How to Enable or Disable Screen Tint in Windows 11

Turning Screen Tint On or Off Using Settings

You can easily turn the Windows 11 screen tint on or off using the built-in Settings app ⚙️. This feature adds a color filter to your screen, which can help reduce eye strain. Simply open Settings, go to Accessibility, and then find the Screen tint option to make your adjustments.

1. Open Settings ⚙️: Press the Win+I on your keyboard. This opens the Settings ⚙️ app quickly.
2. Go to Accessibility: In the left sidebar of the Settings ⚙️ window, click on Accessibility.
3. Find Screen Tint: On the right side, scroll down until you see Screen tint. Click on it.
4. Use the Toggle Switch: You will see a switch next to “Screen tint.” Click this switch to turn the feature on or off. When you turn it on, you’ll see a color appear on your screen right away.
5. Adjust Your Tint (if turned on): If Screen Tint is on, you can change the color and how strong it is. Click the color box to open a color picker and choose a color that feels comfortable for you. Then, use the slider to make the tint lighter or darker.
6. Close Settings: Once you’re happy with how your screen looks, you can close the Settings ⚙️ window. Your screen tint will stay as you set it.
   

Enabling or Disabling Screen Tint Using the Registry Editor

If you can’t find the screen tint option in Windows 11 Settings, or if you prefer making changes directly, you can use the Registry Editor. The Registry holds many Windows settings ⚙️. By changing a specific value here, you can enable or disable the screen tint feature.

The Windows Registry is essentially a large database of configuration settings for Windows and its applications. We will add or change an item in this list to control the Screen Tint feature.

How to Manually Enable Screen Tint

1. Open Registry Editor: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter, or click OK. You will likely see a User Account Control (UAC) message asking for permission to make changes. Click Yes.
2. Go to the Right Location: In Registry Editor, you need to navigate to a specific path. In the address bar at the top, carefully type or paste the following path and press Enter:
   regedit
   

   If the Colors folder does not exist under Personalization, you need to create it. Right-click on the Personalization folder, select New, then Key, and name the new folder Colors.

3. Create or Change the 'Active' Value: Once you are in the Colors key (folder), look in the right-hand side. You need to create or change an item called "Active."

   • If "Active" is already there, double-click it.
   • If "Active" is not there, right-click in the empty space on the right side, select New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it exactly Active.
4. Set the Value: When you double-click the "Active" item, a small window will appear. Make sure Hexadecimal is selected under "Base." To turn on Screen Tint, change the "Value data" to 1. Click OK.
5. Apply the Changes: For the changes to work, you need to sign out of your Windows account and sign back in, or restart your computer. After you do this, you should see and be able to use the Screen Tint option in the Accessibility settings.
   

How to Manually Disable Screen Tint

You can disable the Screen Tint feature in Windows 11 by opening the Registry Editor. Press the Windows key + R, type `regedit`, and click Yes on the prompt. Then, you can navigate to the specific location for Screen Tint settings.

1. Open Registry Editor: Press Windows key + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Click Yes on the UAC prompt.
2. Go to the ScreenTint Location: In Registry Editor's address bar, go to:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ScreenTint
   

   Make sure the Colors key exists. If you created it earlier to enable the feature, it should be there. If you're not sure, you can follow the steps in the "Enable" section to create it if needed.

3. Change the 'Active' Value: On the right side, double-click the "Active" DWORD value.
4. Set the Value to Zero: In the "Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value" window, make sure Hexadecimal is selected. Change the "Value data" to 0. Click OK.
   

   Explanation: Setting 'Active' to '0' tells Windows to turn off the Screen Tint feature. This is usually the default setting if the registry item doesn't exist or is set to 0.

5. Apply the Changes: Sign out and sign back in, or restart your computer for the change to take effect. The Screen Tint option should now be off in your Accessibility settings.
6. Optional: Delete the Key: If you want to completely remove the Screen Tint settings from the registry (and ensure it's off), you can delete the entire ScreenTint key. Right-click on the Colors folder in the left pane and select Delete. Confirm when asked.
   

   💡Tip

   Deleting the key is a clean way to remove the setting if you don't plan to use it again soon. However, leaving it with the 'Active' value set to 0 is also fine.

Summary

The screen tint feature in Windows 11 reduces eye strain by applying a colored filter to your display. You can manage the screen tint feature in the Settings app under Accessibility, where you can turn the screen tint on or off and adjust its color and strength. If the Settings option is not available, you can also turn the screen tint on or off using the Registry Editor.