Displays
External monitors, honestly
Rearrange your desk, remember layouts, and dim external screens, including ones macOS will not. When hardware control is impossible, MacReveal says so instead of pretending the backlight moved. Included in the same $9.99 license.
What the status label means
Every connected screen in MacReveal shows one of these. If a slider does nothing, the label is the reason.
MacReveal talked to the monitor over DDC/CI or Apple display services. The backlight actually changed.
This cable or port cannot carry hardware brightness commands. MacReveal dims the image in software. The panel backlight is unchanged.
Sidecar, AirPlay, and some virtual or DisplayLink screens cannot be dimmed safely. The control is hidden rather than faked: honesty, not a broken slider.
What usually works
Layout presets (position, main display, resolution, rotation) use public macOS APIs and work on almost every setup. Hardware brightness depends on the cable and the monitor. Read the on-screen status before you blame the slider.
USB-C or DisplayPort, plugged into the monitor
Direct cable. Panel answers DDC.
Usually hardware controlThunderbolt dock that forwards DDC
Some docks pass DDC. Many do not.
Often hardware, dock dependentBuilt-in HDMI on many M1 / M2 Macs (Mac mini, some MacBooks)
Apple HDMI often skips hardware backlight.
Often software dimming onlyCheap HDMI adapter, MST hub, or DisplayLink dongle
Adapters drop DDC. Read the status label.
Software or not supportedTV used as a monitor
TVs rarely expose a controllable backlight.
Usually software dimmingApple Studio Display, Pro Display XDR, LG UltraFine
Native Apple brightness path when available.
Hardware via Apple servicesSidecar, AirPlay, or a virtual screen
No real panel to dim. Layout still helps.
Not supported
Common questions
Most stuck sliders are a cable or DDC limit, not a crash. Read the status label first.
It does not work on my Dell (or LG, BenQ, Samsung).
Open Hardware → Displays and read the status on that screen. If it says software dimming only, the monitor is connected in a way that cannot receive brightness commands: often HDMI, a dock, or DDC/CI turned off in the monitor OSD. Enable DDC/CI on the monitor, try a direct USB-C or DisplayPort cable, then tap Recheck. MacReveal will not claim hardware control until the panel actually answers.
It broke after a macOS update.
Apple does not publish a public API for generic monitor backlights. Hardware brightness uses private system interfaces that sometimes move in a new macOS version. Layout presets (positions, main display, resolution) use public APIs and usually keep working. Update MacReveal from the in-app updater, then reopen Hardware → Displays. If brightness still fails, contact support with your Mac model, macOS version, MacReveal version, port (HDMI / USB-C / dock), and the on-screen status label.
My dock breaks brightness.
Many docks do not forward DDC. That is a dock limitation, not a MacReveal crash. Plug the same monitor directly into the Mac with USB-C or DisplayPort. If hardware control appears, the dock is the bottleneck. Layout presets still apply through the dock; only hardware brightness may fall back to software dimming.
F1 and F2 still change the laptop screen.
Brightness keys for external monitors need Accessibility permission. In MacReveal, open Privacy and enable Accessibility, or follow the banner on Hardware → Displays. Sliders work without that permission. Keys stay optional.
macOS puts my monitors in the wrong place after sleep.
Save a Desk preset while the layout looks right. MacReveal restores it when the same set of displays comes back, but only when it is confident which panel is which. Two identical monitors with no serial numbers can confuse macOS; in that case we will not guess. Use Restore Desk yourself, or tap Show numbers to identify each screen.
Software dimming looks washed out with Night Shift or f.lux.
Software dimming uses the same gamma tables those apps use, so they can stack. Prefer a USB-C or DisplayPort connection so MacReveal can use hardware control instead. If you must stay on software dimming, turn off the other gamma app on that display.
Will this ship on the Mac App Store?
No. Hardware brightness needs interfaces Apple does not allow in the App Store sandbox. MacReveal is sold directly, signed and notarized by Apple, and installs from the link in your purchase email.
Before you write in
Include Mac model, macOS version, MacReveal version, how the monitor is plugged in (USB-C, HDMI, dock brand), and the exact status label on Hardware → Displays. That is enough to tell hardware control from a cable limit.
Nothing leaves your Mac
Layouts, brightness, and schedules stay on the device. We do not collect monitor serials or screenshots. The only network calls in MacReveal are license checks, a daily update check, and the speed test and network check you start yourself.
Still stuck?
Send the details above through the support page and a person will reply.
Displays ship with the full license
Brightness, layout presets, and status labels are part of MacReveal. $9.99 once, for one Mac, with every update.