[Q] How does your automatic brightness function?

[xaelith]

In the tips and tricks thread, NeoGrandizer posted the follwing tip:

With Note 2 and 4.3 JB (assuming it's based on Note 3 settings):

Settings>Display>Brightness

Check Automatic Brightness. You now have a slider to adjust brightness between -5 to +5.

...which sounds to me if I turn auto brightness on, then the slider bar changes from a free-floating percentage bar to one with fixed points. However, when I try this, the brightness bar acts in one of two ways, depending on where I'm trying to adjust it from. If I'm trying to adjust it from the settings menu, then after I check the box for auto brightness, the bar just greys out and won't allow me to change it at all. From the notification pull down, the bar also greys out when the auto brightness box is checked, but I can still move the slider around; the check in the box instantly disappears if I do, though. Since Neo mentions that the setting is on a Note 2, I would argue that the different phone is the reason for the discrepancy. However, other users who are using Note 3s say they see the same functionality.

So here's where I need your help, fellow forum users: as the thread title states, how does your auto brightness function? Does it perform as Neo suggests, and there are specified levels you can adjust it to after it's turned on? Or is it more like mine, and you're only given an either/or option? Or does it do something entirely different?

Whatever the case may be, please provide screenshots and phone info, if possible. Ultimately, I would like to learn what's different about my phone over others that could explain the difference in features. So here's my screenshots:

...and my info:
Carrier: Sprint
Software version: N900PVPUBMJ4
Android version: 4.3
Kernel version: 3.4.0-1646606

Let the discussion begin!

 

[pdqgp]

I've never found auto brightness to work on either my iPhone or Note 3. Much prefer to just set it myself depending on the setting. Auto always seems to be too dim.

 

[Mehta23]

I'm not sure what he was talking about but auto brightness is just that - it automatically changes your screen brightness based on the light levels around you.
I believe you can (in certain cases) adjust the sensitivity of the sensor so that your screen is more or less sensitive to changes in light levels. Could this be what's mentioned in the OP?

 

[Digital Controller]

It seems to randomly change on me at times which I don't like.

I know a lot of times it will get dimmer in the sun, which I like since I usually can see it better, but other times it will get really dim inside in low light, which obviously isn't good, so I usually just set it myself.

 

[xaelith]

I use the manual brightness myself, set at about 50% (or whatever the middle of the bar happens to be), but when I saw the tip that NeoGrandizer posted, I wanted to give it a try (with no success). So now I'm trying to pinpoint the reason my phone doesn't operate the way Neo suggests...with the + or - 5 slider. Am I using a different version of firmware or software? Am I on a different carrier? Is my phone just a dud? If it were simply because he's using a Note 2 and I'm on a Note 3, it wouldn't bug me so much. However, other forum members who do have Note 3s say they see the same functionality that NeoGrandizer describes.

As for your suggestion, Mehta23, about it adjusting the sensitivity of the sensor that controls the auto brightness, I think you're right. Regardless of how the option functions, though, I don't have it available to me on my particular phone, and I would like to find out why.

 

[NeoGrandizer]

I'm using a Note 2 with the 4.3 update. It looks like Samsung made this specifically for the Note 2. I thought it was a Note 3 feature considering Samsung sometimes adds features from a new device to an older device.

This is what my Note 2 with 4.3 update auto brightness settings look like.



It provides an auto brightness adjustment setting.

 

[xaelith]

Thanks, Neo. That's what I thought. I don't see the same thing on my Note 3. Now I just need to figure out if it's specific to my device only, or if others are lacking that feature as well.

 

[dynomot]

Here is my Note 3 (SM-N9005) showing the brightness bar and it on auto :







And from settings>device>display :

 

[xaelith]

Thanks, dynomot. So maybe it's a feature Sprint decided not to include, perhaps...? Guess we won't know for sure unless or until another fellow Sprint Note 3 user replies.