Animation effects are eye candy but bad for performance. Here is how to turn off animations in Windows 10 & 11 operating systems.
Windows automatically configures itself for best appearance and performance on most modern systems. It has been the norm ever since Windows XP. That way, you get the best of both worlds. For example, every time you minimize or maximize a window, open a folder, right-click on an item, etc., you will see a small animation. The animation is subtle but good enough to be easy on your eyes and makes the entire Windows OS usage smooth.
These animations take up the CPU and GPU resources to render, though subtle and straightforward. That means, depending on your system, the Windows animations can cause performance degradation. i.e., the system might become slow and sluggish. This is especially true if your system is old or has limited GPU and Memory.
The good thing is, if you think the Windows animations are slowing down your system, you can turn off animations and configure the system for best performance. Turning off animations is also helpful for mission-critical systems. For example, if you connect a Windows system to a CNC machine, animations serve no purpose whatsoever. In that case, disabling animations removes unnecessary complications. That way, the system runs at full potential, though the Windows looks department will take a hit. In addition to that, if you are looking to pull every bit of performance, removing the animations is one way to go.
So, let me show you how to turn off animations in Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems without further ado.
Table of contents:
Turn off Windows 11 Animations
You can disable or turn off Windows 11 animation from the Settings app and Advanced Settings. I will show both methods. Follow the one you like as they both achieve the same thing.
From the Settings app
The Windows 11 Settings app has a new section called “Visual Effects,” where you can control the animations. Here is how to do it.
- Open the Settings app with “Start + I.”
- Click on the “Accessibility” on the sidebar.
- Choose the “Visual Effects” option.
- Turn off the “Animation effects” option.
- You can also turn off “Transparency effects” too.
- With that, you have turned off animation effects in Windows 11.
Steps with detail and screenshots:
As usual, use the keyboard shortcut “Start key + I” to launch the Windows 11 Settings app. After opening it, choose the “Accessibility” option on the sidebar. This is where you will find most of the visual settings. Click the “Visual effects” option on this page.
After that, turn off the “Animation effects” option. If needed, you can also turn off the “Transparency effects” option.
With that, you have successfully turned off animations in Windows 11. From now, Windows 11 won’t show subtle animations, which may improve system performance under certain circumstances.
From Advanced System Settings
You can turn off the Windows 11 animations from the Advanced System Settings. Here is how.
- Press the “Start key” to open the Start menu.
- Search and open “View advanced system settings.”
- Go to the “Advanced” tab.
- Click “Settings” under the “Performance” section.
- Go to the “Visual Effects” tab.
- Choose the “Adjust for best performance” option.
- Press the “Ok” button.
- With that, you have turned off animations in Windows 11.
Turn off Windows 10 Animations
Windows 10 users should use the Advanced System Settings to turn off the animation effects. It is very similar to the second method followed in Windows 11. Here is how.
- Open the Start menu.
- Search and open “View advanced system settings.”
- Go to the “Advanced” tab.
- Click “Settings” under the “Performance” section.
- Go to the “Visual Effects” tab.
- Choose the “Adjust for best performance” option.
- Press the “Ok” button.
- With that, you have turned off animations in Windows 11.
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That is all. It is that simple to turn off animations in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
I hope this simple and easy Windows 11 how-to guide helped you.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.