In developing Windows 11, Microsoft aimed to produce an operating system that possessed a level of fluidity similar to that of macOS. This entailed the integration of shadows, animations, translucent effects, and fonts with a smoother texture. In contrast to macOS, over which Apple exercises direct authority, the wide array of devices that Windows supports presented obstacles for low-powered systems. Fortunately, Windows offers users the ability to deactivate these visual effects, thereby liberating critical system resources. This is how.
What alternatives exist?
If the animations are causing your computer difficulty, you have two options for disabling visual effects. One may choose to deactivate animation effects exclusively, thereby retaining certain visual components, or completely disable animations to achieve the greatest performance improvements.
It is essential to note, however, that disabling all animations will also eliminate elaborate rendering features for typefaces. In such situations, the “Smooth edges of the screen fonts” option must be enabled.
Disable Windows 11 animation effects
- In the Settings application, select Accessibility.
- Navigate to the Visual Effects menu.
- Deactivate the Animation effects toggle.
- Windows 11 screenshot demonstrating how to disable animation effects
- Upon completion, the animations associated with window operations (e.g., opening, closing, minimising, and maximising) will be deactivated, thereby augmenting the overall user experience.
Deactivate every visual effect
- Launch the Control Panel and proceed to the System and Security section.
- Select “Allow remote access” from the “System” section in order to access the legacy System Properties.
- Illustration of the Permit remote access option
- Navigate to the Advanced page.
- Click the Settings icon located on the Performance menu.
- A screenshot of the Performance section’s Settings icon
- In the Visual Effects menu, check the box labelled “Adjust for optimal performance.”
- A screenshot demonstrating how to disable every animation in Windows 11
- Select Apply, followed by OK.
- Deactivate a specific animation
- You can disable a particular Windows 11 animation that you find objectionable, while preserving the functionality of the others. This is how:
Windows will launch the search pane.
Conduct a search for “Performance and Visual Adjustments for Windows.”
Under “Visual Effects,” choose the “Custom” checkbox.
Windows 11 screenshot demonstrating how to disable custom animations
Deactivate the intended animation.
Select Apply, followed by OK.
Keep in mind that to re-enable animations, navigate to the settings page and select “Allow Windows to determine the optimal solution for my computer.”