How to Turn On or Off High Contrast Mode in Windows 10
If it’s hard to read text on your screen because you need more color contrast, you can turn on high contrast mode.
High contrast mode makes text and apps easier to see by using more distinct colors.
See also:
- Use high contrast mode | Windows Support
- Turn high contrast mode on or off in Windows | Windows Support
- High-contrast mode - Windows applications | Microsoft Docs
This tutorial will show you different ways to turn on or off using high contrast mode for your account in Windows 10.
When high contrast is turned on, the desktop background is automatically set to use a solid color by default, but you can still set the desktop background to use a picture or slideshow.
Contents
- Option One: Turn On or Off High Contrast Mode from Sign-in Screen
- Option Two: Turn On or Off High Contrast Mode using Keyboard Shortcut
- Option Three: Turn On or Off High Contrast Mode in Settings
- Option Four: Turn On or Off High Contrast Mode in Control Panel
1 While on the sign-in screen, select your account.
2 Click/tap on the Ease of access button in the lower-right corner, and turn on or off (default) High Contrast for what you want. (see screenshots below)
3 You can now sign in to Windows 10 if you like.
1 While signed in to Windows 10, press the left Alt + left Shift + Print Screen keys to toggle high contrast on and off.
How to Enable or Disable High Contrast Keyboard Shortcut in Windows
1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Ease of Access icon.
Starting with Windows 10 build 21359, the Ease of Access category in Settings has been renamed to Accessibility.
2 Do step 3 (on) or step 4 (off) below for what you want.
A) Click/tap on High contrast on the left side, and turn on Turn on high contrast on the right side. (see screenshot below)
B) Select a high contrast theme you want in the Choose a theme drop menu. (see screenshot below)
The high contrast theme setting is stored in the High Contrast Scheme string value (REG_SZ) in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Accessibility\HighContrast registry key.
C) If you like, click/tap on a colored rectangle to select custom high contrast colors you want for Text, Hyperlinks, Disabled Text, Selected Text, Button Text, and Background, and click/tap on Done. (see screenshot below)
D) When finished, click/tap on Apply.
E) If you customized the colors of a high contrast theme, type a name you want for the new theme, and click/tap on Save. (see screenshot below)
This will have the name of this custom theme available in the Choose a theme drop menu.
F) Go to step 5.
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on High contrast on the left side, turn off Turn on high contrast on the right side, and go to step 5. (see screenshot below)
5 When finished, you can close Settings if you like.
1 Open the Run dialog (Win+R), copy and paste the command below into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Personalization in the Control Panel.
explorer shell:::{ED834ED6-4B5A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921}
2 Do step 3 (on) or step 4 (off) below for what you want.
A) Click/tap on a high contrast theme you want under High Contrast Themes, and go to step 5. (see screenshot below)
The high contrast theme setting is stored in the High Contrast Scheme string value (REG_SZ) in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Accessibility\HighContrast registry key.
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on a theme you want under My Themes or Windows Default Themes, and go to step 5. (see screenshot below)
5 When finished, you can close the Personalization control panel if you like.
That's it,
Shawn
Related Tutorials
- How to Change the Theme in Windows 10
- How to Enable or Disable High Contrast Keyboard Shortcut in Windows
- How to Enable or Disable High Contrast Warning Message and Sound in Windows
- How to Turn On or Off Color Filters to the Screen in Windows 10
- How to Change Default App Mode and Windows Mode to Light or Dark Theme Color in Windows 10
Turn On or Off High Contrast Mode in Windows 10
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New #1
desktop background?
I'm new to win 10...
In high contrast mode, I don't see how to change the desktop background color. Either in UI or registry?
Thanks.
--peter
PS: In previous versions of windows, the default contrast was not so terrible, so I didn't need to figure out how to do this.
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New #2
Hello Peter,
When High Contrast is turned on, the desktop background is automatically set to use a solid color.
You can change the color in the desktop background solid color settings in step 6 of option 6 in the tutorial below.
Change Desktop Background in Windows 10
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New #3
Thanks, but I did that and it changed not the high contrast desktop color, but the regular contrast desktop color. I will try again; must be I overlooked something.Hello Peter,
When High Contrast is turned on, the desktop background is automatically set to use a solid color.
You can change the color in the desktop background solid color settings in step 6 of option 6 in the tutorial below.
Change Desktop Background in Windows 10
I'm pretty sure that I am the only one on the planet who finds MS's UIs baffling, but do you know the registry setting that sets this parameter? Ironically, the registry settings are more transparent to me than the UI.
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New #7
Looking at the registry, I see it doesn't differentiate between high and low contrast, so I'm going to guess the settings in that key are what is in effect for the current contrast mode? If so, where are the parameters for the different modes stored? In some file?
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Oops, I see our replies crossed in the ether... Where do they store the themes for the modes?
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New #8
High Contrast is a theme, so it will still use the same registry key and values for a theme like at the top of the tutorial below.
Change Theme in Windows 10
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New #9
Ah, ok, thanks.
Thanks for indulging me, since some of the above I could have discovered on my own, but with more effort than just asking you.
BTW, thanks for maintaining these forums for what, at least a decade? and answering vast numbers of questions. You deserve a medal.
Turn On or Off High Contrast Mode in Windows 10
How to Turn On or Off High Contrast Mode in Windows 10Published by Shawn BrinkCategory: Customization
17 Apr 2021
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