How can I change display brightness at scheduled times?

Create a shortcut containing BetterDisplay’s Set Brightness action, then give it a Time of Day automation trigger in Shortcuts on macOS Tahoe 26 or later. Shortcuts supplies the schedule. BetterDisplay applies the requested brightness to the selected display.

1. Keep BetterDisplay running. In Shortcuts on your Mac, create a shortcut and search the actions for BetterDisplay.
2. Add Set Brightness, select the display, and choose the desired level. Use a specific display rather than leaving a parameter to be requested each time.
3. Run the shortcut manually and check the visible result. With Range includes software brightness upscaling enabled, the action’s range also includes software upscaling. Check this option if the result differs from the brightness you expected.
4. Add a Time of Day automation trigger to that shortcut and choose its schedule. Review the automation’s permissions so it can run without waiting for your input. See Apple’s instructions for adding Mac automations.

Create another shortcut and schedule for a different level. For example, use a lower level in the evening and a higher one in the morning. For several displays, add a separate action for each, or use Set Brightness for All Displays when the same requested level is appropriate.

For a complete two-monitor sequence with separate Daytime and Evening triggers and a manual return preset, follow the scheduled brightness tutorial.

The selected display still needs a working brightness controller. For DDC brightness, both the monitor and connection must support DDC. Features that require Pro also require it when used through Shortcuts. If a scheduled change fails, first check that the shortcut works when you run it manually. See the Shortcuts action reference and brightness percentage explanation for the underlying behavior.