How to Disable Adaptive Brightness Feature in Windows 10?

Why does How to Disable Adaptive Brightness Feature in Windows 10 occur?

Inbuilt ambient light sensors adjust brightness automatically
Adaptive Brightness feature was developed to prolong battery life
Users reported that brightness changes too often
Brightness level may be too dark for normal visibility
Adaptive Brightness did not meet user expectations

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Why is my Windows screen getting brighter and darker constantly? I haven’t changed any settings. Could someone please comment on that?

The latest laptops and tables may have inbuilt ambient light sensors, which adjust display’s brightness automatically according to the surrounding. Therefore, if the device is running the latest version of Windows, namely Windows 10, the screen may turn bright from dark and vice versa continuously. Such behavior is triggered by Adaptive Brightness feature, which has been developed by Microsoft not long ago. Its initial purpose is to prolong battery’s life.

Adaptive Brightness did not meet people's expectations

When ambient light sensors were released and the Adaptive Brightness feature was enabled, Microsoft community started to fuss about the imperfection of the feature. Although many users noticed longer battery life, the display brightness for others changes too often or the brightness level is too dark to see normally. If you are not satisfied with the performance of the Adaptive Brightness feature, you can easily change the Power Plan and disable/enable the feature manually.

Disable Adaptive Brightness feature on Windows 10

Option 1. Change the current Power Plan

Open Windows Search and type Power Options.
Open your current active power plan and open Advanced settings.
Expand Display by double-clicking on it.
Select the Enable adaptive brightness option if you want to enable the feature.
If it is already enabled, unmark Enable adaptive brightness and click OK.

Option 2. Use Command Prompt

Press Windows key + R and type cmd.
Right-click on the first option and select Run as Administrator.
If you want to enable the Adaptive Brightness feature when your device is unplugged, copy and paste the following command and press Enter:

powercfg -setdcvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT 7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99 FBD9AA66-9553-4097-BA44-ED6E9D65EAB8 1
To enable the feature when the device is plugged in, copy and paste the following command and press Enter:

powercfg -setacvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT 7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99 FBD9AA66-9553-4097-BA44-ED6E9D65EAB8 1
If you want to disable the feature when the device is unplugged, copy and paste the following command and press Enter:

powercfg -setdcvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT 7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99 FBD9AA66-9553-4097-BA44-ED6E9D65EAB8 0
If you want to disable the feature when the device is plugged in, copy and paste the following command and press Enter:

powercfg -setacvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT 7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99 FBD9AA66-9553-4097-BA44-ED6E9D65EAB8 0
To apply the changes, copy and paste powercfg -SetActive SCHEME_CURRENT command and press Enter.
Finally, close Command prompt and reboot the system.

We hope that this guide was helpful and you have managed to successfully disable Adaptive Brightness feature on Windows. Although this article addresses people who are not satisfied with the ambient light sensors and the functioning of the Adaptive Brightness, we have provided instructions on how to disable and enable the feature in case you would change your mind and decide to switch back to the dimmed display brightness to prolong battery’s life.

Bottom line

To disable the Adaptive Brightness feature in Windows 10, you can change the current Power Plan settings or use Command Prompt commands. If these methods do not resolve the issue, consider checking for driver updates or consulting further technical support.

Frequently asked questions

How can I disable adaptive brightness in Windows 10's Settings app?

To disable adaptive brightness in Windows 10, open the Settings app, go to System > Display, and toggle off the 'Change brightness automatically when lighting changes' option.

Is there a way to disable adaptive brightness through the Control Panel in Windows 10?

Yes, you can disable adaptive brightness through the Control Panel by navigating to Hardware and Sound > Power Options, selecting your power plan, and then clicking on 'Change plan settings' followed by 'Change advanced power settings'.

Does disabling adaptive brightness in Windows 10 affect battery life?

Disabling adaptive brightness may lead to increased battery consumption, as the screen brightness will remain constant instead of adjusting to ambient light conditions.

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Written & verified by

Marcus Webb

Network & Connectivity Expert

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