Users have reported adaptive brightness issues (usually, after a Windows update) due to the non-presence of the display toggle in the Power Plan settings, which makes the computer quite difficult to use. Before moving on to enable the adaptive brightness, keep in mind that the adaptive brightness feature is only available to those devices/graphic cards that are equipped with a light sensor, so, make sure your device has one. Moreover, check if your system does not have a physical button to control this feature (some OEMs do apply this feature through a hardware button). Furthermore, make sure to disable the Battery Saver (in Settings » System» Battery).
Solution 1: Update Windows, Drivers, and BIOS of Your System
The issue may arise due to the incompatibility between the different OS modules (Windows, drivers, and BIOS) as one of these entities is outdated. In this context, updating the Windows, BIOS, and drivers of your system to the latest build may solve the problem.
Solution 2: Run the Power Troubleshooter
You may encounter the adaptive brightness issue if the Power Options of your system are in an error state or misconfigured. In this case, running the built-in Power Troubleshooter may clear the glitch and thus solve the problem. If not, then check if changing the contrast of your system solves the problem.
Solution 3: Create a Custom Power Plan for Your System
You may get the error at hand if the current power play of your system lacks the ability to manage the adaptive brightness. In this context, creating a new custom power plan with the ability to manage the adaptive brightness may solve the problem. But keep in mind that if you manually adjust brightness, then the brightness issue may return and you may have to perform the above steps again.
Solution 4: Edit the Graphics Control Panel Settings
The Display toggle for Adaptive Brightness may be missing as the said feature is controlled by the Graphics Control Panel. In this scenario, editing the relevant settings in the Graphics Control Panel may solve the problem. Some users have reported that they were able to sort out the issue by controlling the brightness through the Windows Mobility Center, so, check if that works for you.
AMD Radeon
Intel Graphics Control Panel
If you do not have Intel Graphics Control Panel or it does not have the power saving option, then install the Intel Graphics Command Center (from the Microsoft Store). Then check if disabling the Display Power Savings in On-Battery and Plugged-in tabs (in System»Power) solves the problem. If the issue persists, then check if you can manage the brightness in the Color Settings (in the Display tab) of the Graphics Control Panel (like Nvidia Control Panel).
Solution 5: Edit the BIOS Settings of Your System
The toggle for adaptive brightness may be missing from your system due to the misconfiguration of your system’s BIOS. In this context, editing the relevant BIOS settings may solve the problem. The instructions mentioned below may differ from user to user. Warning: Editing the system’s BIOS is a skillful task and if not done properly, you may brick your system and cause everlasting damage to your data.
Solution 6: Use the Command Prompt
If you cannot find the solution to the ‘display toggle’ issue so far, then there are some cmdlets of the Command Prompt that may let you disable/enable the adaptive brightness. But keep in mind that whenever you want to re-enable the adaptive brightness, replace the last 0 of both commands (mentioned above) with 1 and execute them in an elevated Command Prompt.
Solution 7: Reinstall the Graphics Driver
The display toggle of adaptive brightness may not be shown in the Power Plan if the graphics driver of your system is corrupt. In this case, reinstalling the graphics driver may solve the adaptive brightness issue. Even if that did not do the trick, then boot your system into the safe mode and use the DDU to uninstall the driver. Then boot into the normal mode and reinstall the latest driver to check if that solves the display toggle issue.
Solution 8: Use the Registry Editor
If none of the attempted solutions was successful, then you may edit the relevant registry keys of the system’s registry to sort out the problem. Warning: Be very careful and advance at your own risk as editing the system’s registry requires proficient knowledge and if not done properly, you may cause undying harm to your system/data. Before moving on, make sure to back up the system’s Registry (just in case…).
Set the Attributes of the PowerSettings Key
Edit the PowerSchemes Key
If the issue persists, make sure your laptop is plugged in and then put it to sleep. Now unplug the charger and wake up the system to check if the brightness issue is resolved (a workaround till the issue is resolved). If that does not work for you, you may try a 3rd party application to adjust the adaptive brightness.
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