Turning off auto brightness in Windows 11 is pretty straightforward, but it can catch ya out how many steps there are — especially if you’re not used to digging through menus. It’s one of those settings that, if left on, can be a bit annoying if you want your screen to stay at a steady level, like when working in a brightly lit room or doing some fine detail work. Usually, it’s because the system’s trying to adapt to the ambient light, but sometimes you just want it to stay put, especially if auto adjustments cause flickering or weird changes.
How to Turn Off Auto Brightness in Windows 11
Before you dive in, it’s good to know — disabling auto brightness basically means your display won’t change brightness on its own anymore. Whatever you set manually will stay put. That’s handy if you want to save a bit of juice or just prevent the screen from constantly shifting brightness levels, which can be a bit frustrating. On some setups, this toggle can be a bit sneaky or behave dodgily after updates, so you might have to toggle it a couple of times or give your PC a reboot to make sure it sticks.
Step 1: Open Settings
First up, hit the Start menu and open Settings. Easy as: click the gear icon or just type “Settings” into the search bar. If it’s not showing immediately, no worries — sometimes Windows takes a tick to catch up.
Step 2: Head to System
Once in Settings, click on System. It’s usually the first thing on the list, right near the top, with display, sound, notifications options. Because of course, Windows has to make it a bit complicated with all those categories.
Step 3: Click Display
After you’re in System, select Display. This is where most of the screen stuff lives, including brightness. Look for the tab on the left or the big menu that says Display.
Step 4: Find Brightness and Colour
Scroll down a touch until you see the Brightness and Colour section. This is where they chuck all the sliders and options for brightness, colour calibration, and the auto-brightness toggle.
Step 5: Turn Off Auto Brightness
Look for the toggle called Change brightness automatically when lighting changes. If you can’t spot it, it might be due to driver issues or a different layout, but it’s usually there. Switch it off.
This step, on some rigs, can be a bit tricky — sometimes you need to disable a different setting in Advanced Power Settings, or even fiddle with the registry if Windows isn’t playing fair. But on most recent builds, the simple toggle does the trick.
Once you turn it off, your display will stay at whatever brightness you set manually. Expect it to stay consistent — no more dimming when you go from inside to outside or vice versa.
Tips for Turning Off Auto Brightness in Windows 11
- Check for Driver Updates: Sometimes, graphic drivers override system settings. Use Windows Update or hop onto your device maker’s website to get the latest drivers.
- Disable Adaptive Brightness via Control Panel: Open Control Panel → Power Options → Change plan settings → Change advanced power settings. Expand Display, then find Enable adaptive brightness and turn it off for both battery and plugged-in modes. Sometimes, you’ve gotta do it this way if the usual options don’t show up.
- Use Command Line for a deeper dive: If UI options don’t work, try
powercfgcommands in an elevated command prompt. For example, to turn off adaptive brightness for your current power plan:powercfg -setacvalueindexSUB_VIDEO VIDEO_ADAPTIVE_BRIGHTNESS 0 powercfg -setdcvalueindex SUB_VIDEO VIDEO_ADAPTIVE_BRIGHTNESS 0 powercfg -S - Test in different lighting: Sometimes, turning auto brightness off gives better consistency, but give your manual brightness a go in all sorts of lighting conditions. Manual control can be your mate here.
(Side note: <scheme_guid> is your current power plan’s ID. Pop open Command Prompt and run powercfg /l to see the GUIDs. This is more for the tech-savvy, but it works when the UI’s a bit dodgy.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my screen keep adjusting brightness automatically?
Because auto-brightness is turned on by default mainly to save a bit of juice or make viewing more comfy in changing light. If it’s driving you nuts, turning it off in the display settings usually sorts it out.
Will disabling auto brightness use more battery?
Most likely, yeah. If your screen stays at a higher brightness all the time, it’ll drain the battery faster — especially on laptops. But if you prefer a steady display, that’s the trade-off.
Can I turn off auto brightness just for certain apps?
Nah, Windows doesn’t support app-specific control easily. Some third-party apps might help if you really want to, but generally, it’s an all-or-nothing Aussie style with the OS.
What if I can’t see the option to disable auto brightness?
This can happen if your drivers are out of date or if your device’s a bit locked down — like some ultrabooks or OEM models with restricted firmware. Check your drivers or give the manufacturer’s support a shout.
Is there a way to automate brightness adjustments without clicking toggles all the time?
For sure. You can use apps like f.lux or set up scripts with Windows’ Task Scheduler. Some clever Aussies even assign hotkeys to switch brightness on the fly.
Summary
- Open Settings from the Start menu.
- Go to System.
- Click on Display.
- Find Brightness and Colour.
- Turn off “Change brightness automatically”.
If it doesn’t work straight away, give your PC a restart or update your display drivers. Sometimes Windows needs a quick kick to accept the new setting, especially after updates or driver upgrades. It’s a bit quirky, but it generally does the job.
Hopefully, this helps save a few hours. Keeping your display steady can make a big difference if auto brightness keeps flipping out on you. Good luck and happy tinkering!