MonitorControl
Adjusts external monitor brightness and volume from the Mac menu bar or keyboard, with native macOS on-screen
- Stars
- 34.6k
- Forks
- 1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Swift
- Last update
- 22 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
MonitorControl is a free, MIT-licensed menu bar app for macOS that lets you change the brightness and volume of external displays. You can use on-screen sliders or your keyboard, including the Apple brightness and volume keys, and the app shows the standard macOS overlay when you adjust them. It is useful because many external monitors cannot be controlled from the Mac by default.
- Adjust an external monitor's brightness with the Mac's brightness keys
- Change external display volume from the menu bar slider
- Sync brightness of several displays with one slider or shortcut
- Set custom keyboard shortcuts for brightness and volume control
- Dim a display below its hardware minimum using software dimming
Great for
- Mac users with an external monitor who want keyboard brightness keys to work on it
- People who want a native-looking brightness and volume overlay on a non-Apple display
- Users with several displays who want one slider or shortcut to adjust them together
- Owners of modern LCD monitors connected via USB-C, DisplayPort, or HDMI on supported Macs
Not ideal for
- Users of the built-in HDMI port on 2018 Intel Mac mini or M1 and entry M2 Mac mini models, since DDC hardware control is not supported there; use USB-C or a tool like BetterDisplay instead
- Owners of EIZO displays or DisplayLink docks, which only get software dimming
- People who need XDR/HDR brightness upscaling or support for more Mac models, which the README points to BetterDisplay for
- Users on very old macOS versions, since the compatibility table lists older app versions for Sierra, Mojave, and Catalina
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: macOS (specific supported versions depend on app version; see README compatibility table) · Homebrew (optional, for the brew install command)
Install via Homebrew
brew install --cask monitorcontrol - 2
Run it
- Download the latest .dmg from the Releases page or install with Homebrew
- Copy the MonitorControl app from the .dmg into your Applications folder and open it
- Optionally grant Accessibility access in System Settings if you want the native Apple keyboard keys to work
- Use the menu bar brightness icon or your keyboard to adjust your displays
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Enable 'Show advanced settings' in Settings to access the many customization options
- Set custom keyboard shortcuts under Keyboard in Settings
- Use the single slider or shortcuts to sync brightness across all displays
- Use smooth brightness transitions and combined hardware and software dimming to go below the display's minimum brightness
Downloads
Strengths
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Shows native macOS OSD overlays for brightness and volume
- Supports hardware DDC control as well as software dimming for displays that lack it
Trade-offs
- Hardware control depends on the display and connection; some monitors, HDMI ports on certain Macs, and DisplayLink docks get only software dimming
- The README says current versions show limited native OSD support on macOS Tahoe, where the OSD percentage does not update
- Many advanced options are hidden behind a setting that must be enabled
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MonitorControl (this) | 34.6k | App | beginner | 22 days ago | Mac users with an external monitor who want keyboard brightness keys to work on it |
| AeroSpace | 23.7k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Keyboard-centric users who want to manage windows without the mouse |
| CodeEdit | 23.1k | App | beginner | 19 days ago | Developers on a Mac who work on non-Apple projects and want a native macOS editor |
| cua | 31.6k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers building agents that operate desktop apps or browsers |
| hidden | 15.3k | App | beginner | 5 days ago | Mac users with a crowded menu bar who want a cleaner look |
| ipatool | 12.1k | CLI | intermediate | 12 days ago | Developers who want to script App Store searches or downloads from the terminal |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.