Windows 11 has more display settings than ever before, and finding the right options is not always obvious. Whether you want to fix blurry text, set up a second monitor, reduce eye strain, or get the sharpest possible image from a new monitor, this guide covers everything in the Windows 11 Display settings panel.
How to Open Display Settings
The quickest way is to right-click anywhere on the desktop and select Display settings. Alternatively, go to Settings > System > Display.
Display Resolution
Resolution controls how many pixels Windows uses to render your display. Always use the (Recommended) option — this matches your monitor’s native resolution and produces the sharpest image.
Using a lower resolution makes everything look bigger but noticeably blurry. The recommended resolution is almost always the right choice. Common native resolutions are 1920×1080 (1080p), 2560×1440 (1440p), and 3840×2160 (4K).
Display Refresh Rate
Refresh rate is how many times per second the screen updates. A higher refresh rate makes motion look smoother. Set this to the highest value your monitor supports:
- Standard office monitors: 60Hz
- Gaming or productivity monitors: 75Hz, 144Hz, or 165Hz
- Premium displays: 240Hz or higher
If your monitor supports a high refresh rate but you can only see 60Hz in the dropdown, check that you are using an HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort cable — older HDMI versions cap out at 60Hz even on capable monitors.
Scale (Display Scaling)
Scale controls how large text, apps, and icons appear on screen. Windows recommends a scale percentage based on your resolution and monitor size:
- 1080p at 24″: 100% is usually fine
- 1440p at 27″: 100%–125%
- 4K at 27″: 125%–150%
- Laptop screens: 125%–150% is common
If text looks tiny or icons are hard to click, increase the scale. If apps look oversized or blurry, reduce it. Log out and back in after changing scale for all apps to resize correctly.
Night Light
Night Light reduces blue light from the screen, which can help reduce eye strain in the evenings. To enable it:
- In Display settings, find Night light and toggle it on
- Click Night light settings to adjust the warmth and schedule
- Set it to turn on automatically at sunset or at a custom time
HDR (High Dynamic Range)
If your monitor supports HDR, you can enable it for richer colours and brighter highlights. Toggle it on under Use HDR. Not all content benefits from HDR — documents and web browsing look fine either way. It is most noticeable in video and games.
Multiple Monitors
When two or more displays are connected, display settings shows a diagram of each screen. Click a display to configure it individually. Key settings per monitor:
- Make this my main display — sets where the taskbar and Start menu appear
- Multiple displays dropdown — choose Extend, Duplicate, or use only one screen
- Drag the monitor icons to match their physical positions on your desk
See our full guide on setting up dual monitors in Windows 11 for step-by-step instructions.
Advanced Display Settings
Click Advanced display at the bottom of Display settings to see:
- Current display adapter information
- Display adapter properties (including colour depth settings)
- A more detailed refresh rate selector
