DDC/CI
Real hardware brightness
Talks to your monitors over DDC/CI, the same channel as their own buttons, so the backlight changes, not a dimmed picture. Laptop screens work too.
v0.1.5 preview · free for Windows
Brightness control for every monitor on Windows.
Tidal changes the real brightness of your external monitors, right from the tray. Sliders, keyboard shortcuts, and brightness that follows the sun, without digging through monitor buttons.
64-bit · Installs per user · No telemetry
Runs onWindows 10 & 11
ControlsDDC/CI + WMI
InstallsNo admin rights
CollectsNothing
[ Features ]
Everything your monitor's buttons should have been.
One place for every screen you plug in, with the controls the on-screen menu buries.
Adaptive
Follows your day
Dim at night and brightest at midday, worked out offline from your location. Or let external screens match the laptop, or a light sensor.
Dimming
Darker than 0%
Turn on Dim below 0 and keep going past a monitor's lowest brightness, in software. Monitors without DDC/CI get a slider that dims them the same way.
Apps
A brightness for each app
Give your video player, a game or anything else its own brightness. The screen showing it switches while it's in front, and goes back when you switch away.
Link all
Every screen in step
Move every display together, each within its own range, so a bright monitor and a dim laptop stay matched.
Limits
Your range, per display
Set a lowest and highest brightness for each display. Sliders, shortcuts, presets and adaptive brightness all stay inside it.
Inputs
Inputs and volume
Switch a monitor between DisplayPort, HDMI and USB-C, and set its speaker volume, when the monitor supports it.
Tray
Lives in the tray
One click away, in light and dark mode, with a small level on screen when you use the keys. It tells you plainly when a display can't be controlled.
Private
Nothing leaves your PC
No account, no analytics, no telemetry. Sunrise and sunset are calculated on your PC, and settings are a file you own.
[ Shortcuts ]
Brightness from any app.
Press the keys in any app and hold them to keep going. A small level appears on each display as it changes. Record your own keys in Settings.
BrighterCtrl+Alt+PageUp
DimmerCtrl+Alt+PageDown
[ Download ]
Get Tidal.
Version 0.1.5 · preview
Windows may say Windows protected your PC
: this preview isn't code-signed yet. Click More info, then Run anyway.
Requirements
- Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) or Windows 11, 64-bit
- Installs just for you: no admin rights, no account
- External monitors need DDC/CI, which most have (usually on in the monitor's menu)
Will it work with my monitor?
Most external monitors from the last decade support DDC/CI, the standard Tidal uses. If one doesn't respond, turn on DDC/CI in the monitor's on-screen menu, or connect it directly instead of through a dock, KVM switch or adapter. Wireless and DisplayLink displays can't be controlled this way, so Tidal dims them in software instead. Laptop screens use Windows' own brightness control. Tidal shows which method each display uses, and why when one can't be controlled.
Why does Windows warn me when I open it?
Windows SmartScreen warns about apps that aren't code-signed and aren't yet widely downloaded. This preview isn't signed yet. Click More info, then Run anyway.
Does Tidal use my location?
Only if you choose Follow the sun and press the location button; you can also type coordinates. The location is rounded to about a kilometre, stays on your PC, and sunrise and sunset are calculated offline.
Does it collect any data?
No. There's no account, no analytics and no telemetry. Settings are saved in a file on your PC. The only thing Tidal asks the internet is whether GitHub has a newer version, which you can turn off in Settings › General.
How do I get new versions?
From version 0.1.5, Tidal updates itself: it checks for a new version every few hours, downloads it in the background and installs it when you click Restart in its popup, or the next time it quits. Older versions: download the installer again and run it.
How do I open it, and how do I uninstall it?
Tidal starts with Windows and lives in the notification area. On Windows 11, click the ^ arrow next to the clock and drag its icon onto the taskbar to keep it handy. You can turn off starting with Windows in Tidal's Settings › General. To remove Tidal: Settings › Apps › Installed apps › Tidal › Uninstall.