This guide will help you understand what Adaptive Color is and how to turn it on or off in Windows 11, using easy steps.

What is Adaptive Color?

Adaptive Color is a smart feature in Windows 11 that changes your screen’s colors based on the light around you. It uses a sensor called an Ambient Color Sensor (ACS) to make your screen look warmer when it’s dark and cooler when it’s bright.

This helps your eyes feel more comfortable and makes it easier to see your screen in different lighting.

Why Use Adaptive Color?

Comfortable Viewing: Your screen colors change to match the light around you, so your eyes don’t get tired as quickly.
Less Eye Strain: It’s like reading a book under the right light. Your screen won’t be too bright or too harsh.
Better Focus: When your screen adjusts to your environment, you can work or read longer without feeling tired.
Smart Screen: It works quietly in the background to give you the best picture without you needing to do anything.

Note: To use Adaptive Color, your device needs to have special graphics drivers and an Ambient Color Sensor. You can check the details here: Graphics and Sensor Requirements.

How to Turn On or Off Adaptive Color in Windows 11

Follow these simple steps to enable or disable Adaptive Color:

Open the Settings app:
- Click the Start menu and select Settings, or
- Press Windows key + I on your keyboard to open Settings quickly.
In Settings, click on Display from the left menu.
Look for the Adaptive color option in the Display settings.
Toggle the switch to On to enable Adaptive Color, or Off to disable it.

Windows 11 Display Settings — Open Display settings in Windows 11

Tip: You might need to restart your computer for the change to take effect.

What Happens Behind the Scenes?

When you turn Adaptive Color on or off, Windows changes a setting in the system registry (a part of Windows that manages settings). Here’s where it’s stored:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesDisplayEnhancementServiceStateUniqueDisplayID

The UniqueDisplayID is different on every computer, based on your display hardware.

Values:

0 = Adaptive Color is Off
1 = Adaptive Color is On

Summary

Adaptive Color makes your screen colors change based on the light around you for easier viewing.
It helps reduce eye strain and lets you work comfortably for longer.
You can turn it on or off anytime in the Display section of the Settings app.
Sometimes, you need to restart your PC for the changes to work properly.

That’s all! Enjoy a smarter, easier-on-your-eyes screen on your Windows 11 PC.

More info: Visit Microsoft’s Adaptive Color page for technical details.