Making Windows easier on the eyes: dark mode, Night light, text size and Magnifier
Windows has built-in settings to make the screen more comfortable, whether you want bigger text, a warmer colour in the evening or the screen read aloud.
Dark mode
- Windows 11: Settings, Personalisation, Colours, then Choose your mode and pick Dark.
- Windows 10: Settings, Personalisation, Colours, then Choose your colour and pick Dark.
It changes Windows and many apps, but not all websites.
Night light
This makes the screen warmer and less blue at night. Open Settings, System, Display, then Night light. Switch it on, and open Night light settings to choose a schedule and strength. The same setting is in Windows 10 and 11.
Bigger text
- Windows 11: Settings, Accessibility, Text size. Slide the bar and click Apply.
- Windows 10: Settings, Ease of Access, Display, Make text bigger.
To make everything bigger, including icons, use Scale in Settings, System, Display. This is covered in our scaling guide.
Windows 11: Settings, Accessibility, Mouse pointer and touch. Windows 10: Settings, Ease of Access, Cursor & pointer. Pick a size and colour that is easy to see.
Magnifier
Press Windows key + Plus (+) to zoom in, and Windows key + Minus (-) to zoom out. Press Windows key + Esc to close it. You can set it up in Settings, Accessibility, Magnifier, or Ease of Access in Windows 10.
Narrator
Narrator reads out what is on screen. Press Windows key + Ctrl + Enter to turn it on and off. It is helpful if you have sight problems, but needs some practice, so try it when you are not in a hurry.
In the same Accessibility area (Ease of Access in Windows 10), you can find Colour filters and Contrast themes, which help with colour blindness and glare.
When to get more help
Get in touch if text is still hard to read, if a setting you changed has made the screen unusable, or if you would like help choosing accessibility tools for a family member.