A few handheld manufactures included a built-in light sensor into some of their PDA units. If your handheld has this feature, you will have an automatic check box at the bottom of the brightness screen.

With the automatic setting, the PDA uses its built-in light sensor to automatically change the brightness of the screen depending on your environment. This feature can be troublesome as it can switch the backlight level back and forth several times per minute. In other circumstances, this function will decrease the backlight significantly, because the handheld is being sheltered from a direct light source. We recommend un-checking the Automatic setting, unless you are familiar with this option and know how your PDA reacts using this mode. To access this setting on your PDA, please complete the following steps:

1) Click the Start | Settings

2) Tap the “System” tab at the bottom of the screen

3) Next, click on the Backlight icon

4) Click on the Brightness tab at the bottom of the screen

 5) The Automatic checkbox will be at the bottom of the brightness screen, if your PDA has a built-in light sensor.

Questions applicable to this article:

- Why does my screen get brighter / dimmer if I put my finger over my iPAQ?

- Why does my PDA always get darker / dimmer when I’m flying with the sun in my eyes?

- My PDA changes brightness with different light levels. How can I change these settings?