DisplayBuddy 3: Schedules, Liquid Glass and Smarter Monitor Control

DisplayBuddy 3 arrived on 22 September 2025 as version 3.0.1, a major update to the Mac utility for controlling external monitors. It added Schedules, which switch your saved display settings automatically, along with a Liquid Glass redesign for macOS Tahoe, Control Centre presets and Siri and Spotlight support. The developer has shipped a steady stream of 3.x updates since, including a command line tool, True Tone and Night Shift control and colour profile switching. If you study at a desk with a second screen, or plug your MacBook into different monitors on campus and at home, this is the version to know about.

What's new in DisplayBuddy 3

DisplayBuddy lets you adjust the real brightness, contrast, volume and input of external displays from your Mac's menu bar, instead of fiddling with the buttons on the monitor itself. It also saves combinations of settings across several screens as Presets. Version 3 completes that picture with automation.

Schedules

Schedules activate a Preset automatically when a trigger fires. According to the DisplayBuddy release notes and the version 3 announcement, the available triggers include:

• a specific time on chosen days;
• sunrise and sunset, worked out for your location;
• locking, unlocking or waking your Mac;
• macOS switching between Light and Dark Mode;
• a particular monitor being connected;
• plugging in the charger or running on battery.

Built for macOS Tahoe

• Liquid Glass design: all windows were redesigned to match macOS 26, with a new app icon.
• Presets in Control Centre: you can place Presets in Control Centre for instant access.
• Spotlight, Siri and App Intents: Presets can be run by searching in Spotlight or asking Siri, without opening the app.

Since then

DisplayBuddy has had frequent feature updates through 2026:

• 3.2.0 (February 2026): Presets can save and restore your display arrangement and set which screen is the main display.
• 3.3.0 (March 2026): a full command line interface for controlling displays from Terminal, plus an MCP server so AI agents can adjust your monitors.
• 3.4.0 (March 2026): control over True Tone, Night Shift and Dark Mode across all displays, HDR toggling on supported screens, and a tidier Settings menu.
• 3.4.1 (March 2026): UltraBright, which unlocks extra brightness on supported MacBook screens, gained support for the Apple Studio Display XDR and recent MacBook hardware.
• 3.6.0 and 3.7.0 (May 2026): the app was localised into many more languages, including French, Spanish, German and Chinese.
• 3.8.0 (May 2026): control of LG MyView smart monitors and TVs over Wi-Fi, adding to existing Samsung smart monitor support.
• 3.9.0 (June 2026): an overhaul of macOS Shortcuts support and new Control Centre controls for Presets and Schedules.
• 3.9.6 (August 2026): selecting colour profiles and macOS display presets, including Reference Modes, on compatible displays.

Why it matters for students

Plenty of students end up with a mixed display setup: a MacBook, a second-hand monitor in halls, and whatever screens are available in the library or a shared lab. DisplayBuddy smooths out the differences between them.

• Easier late-night study. A sunset Schedule can drop external monitor brightness in the evening, and since 3.4 you can bring Night Shift and Dark Mode into the same Preset. That's useful during essay deadlines and revision periods when you're working after dark.
• Home and campus setups. The monitor-connected trigger means your settings for the monitor in your room apply as soon as you plug in, while a different Preset can kick in for a screen elsewhere.
• Battery life on the move. Switching to a dimmer Preset when you unplug the charger can help a laptop last through a long day of lectures.
• Creative and design courses. Colour profile and Reference Mode switching in 3.9.6 is relevant to photography, film and design students who move between accurate colour work and everyday use.
• Coding and automation. The command line tool and Shortcuts support let computing students script display changes, for example as part of a start-of-day routine.
• Presentations. Saved display arrangements make it simpler to restore your usual layout after connecting to a projector or a shared screen for a seminar.

Requirements and upgrade details

• Since version 3.6.0, DisplayBuddy requires macOS 12 or later.
• Some version 3 features, such as the Liquid Glass design and the Tahoe Control Centre and Spotlight integration, are tied to macOS 26.
• DisplayBuddy 3 is a free update. The developer states that all updates, including major versions such as 2 and 3, are free for existing licence holders.
• Controlling brightness, contrast and volume depends on your monitor supporting DDC or one of the smart monitor integrations.

Get DisplayBuddy with a student discount

Student App Centre members get 10% Off DisplayBuddy, and because updates are free, that licence keeps paying off with every new release. Visit the DisplayBuddy student discount page to claim the offer. If you're not a member yet, a 7-day free trial of Student App Centre membership gets you started.