How to Stop Netflix from Controlling Your Screen Brightness

You start watching a movie or show on Netflix late at night, get comfy in bed, and suddenly the brightness on your screen seems to take on a life of its own. One minute your show is perfectly visible, the next you’re squinting at the screen trying to see what’s happening in a dark scene.

This annoying issue is caused by a Netflix feature called “adaptive brightness” which automatically adjusts the brightness of your screen based on the content you’re watching. The goal is to optimize video quality and viewing experience, but it can be disruptive if you’ve set your screen to a comfortable brightness level and don’t want Netflix messing with it.

Fortunately, there are a few different ways to disable this auto-brightness adjustment and take back control of your display settings when streaming Netflix. In this post, we’ll cover the steps to turn off adaptive brightness on various devices so you can stop Netflix from making your screen excessively dark or bright.

Why Does Netflix Change Screen Brightness?

Netflix says it automatically adjusts brightness to provide the “optimal viewing experience”. Essentially, it wants to give you the best picture quality it can based on factors like your screen, the show’s cinematography, and viewing conditions.

For example, it may lower brightness for dark scenes so details aren’t lost. Or bump it up for bright scenes to enhance vibrancy. While that makes sense in theory, in practice it can be disruptive if you’ve already set your preferred brightness.

How to Turn Off Adaptive Brightness on iPhone and iPad

If you’re streaming Netflix on an iPhone or iPad, here are the steps to stop the app from automatically changing brightness:

1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device.
2. Select Display & Brightness.
3. Turn off the setting called Auto-Brightness.

This disables the automatic brightness adjustment on your device altogether, including within the Netflix app. Keep in mind it may impact the brightness level of other video streaming or media apps too.

4. Optionally, turn on True Tone if your device supports it. True Tone uses sensors to dynamically adjust color temperature to match ambient lighting conditions. This can help provide a more pleasant viewing experience while preventing major brightness changes that Auto-Brightness can cause.

And that’s it! Netflix should now maintain a consistent brightness level on your iPhone or iPad based on the slider setting you select in Control Center.

Stopping Adaptive Brightness on Android

If you’re an Android user frustrated with Netflix unpredictably changing screen brightness on your device, here’s how to take control:

1. Open the Settings menu on your Android device.
2. Tap Display.
3. Turn off the Adaptive brightness toggle switch.

This disables the automatic brightness adjustment system-wide rather than just within the Netflix app. You may want to re-enable it for general use and only turn it off temporarily when watching Netflix.

4. Adjust the Brightness level slider to your preferred setting.
5. Consider enabling Night Light if your device offers it. This feature shifts colors to the warmer end of the spectrum at night to reduce eye strain.

With adaptive brightness disabled, Netflix shouldn’t override the brightness level you set manually on your Android device. Keep in mind some manufacturers like Samsung have additional display settings that could impact Netflix brightness as well.

Stop Netflix Controlling Brightness in Windows 10

For those watching Netflix through the Windows 10 app, here’s how you can prevent changes to your display brightness:

1. Open the Settings menu in Windows 10.
2. Click on System then select Display.
3. Turn off the toggle switch for Change brightness automatically when lighting changes.

This disables adaptive brightness throughout Windows. You can re-enable it when not watching Netflix if you prefer the automatic adjustments.

4. Move the Brightness level slider to your desired setting.
5. Consider enabling Night light in the Display settings to reduce eye strain. This shifts colors to the warmer end of the spectrum at night.

With those steps complete, Netflix should maintain a steady brightness level based on your manual settings in Windows. Keep in mind that other Windows apps and games could still impact brightness if you leave auto-adjustment disabled system-wide.

Stopping Netflix Brightness Changes on Smart TVs

If you stream Netflix on your smart TV, the settings to control brightness vary by manufacturer. Here are some general steps that work on many modern smart TVs:

1. Go to your TV settings menu and locate the Display or Screen settings.
2. Look for options like Adaptive Brightness, Auto Brightness, or Brightness Control and disable them.
3. Adjust the general Brightness level to your liking.
4. Check if your TV has a Light Sensor and turn that off. This detects ambient light conditions.
5. Consider enabling Eye Comfort Mode or a Blue Light Filter for night viewing.

Consult your smart TV manual for specific steps to disable automatic brightness adjustments. With those turned off, Netflix and other streaming apps should maintain a steady brightness you define rather than changing it constantly.

Use Third-Party Apps to Override Brightness

If all else fails, there are third-party apps designed specifically to override brightness settings in Netflix and other media streaming apps:

• Display Brightness for Netflix (iOS only): This app forces a custom brightness level in Netflix even with Auto-Brightness enabled. Lets you pick a lux brightness level that applies while streaming.
• Brightness for Android (Android only): Includes a “Brightness Lock” feature to prevent Netflix and other apps from modifying your system brightness settings. Requires enabling accessibility settings.
• Iris Mini (Windows only): Can force a set brightness level and disable auto-adjustments across many Windows apps, including Netflix.

These apps basically sit between your device’s brightness controls and streaming apps like Netflix to force your preferred settings. They provide more granular control compared to just disabling auto-brightness completely.

Conclusion

Hopefully with those steps you can successfully stop Netflix from unexpectedly changing screen brightness while streaming movies and shows. It may take some trial and error to find the right settings based on your specific device.

The key is to disable any form of auto-brightness, adaptive brightness, or ambient light adjustment in your display settings. It’s an annoying “feature” but thankfully one you can control. Just be prepared to manually adjust brightness for different viewing conditions.

Now you can binge watch to your heart’s content without distracting brightness flickers interrupting the experience!

Frequently Asked Questions About Controlling Netflix Brightness

Does disabling auto-brightness impact battery life?

It can, especially on mobile devices. Auto-brightness adjustments help conserve battery life. So disabling it may negatively impact battery runtime.

Why does Netflix brightness seem random sometimes?

The adaptive brightness algorithms aren’t perfect. Rapid or irregular changes can occur due to errors in detecting scene light levels. Overcorrection is common.

Is there a brightness slider within the Netflix app?

Unfortunately there is no way to adjust brightness directly within the Netflix app itself yet. You have to use your device or TV system settings.

How frequently does Netflix change brightness?

It varies. During dark scenes changes occur more frequently, sometimes as rapidly as every few seconds. This can be very distracting.

Will setting a max brightness limit app brightness changes?

Not necessarily. Many devices allow Netflix to boost brightness above the max level temporarily. So setting a lower max may not prevent unwanted brightness spikes.

Is it better to just use night/dark mode?

Night and dark modes help improve contrast and reduce eye strain in low light. But Netflix can still override brightness in those modes if auto-adjust is enabled.

Does brightness impact Netflix video quality?

Yes, particularly in darker scenes. Excessively high brightness can wash out dark details. Low brightness obscures details. Finding the right balance improves picture quality.

Can you disable adaptive brightness for just Netflix?

On most devices you can only disable it completely. Some third-party apps pro