only if you have a feeling that the screen brightness is automatically adjusting even after turning off auto-brightness using the instructions mentioned above. Obviously, this is only for PCs that ship with Intel onboard graphics.
There might be a similar feature/option in graphics drivers from other manufacturers as well. Have a look at the properties of the graphics drivers before contacting Microsoft support.
Step 1: Right-click on the desktop and click Graphics Properties.
NOTE: If the Graphics Properties option is not available in the desktop context menu, open Control Panel, change View by to Small icons and then click Intel HD Graphics.
Step 2: Once Intel HD Graphics Control Panel is launched, click Power.
Step 3: On the left pane, click On Battery.
Step 4: Finally, click Disable option for Display Power Saving Technology and then click Apply button.
If the issue is fixed, remember that Intel graphics Control Panel might be reset to default settings when a newer version of the driver is installed, and you might need to disable the feature again by following the directions mentioned above.
Method 5 of 5
Disable AMD Vary-Bright
Step 1: Right-click on the desktop and then click on the AMD Radeon Settings option.
Step 2: Expand the Power tab and then click on PowerPlay. Here, disable or turn off the Enable Vari-Bright option.
Your automatic brightness issue should now be solved. Good luck!
If you have a dedicated graphics card, please check out its settings as well. Your automatic brightness issue should now be solved. Good luck!
Do let us know if you were able to fix the issue using one of these methods.
Displays on gadgets such as laptops and tablets may use ambient light sensors in order to detect and adjust to surrounding levels of light. The adaptive brightness feature in Windows tracks ambient light sensors, identifying changes in ambient light and automatically adjusting the brightness of display based on natural lighting conditions around.
Many users, however, would rather manually adjust the screen brightness. Depending on the circumstances, adaptive brightness can be distracting or annoying, such as when Windows constantly adjusts the screen brightness for you.
Here’s a quick guide on how to enable adaptive brightness on Windows 10, as well as how to disable the same feature on your computer.
Adaptive brightness in Windows 10: How it works
Adaptive brightness in Windows 10 works similar to how your phone adjusts the brightness of the screen depending on the light it perceives. This prevents the screen from being brightly lit at all times and saves battery life when the computer isn’t being charged.
Microsoft first introduced the feature in Windows 8. In Windows 10, though, adaptive brightness seems to be buggier than the earlier version. If you’re using a touchscreen device, for instance, it might occasionally happen that adaptive brightness messes with the desktop display, like having a mind of its own.
Learning how to enable adaptive brightness on Windows 10 gives you what the system believes is the ideal level of brightness based on the surrounding lighting conditions. If you’re running on battery, it will help conserve battery life through reducing screen brightness, undeniably among the biggest battery drainers out there.
You may also wonder: Should I disable adaptive brightness on a Windows computer? The answer is yes, if you seek total control over what the brightness your screen sits at while you use it.
If your computer is unable to properly adjust the brightness, it might be your use of multiple monitors or the video drivers getting in the way of the brightness level enabled, to name a few possible reasons. We’ll get to PC performance checks and optimization later.
Fix this issue quickly
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A few simple steps to troubleshoot the issue:
Download the tiny Auslogics TroubleShooter tool.
Run the application (no installation is needed).
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You can use the app to troubleshoot other malfunctions for free by simply typing in a brief description of the issue your PC is experiencing. Or you can scan your PC for performance issues using the My Scanner tab.
Tips on how to enable or disable adaptive brightness
Here is a quick, convenient way to enable or disable this feature on Windows 10.
- In the Start menu, search for Control Panel and open it.
- In the Control Panel, look for Power Options. Ensure that the Control Panel view is set to Large or Small icons. You may also open the Power Options window through right-clicking on the battery icon in the taskbar, and afterwards selecting Power Options. Click on it.
- In the Power Options window, click on the link Change Plan Settings next to your current power plan. This opens the current power plan settings.
- Click on the link Change advanced power settings found at the bottom of the window. This will open the Advanced Power Options window.
- Scroll down, locate the Display option, and expand it to show the Adaptive Brightness option. Expand the option to enable or disable the feature for both the battery power and when the computer is plugged in.
- Save the settings through clicking Apply and then OK.
In case you have difficulties locating the Adaptive Display setting, it’s likely that your laptop may not have a built-in ambient light sensor.
What if disabling adaptive brightness didn’t change anything? Here’s where you need to disable the Sensor Monitoring service by pressing Win + R and typing services.msc. Press the Enter button.
In the services window, double-click on “Sensor Monitoring Service,” which will lead to the service settings window. Click “Stop” and select “Disabled” from the drop-down menu found next to “Startup type.” Save the changes by clicking “OK.”
Conclusion
Adaptive brightness proves to be a great, intuitive feature on smaller gadget screens, such as on smartphone. But depending on how you’re using your PC and what you’re using it for, this feature might not be as dependable as you’d prefer.
The key is to learn how to turn on or turn off adaptive brightness, eliminating the extra eye strain and discomfort through brightening or dimming your screen as you please.
Properly adjusting screen brightness is just one way to optimize battery life and improve your PC’s performance. Optimization software such as Auslogics BoostSpeed safely and intelligently diagnoses your Windows system, cleans out junk files, improves computer speed and stability, and guards smooth performance for all your important tasks.
If your laptop is equipped with light sensor, it can detect light level at surroundings. So the sensor can use changes in surrounding light level to change brightness of your system automatically. This feature is called adaptive brightness. The main aim of this feature is adjust your system brightness accordingly to surrounding light.
This feature is only available on devices equipped with light sensor. In this article, we’ll show you how you can enable adaptive brightness in your Windows 10.
Page Contents
Enable Adaptive Brightness In Windows 10
Note: If your device is not equipped with light sensor, you won’t see options to turn on adaptive brightness on your system and hence below methods can’t be applied.
Method 1 – Using Settings App
1. Right click Start Button or press + X keys and select Settings.
2. In the Settings app, navigate to System > Display.
3. In the right pane of Display, Under Brightness and color, turn On the Change brightness automatically when lighting changes option to enable adaptive brightness or turn Off the option to disable it. Click Apply.
4. Your setting would be saved and applied immediately. So you can now exit Settings app.
Method 2 – Using Power Options
1. On Taskbar, right click battery or power icon and select Power options. If battery icon is missing from taskbar, refer this fix first.
2. In the Power Options window, pick a power plan and click Change plan settings link.
3. Under Edit Plan Settings window, click Change advanced power settings link.
4. Moving on, in Power Options window, expand Enable adaptive brightness. Set the options On battery and Plugged in to On or Off to enable or disable adaptive brightness, respectively.
5. Click Apply, followed by OK.
Method 3 – Using Intel HD Control Panel
If you’ve Intel HD Graphics card installed, you can use these steps to activate adaptive brightness.
1. Go to Desktop, right click and select Intel Graphics Settings option.
2. In the Dashboard, click on Power icon.
3. In the ‘On Battery’ section, change slider for Display Power Saving Technology and Enable it to activate adaptive brightness. Click Apply.
4. Similarly, go to ‘Plugged In’ section and turn on adaptive brightness.
That’s it!
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Well, Adaptive Brightness is a feature of Windows 10 which adjust your screen brightness according to the environment light intensity. Now with all the new displays coming out, most of them have a built-in ambient light sensor that helps take the benefit of Adaptive brightness feature. It works exactly like your smartphone automatic brightness, where the screen brightness is set according to the surrounding light. So your laptop display will always adjust brightness according to the surrounding light, for example, if you’re in a too dark location, then the screen will get dim automatically, and if you’re in a too bright location, then your screen brightness will automatically increase.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone likes this feature because it can get annoying when Windows is constantly adjusting your screen brightness while working. Most of us like to adjust screen brightness according to our needs manually. Anyway, without wasting any time, let’s see How to Enable or Disable Adaptive Brightness in Windows 10 with the help of the below-listed tutorial.
Table of Contents
Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.
Method 1: Enable or Disable Adaptive Brightness in Windows 10 Settings
Note: This option only works for Windows 10 Enterprise and Pro Editions Users.
1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings then click on System.
2. Now, from the left-hand menu select Display.
3. On the right window, find “Change brightness for built-in display“.
4. To enable the Adaptive Brightness, make sure to turn on the toggle of Night Light under “Change brightness for built-in display“.
5. Similarly, if you want to disable this feature, then turn off the toggle and close Settings.
6. Reboot your PC to save changes.
Method 2: Enable or Disable Adaptive Brightness in Power Options
1. Press Windows Key + R then type powercfg.cpl and hit Enter.
2. Now, next to your currently active power plan, click on “Change plan settings“.
3. Next, click on “Change advanced power settings“.
4. Under Power Options window, scroll down and expand Display.
5. Click on the “+” icon to expand then similarly expand “Enable adaptive brightness“.
6. If you want to enable adaptive brightness, then make sure to set “On battery” and “Plugged in” to On.
7. Similarly, if you want to disable the setting, then set it to Off.
8. Click Apply, followed by OK.
Method 3: Enable or Disable Adaptive Brightness in Command Prompt
1. Open Command Prompt. The user can perform this step by searching for ‘cmd’ and then press Enter.
2. Now type the following command according to your preference into cmd and hit Enter:
To Enable Adaptive Brightness:
Enable On Battery: powercfg -setdcvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT 7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99 FBD9AA66-9553-4097-BA44-ED6E9D65EAB8 1 Enable Plugged in: powercfg -setacvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT 7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99 FBD9AA66-9553-4097-BA44-ED6E9D65EAB8 1
To Disable Adaptive Brightness:
Disable On Battery: powercfg -setdcvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT 7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99 FBD9AA66-9553-4097-BA44-ED6E9D65EAB8 0 Disable Plugged in: powercfg -setacvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT 7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99 FBD9AA66-9553-4097-BA44-ED6E9D65EAB8 0
3. Now enter the below command and hit Enter to apply the changes:
powercfg -SetActive SCHEME_CURRENT
4. Close cmd and restart your PC to save changes.
Method 4: Enable or Disable Adaptive Brightness in Intel HD Graphics Control Panel
1. Right-click in an empty area on the desktop and then select Intel Graphics Settings from the right-click context menu.
2. Click on Power icon then to enable adaptive brightness do the following.
3. From the left-hand menu, first select “On Battery” or “Plugged In” for which you want to change the settings.
4. Now, from the Change Settings for the Plan drop-down, select the plan you want to change settings for.
5. Under Display Power Saving Technology select Enable and set the slider to the level you want.
6. Click Apply and select Yes to confirm.
7. Similarly to disable adaptive brightness, click disable under Display Power Saving Technology.
8. Restart your PC to save changes.
In case disabling the adaptive brightness in above methods didn’t work as planned then you need to do this to disable adaptive brightness in Windows 10 completely:
1. Press Windows Key + R then type services.msc and hit Enter.
2. In the service window, scroll down till you find “Sensor Monitoring service“.
3. Double-click on it to open Properties window then click on “Stop” if the service is running and then from the Startup type drop-down select Disabled.
4. Click Apply, followed by OK.
5. Reboot your PC to save changes.
Recommended:
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- How to Activate Windows 10 without any Software
- Disable Active Hours for Windows 10 Update
- 3 Ways to Check if Windows 10 is Activated
That’s it you have successfully learned How to Enable or Disable Adaptive Brightness in Windows 10 but if you still have any queries regarding this tutorial then feel free to ask them in the comment’s section.