This guide covers all the options available in Dimly's Settings window (Settings → open from the panel or press Cmd + ,).
Enable this to start Dimly automatically every time you log in. Recommended if you rely on hotkeys or scheduled profiles.
When enabled (default), the Dimly icon is visible in the menu bar. You can hide it for a cleaner menu bar - Dimly keeps running in the background and all hotkeys remain active. Open the panel by pressing your toggle hotkey.
Hides Dimly from the Dock and the App Switcher (Cmd + Tab). Useful for keeping Dimly out of sight while it runs quietly in the background.
Enabling both Hide menu bar icon and Hide Dock icon puts Dimly into Stealth Mode - fully hidden, only accessible via hotkeys.
Controls when the Quick Actions section appears in the panel:
| Option | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Hide in compact | Quick Actions only appear in Simple and Advanced mode |
| Only in advanced | Quick Actions only appear in Advanced mode |
| Show on every screen | Quick Actions always visible in all panel modes |
Back up or restore your Dimly settings at any time.
Two categories are exported/imported independently:
- General settings - app behavior, hotkeys, and interface options
- Monitor settings - display names, ordering, and per-monitor options
To export: check the categories you want, then click Export. Dimly saves a .dimly backup file.
To import: check the categories you want to restore, click Import, then choose the backup file. Only the selected categories are overwritten - the rest stay unchanged.
Back up before making major changes so you can restore your settings if needed.
The Displays tab lists all currently connected monitors and any previously seen monitors.
For each connected display you can:
- Rename - give the display a friendly name (e.g., "Left Monitor", "TV")
- Show in Dimly - toggle whether this monitor appears in the panel's display list
- Overlay Only (Never Sleep) - force this display to always use overlay mode, never hardware sleep
- Standby / Wake - put the display to sleep or wake it directly from Settings
Dimly remembers monitors for 90 days after they were last connected. Previously seen monitors appear in this section with the date they were last seen.
Click Forget to remove a monitor's saved name, preferences, and brightness history. If it reconnects later, it starts fresh with default settings.
Choose how Dimly's panel looks:
| Option | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Like system | Follows macOS's current appearance (light or dark) |
| Always light | Forces the light theme |
| Always dark | Forces the dark theme |
Fade out on sleep/blackout - adds a smooth fade when a display goes to sleep or gets blacked out.
Fade in on wake/restore - adds a smooth fade when a display wakes or comes back from blackout.
Transition speed - controls how fast brightness changes and profile applies animate:
| Speed | Feel |
|---|---|
| Instant | No animation |
| Fast | Quick fade |
| Balanced | Default, natural feel |
| Smooth | Slower, more relaxed |
| Cinematic | Very slow, dramatic fade |
Smart buttons - turn Smart Buttons on or off globally. When off, no profile quick-access buttons appear in the panel.
Limit - the maximum number of Smart Buttons shown (default 8). Adjustable if you want to limit clutter.
Colorless mode - removes individual colors from Smart Buttons and shows them in a neutral style.
To set colors for individual buttons, go to Settings → Profiles and click the color swatch next to each profile that has Show as smart button enabled.
See the dedicated Shortcuts & Hotkeys guide for full details.
See the dedicated Profiles & Smart Buttons guide for full details.
See the dedicated Scheduling guide for full details.
The About tab shows the current version number and links to:
- The GitHub repository (source code, changelog, and releases)
- Bug report and feedback submission
- Donation link (Ko-Fi)
Use Check for Updates (in the App section of the panel) to check if a newer version is available. Updates are delivered via Sparkle with signed binaries.