How to Change DPI Scaling in Windows 11

Change DPI Scaling via Settings

It makes text, apps, and icons bigger or smaller without touching your screen resolution. That matters because the resolution should stay at the monitor’s native setting for a sharp picture. Changing the scale is the right fix for hard-to-read text.

1. Open the Settings app by pressing Win+I on your keyboard. The Settings ⚙️ window opens with a list of categories on the left.

2. Click on System in the left menu. The system options appear on the right, with Display near the top of the list.

3. Click on the Display tile. You should now see your screen layout at the top, followed by brightness, color, and scaling options.

4. If you have multiple monitors, select the one you want to change first. In the layout diagram at the top, click the numbered box for that monitor. Click Identify if you are not sure which number belongs to which screen. Each monitor keeps its own scale, so changing one does not affect the others.
5. Look for the Scale & layout section. Click the Scale box to choose a different percentage from the list. Windows applies the change right away, and the screen may flicker for a moment. Text, icons, and the taskbar 🖥️ should now look larger or smaller.

Pick a value one step at a time, for example 100% to 125%, rather than jumping straight to the top of the list. Windows lists a recommended percentage for your display, and that is a sensible starting point. Some apps only pick up the new scale after you close and reopen them. If something still looks wrong, sign out and back in. To undo the change, return to the same box and choose your previous percentage.

If the Scale box is greyed out, you are usually connected through a remote session or using a basic display driver. Installing 💿 the correct graphics driver normally fixes this.

Fixing Blurry Apps with DPI Awareness

After you change the scale, some older desktop programs look fuzzy. They were not written to handle high DPI, so Windows stretches them like a picture. Windows 11 has a setting that can correct this by redrawing those apps at the right size. It is in your display settings and works on both Home and Pro.

1. Go to Settings › System › Display The scaling options are in the Scale & layout section.
2. Click on Scale. This opens the scaling page, which also holds the custom scaling box and the blur-fix switch.
3. Toggle on Let Windows try to fix apps so they're not blurry. This forces Windows to apply a scaling fix to apps that do not handle high DPI settings well. The switch should show as On.

The fix applies to apps you open after the switch is on, so close and reopen any blurry program to see the difference. Windows may also show a notification offering to fix a blurry app. Results vary with older software, and the text can still look slightly soft. If one program stays blurry, use the per-app override in the next section. To undo the change, turn the switch off again.

Per-Application DPI Scaling Override

A scaling override lets you fix one stubborn app without changing the display settings for the rest of your computer. You use the Compatibility tab in that program's properties to decide whether the app or Windows handles the scaling. This works on all editions of Windows 11.

1. Right-click the app's shortcut or executable file and select Properties. On Windows 11 you may need to choose Show more options first to see Properties. You can also select the file and press Alt + Enter. A Properties window opens.
2. Go to the Compatibility tab. If the tab is missing, you may have opened the properties of a Start menu tile or a Store app. Locate the program's actual .exe file instead.
3. Click Change high DPI settings. A second window opens with the scaling options for this program.
4. Check the box Override high DPI scaling behavior. The dropdown menu below it becomes available.
5. Select System (Enhanced) from the dropdown menu to let Windows handle the scaling for that specific app. Click OK in both windows to save it.

Close the app completely and open it again to test the change. If the result is worse, go back to the same window and try another option from the dropdown, or clear the check box to return to the default behavior. Changing this for a program in a protected folder, such as Program Files, may need administrator approval.

Change DPI Scaling via Registry Editor

You go to the desktop section of the registry and enter custom scaling values by hand. This works on both Home and Pro, but it is the riskiest method here. A wrong value can make the screen hard to read or use. Create a restore point or export the registry key before you change anything, and use Settings if it already does what you need.

1. Open the Windows Registry Editor. Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission. You need an administrator account.
2. Go to this path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. You can paste it into the address bar at the top of the editor. The key's existing values should appear in the right pane.

3. Right-click in the empty space on the right side. Select New then DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it LogPixels. If a value with that name already exists, skip this step and edit the existing one.
4. Double-click LogPixels and enter a value: 100% is 96, 125% is 120, 150% is 144, 200% is 192. Make sure the Base is set to Decimal before you type the number, then click OK.

5. Find the Win8DpiScaling value. Set it to 1 if you use a scale higher than 96, or 0 for default. Click OK to save it.

Close the Registry Editor, then sign out and back in, or restart the PC, so the new values take effect. If the screen ends up unreadable, open Settings › System › Display and set the scale back to a normal percentage. You can also restore your exported key or restore point, or put the original numbers back in the values you edited.

Summary

You can adjust DPI scaling in Windows 11 through Settings, app overrides, or the Registry Editor to fix display issues with text and icons. Start with the Scale box in Settings › System › Display If older apps look blurry, turn on the blur-fix switch. If a single program is still wrong, override it in its Compatibility tab. Keep the registry method for last, and back up first. Each change can be undone by returning to the same setting.