BrightnessTray

One feature that Microsoft has yet to implement is a proper method of controlling laptop screen brightness. While a slider is available, it is rather difficult to access, and clicking the brightness tile in the Windows 10 power settings tray menu only changes it in 25% increments. BrightnessTray provides you with a great alternative – a simple slider that can be accessed from the system tray with a single mouse click. It also offers a few extra features, and it is very easy to use.

Key Features:

• Simple slider for adjusting brightness


• Access from the system tray with a single mouse click


• Additional features included


• Easy to use

Once you have downloaded the BrightnessTray app, you can just launch it straight away, as no installation is necessary. It comes in the form a single, small executable file, making deployment much simpler. You will notice that a new icon has been added to the system tray, and a brightness slider will be brought up when you click it. You can also use this app to turn off the monitor instantly whenever you want to save power.

Extra Functions:

• 'Caffeine' mode to keep your laptop awake


• Manual activation of sleep mode

If you right-click the tray icon, a new menu will be brought up that provides access to some extra functions. The program’s appearance can be customized as well, but this is a bit more complicated. If you want to hide the brightness label in the slider, you have to use the '/NoPercentageText' launch parameter; should you wish to have a static icon in the tray, you need to use the '/NoTextIcon' parameter. It would certainly help if these customization options were more accessible, which is something I hope will be addressed in future releases.

User Customization:

• Adjust appearance settings


• Hide brightness label in the slider


• Static icon option in the tray

Overall, BrightnessTray is a well-designed, lightweight utility that can prove to be invaluable for laptop users. It makes changing brightness from the desktop a lot easier, and it even offers a couple of other handy power-related features.