Lunar for MAC
Free Mac app to control the real brightness, contrast and volume of external monitors from the keyboard, with an optional Pro upgrade.
Lunar Overview
Lunar controls your external monitors from your Mac. Instead of dimming the picture with a dark overlay, as some apps do, it sends commands straight to the monitor over the Display Data Channel, so it changes the monitor's real brightness and contrast. That keeps colours closer to reality, uses less power and reduces backlight bleed. The familiar keys work too: the brightness keys adjust every display at once, the volume keys change the volume of the active monitor, and you can set hotkeys to switch the monitor's input to another HDMI, DisplayPort or USB-C port. Apple displays, such as the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR, get smooth native control.
Lunar is made by Alin Panaitiu. The app is free to use for these features, and its source code is published under the MIT license. Lunar Pro, a paid upgrade with a 14-day free trial, adds Sync Mode, which brings your MacBook's automatic brightness to external monitors, along with more advanced features such as XDR Brightness. Version 6.11.2 runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs; the Lunar website lists macOS 11 or later.
Key Features
Lunar puts your monitors under keyboard control.
- Real brightness: changes the monitor's own brightness and contrast, not an overlay.
- Works on Apple Silicon: hardware control for external monitors on any Mac.
- Brightness keys: adjust every display at once, or the one under the cursor.
- Volume keys: change the volume of the active monitor.
- Input hotkeys: switch to another HDMI, DisplayPort or USB-C input.
- Apple displays: smooth native control of Studio Display, Pro Display XDR and more.
- Sync Mode (Pro): match external monitors to your MacBook's automatic brightness.
- Free trial: try every Pro feature free for 14 days.
What’s New in Version 6.11.2
Lunar 6.11.2 is a small fix release.
- A failed licence activation now names the likely cause, such as a blocked hosts file, a firewall or no connection
Lunar FAQ
Is Lunar free?
Yes. The free version controls brightness, contrast and volume from the keyboard and switches inputs. Lunar Pro is a paid upgrade with a 14-day free trial.
What does Lunar Pro add?
Sync Mode, which matches your external monitors to your MacBook's automatic brightness, plus advanced features such as XDR Brightness.
Which macOS version does Lunar need?
The Lunar website lists macOS 11 or later.
Does Lunar run on Apple Silicon?
Yes. Lunar runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs and can control external monitors on both.
How is Lunar different from a dimming app?
Lunar sends commands to the monitor over the Display Data Channel to change its real brightness, instead of laying a dark overlay over the screen.
Can I use my Mac's brightness keys for external monitors?
Yes. The brightness keys adjust all displays at once, or only the one under the cursor if you choose.
Can Lunar switch my monitor's input?
Yes. You can set hotkeys that switch the monitor to another HDMI, DisplayPort or USB-C input.
Does Lunar work with Apple displays?
Yes. Apple displays such as the Studio Display, Pro Display XDR and LG UltraFine get smooth native control.
Can I install Lunar with Homebrew?
Yes. Run brew install --cask lunar.
Where does the Lunar download on lunar.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official Lunar website at https://lunar.fyi/. lunar.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
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FULLMAC.app does not host this app. Download buttons lead to the developer’s own pages.