[GH-ISSUE #1696] Differentiated control scheme: [ Keyboard | Mouse] controls [ individual | int | ext | all ] displays) + Differentiated menu item visibility #942

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opened 2026-05-05 06:55:04 -06:00 by gitea-mirror · 1 comment

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 06:55:04 -06:00

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Originally created by @porg on GitHub (Dec 4, 2024).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl/issues/1696

Before opening the issue, have you...?

Searched for existing issues

I'd like to achieve this:

1) Controlling displays individually by…

a) Keyboard: ✅ Works 100% satisfying by combining:

Brightness and contrast:  [ Standard keyboard brightness keys                    ▾ ]

      Screen to control:  [ Depends on mouse pointer position                    ▾ ]

in https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl/pull/957#issuecomment-1047854270 @waydabber describes this possibility

Settings → App menu

              Menu Icon:  [ Only if at least one slider is present               ▾ ]

     Brightness control:   ☐ Enable for Apple branded and built-in displays as well

To achieve this:

Situation	Outcome
Internal display only	Menu Icon hidden
Internal display + external display	Menu Icon shown

If Menu Icon gets 1-2 extra options:
- Only if at least two sliders are present regardless of how many of those are internal or external
- Only if at least 1 external display is connected as an even more concise option
Then one could show the Menu Icon also with "1 external display only" when the MacBook is:
- in clamshell mode
- or has its internal display off so that the GPU can drive one more external display (possible e.g. with BetterDisplay according to this testimony) )
The settings would then look like this:

              Menu Icon:  [ Only if at least 1 external display is connected     ▾ ]

     Brightness control:   ☐ Enable for Apple branded and built-in displays as well

2) Controlling all displays at once by…

a) … keyboard

✅ Works very well already with:

Brightness and contrast:  [ Standard keyboard brightness keys                    ▾ ]

… many modifiers options exists:

Use the brightness keys of your Apple keyboard to control brightness. Additionally you can hold:

  ⌃     to adjust the built-in display.

⌃ ⌘ to adjust external displays.

  ⇧ ⌥ for fine control.

  ⌃ ⌥ ⌘ adjusts contrast on DDC compatible displays.

❗️ My particular desired modifier is missing, I'd love the following to be added:

⇧ ⌃ ⌥ ⌘ to adjust all displays.

✅ Works perfect with

Settings → App menu

      Multiple displays:  [ Use combined slider for all displays                 ▾ ]

❌ Except that this option is effectively unavailable when Enable for Apple branded and built-in displays as well is OFF which is needed for 1c. If 1bc do not have that quirky unclean/indirect option Only if at least one slider is present but instead the semantically cleaner options Only if at least 1 external display is connected and Only if at least two sliders are present then you can have Enable for Apple branded and built-in displays as well is ON independently.

Describe the solution you'd like

2a) ⇧ ⌃ ⌥ ⌘ to adjust all displays would be the minimal fix.

Describe alternatives you've considered

Fixing 1c) and subsequently thus decoupling 2b) would make the full 1abc 2ab suite possible! And would be the perfection.

Anything else?

No response

Originally created by @porg on GitHub (Dec 4, 2024). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl/issues/1696 ### Before opening the issue, have you...? - [X] Searched for existing issues ### Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe I'd like to achieve this: ## 1) Controlling displays individually by… ### a) Keyboard: ✅ Works 100% satisfying by combining: ``` Brightness and contrast: [ Standard keyboard brightness keys ▾ ] ``` ``` Screen to control: [ Depends on mouse pointer position ▾ ] ``` ### b) Mouse: Via menu item: 💡 Okay but could be more differentiated in https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl/pull/957#issuecomment-1047854270 @waydabber describes this possibility - Settings → App menu ``` Menu Icon: [ Only if at least one slider is present ▾ ] ``` ``` Brightness control: ☐ Enable for Apple branded and built-in displays as well ``` - To achieve this: | Situation | Outcome | |---|---| | Internal display only | Menu Icon hidden | | Internal display + external display | Menu Icon shown | ### c) Menu item visibility: Current semantically indirect/unclean option "Only if at least one slider is present " does not allow a differentiated control scheme - If `Menu Icon` gets 1-2 extra options: - `Only if at least two sliders are present` regardless of how many of those are internal or external - `Only if at least 1 external display is connected` as an even more concise option - Then one could show the Menu Icon also with "1 external display only" when the MacBook is: - in clamshell mode - or has its internal display off so that the GPU can drive one more external display (possible e.g. with [BetterDisplay](https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay) according to this [testimony](https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/w9yas0/comment/kwb0p9o/)) ) - The settings would then look like this: ``` Menu Icon: [ Only if at least 1 external display is connected ▾ ] ``` ``` Brightness control: ☐ Enable for Apple branded and built-in displays as well ``` ## 2) Controlling all displays at once by… ### a) … keyboard ✅ Works very well already with: ``` Brightness and contrast: [ Standard keyboard brightness keys ▾ ] ``` - … many modifiers options exists: > Use the brightness keys of your Apple keyboard to control brightness. Additionally you can hold: > - ` ⌃ ` to adjust the built-in display. > - ` ⌃ ⌘` to adjust external displays. > - ` ⇧ ⌥ ` for fine control. > - ` ⌃ ⌥ ⌘` adjusts contrast on DDC compatible displays. ❗️ My particular desired modifier is missing, I'd love the following to be added: > - `⇧ ⌃ ⌥ ⌘` to adjust all displays. ### … b) mouse: Via menu item ✅ Works perfect with - Settings → App menu ``` Multiple displays: [ Use combined slider for all displays ▾ ] ``` ❌ Except that this option is effectively unavailable when `Enable for Apple branded and built-in displays as well` is OFF which is needed for 1c. If 1bc do not have that quirky unclean/indirect option `Only if at least one slider is present` but instead the semantically cleaner options `Only if at least 1 external display is connected` and `Only if at least two sliders are present` then you can have `Enable for Apple branded and built-in displays as well` is ON independently. ### Describe the solution you'd like - 2a) `⇧ ⌃ ⌥ ⌘` to adjust all displays would be the minimal fix. ### Describe alternatives you've considered - Fixing 1c) and subsequently thus decoupling 2b) would make the full 1abc 2ab suite possible! And would be the perfection. ### Anything else? _No response_

gitea-mirror closed this issue

2026-05-05 06:55:06 -06:00

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 06:55:09 -06:00

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@waydabber commented on GitHub (Dec 18, 2024):

Maybe you can try switching to BetterDisplay as it has keyboard shortcut to control the built-in display only (Shift+Command+brightness keys) and all external displays only (Control+Command+brightness keys). The latter combo should be working with MonitorControl as well.

@waydabber commented on GitHub (Dec 18, 2024): Maybe you can try switching to BetterDisplay as it has keyboard shortcut to control the built-in display only (Shift+Command+brightness keys) and all external displays only (Control+Command+brightness keys). The latter combo should be working with MonitorControl as well.