Awesome
<img src=".github/Icon-cropped.png" width="200" alt="App icon" align="left"/> <div> <h3>MonitorControl - for Apple Silicon and Intel</h3> <p>Controls your external display brightness and volume and shows native OSD. Use menubar extra sliders or the keyboard, including native Apple keys!</p> <a href="https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl/releases"><img src=".github/macos_badge_noborder.png" width="175" alt="Download for macOS"/></a> </div><br/><br/>
<div align="center"> <!-- shields --> <!-- downloads --> <a href="https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl/releases"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/MonitorControl/MonitorControl/total.svg?style=flat" alt="downloads"/> </a> <!-- version --> <a href="https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl/releases"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/release-pre/MonitorControl/MonitorControl.svg?style=flat" alt="latest version"/> </a> <!-- license --> <a href="https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl/blob/master/License.txt"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/license/MonitorControl/MonitorControl.svg?style=flat" alt="license"/> </a> <!-- platform --> <a href="https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl"> <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/platform-macOS-lightgrey.svg?style=flat" alt="platform"/> </a> <!-- backers --> <a href="https://opencollective.com/monitorcontrol"> <img src="https://opencollective.com/monitorcontrol/tiers/badge.svg" alt="backers"/> </a> <br/> <br/><img src=".github/screenshot.png" width="824" alt="Screenshot"/><br/>
</div> <hr>Download
Go to Releases and download the latest .dmg, or you can install via Homebrew:
brew install MonitorControl
Major features
- 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 settingsin app Preferences). - Simple, unobtrusive UI to blend in to the general aesthetics of macOS.
- One of the best app of its kind, completely FREE.
How to install and use the app
- Download the app
- Copy the MonitorControl app file from the .DMG to your Applications folder
- Click on the
MonitorControlapp file - Add the app to
AccessibilityunderSystem Settings»Privacy & Securityas 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
Preferences…for customization options (enableShow advanced settingsfor even more options). - You can set up custom keyboard shortcuts under the
Keyboardin Preferences (the app uses Apple media keys by default). - If you have any questions, go to Discussions!
Screenshots (Preferences)
<div align="center"> <img src=".github/pref_1.png" width="392" alt="Screenshot"/> <img src=".github/pref_2.png" width="392" alt="Screenshot"/> <img src=".github/pref_3.png" width="392" alt="Screenshot"/> <img src=".github/pref_4.png" width="392" alt="Screenshot"/> </div>macOS compatibility
| 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.
Supported displays
- 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 manipulationunderPreferences»Displays! This step is not needed if you use Night Shift. - BetterDisplay users: either activate
Avoid gamma table manipulationin MonitorControl or turn offAllow color adjustmentsin 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.
How to build
Required
- Xcode
- Swiftlint
- SwiftFormat
- BartyCrouch (for updating localizations)
Build steps
- 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 thecloneoption. - You're all set! Now open the
MonitorControl.xcodeprojwith Xcode! The dependencies will automatically get downloaded once you open the project. If they don't:File > Packages > Resolve Package Versions
Third party dependencies
Maintainers
Thanks
- @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)
- @alin23 (generally spearheaded M1 DDC support and figured out a many of the caveats)
- javierocasio (app icon background)