One of the problems that exists with most monitors that we connect to our equipment is that both its brightness and its volume cannot be controlled from the system, as we can control, for example, the screen of a laptop or the internal speakers. That is, on numerous occasions we are forced to use the brightness and volume buttons on the screens, which are often not accessible at all. To fix this on macOS, I have recently started using MonitorControl.
It is a free application that allows you to control the brightness of external monitors natively, without any added complications. If your monitor has speakers that the system detects, you can also control their volume. MonitorControl it is so good that you end up wishing that both Microsoft and Apple integrated their functionality as standard in Windows 11 and macOS.
An essential app if you have external monitors
MonitorControl has just been updated to version 4.0, which has made it compatible with even more monitors and capable of updating itself from now on. By default, when we install it, it is set with an icon in the menu bar, next to the icons of the Wi-Fi system, time, etc. From there, if it detects our monitor, MonitorControl will show a sliding button to adjust the brightness and volume. All this if the user wishes, because it is fully customizable.
What is most impressive about MonitorControl is that the brightness control of the external screen (and the internal one if we want) done with the classic macOS brightness setting, that is, the brightness selector of our screen does not appear (the typical OSD menu) but that of the operating system (at least with the LG and HP screen with which we have tested it). The brightness control, in addition to the menu bar, can be done with the dedicated keys to control brightness and volume that integrate Apple and other manufacturers’ keyboards.
Regarding the volume, when you raise it, the monitor manufacturer’s own menu appears. Previously, when trying to turn up the volume from the system, a crossed-out volume symbol would appear, implying that it was not possible. With MonitorControl now I can do it very easily, as well as change the brightness much better depending on the time of day you are working.