How to change the screen resolution and text size on Windows 11

2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Open Settings, System, Display. Under Scale & layout, use Scale to make text and apps larger or smaller, and Display resolution to change the sharpness. The options marked (Recommended) are usually the best choice.

If everything on the screen is too small to read, or a new monitor looks blurred, two settings on the same page fix it. Scale changes the size of things. Resolution changes how many dots the screen uses.

These steps are for Windows 11. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the Settings window, not screenshots, so colours and spacing on your PC look a little different.

Step by step

  1. – ▢ ✕SettingsSystemBluetooth & devicesNetwork & internetPersonalisationAppsAccountsTime & languageWindows UpdateSystemDisplaySoundNotificationsFocusPower & battery

    Open Settings, System, Display

    Press Windows + I. System opens first, and Display is at the top. Or right-click the desktop and choose Display settings.

  2. – ▢ ✕SettingsSystemBluetooth & devicesNetwork & internetPersonalisationAppsAccountsTime & languageWindows UpdateDisplayBrightnessNight lightScaleDisplay resolutionDisplay orientation

    Make things bigger or smaller with Scale

    Under Scale & layout, open the Scale menu and choose a percentage. A higher number makes text, apps and icons larger.

  3. – ▢ ✕SettingsSystemBluetooth & devicesNetwork & internetPersonalisationAppsAccountsTime & languageWindows UpdateDisplayBrightnessNight lightScaleDisplay resolutionDisplay orientation

    Set the resolution

    Open the Display resolution menu. Choose the one marked (Recommended), which matches the screen exactly. Other values look less sharp.

  4. Confirm the change

    Windows shows the new resolution and asks whether to keep it. If the picture is unusable, wait and it changes back by itself.

  5. Turn the picture if needed

    Display orientation switches between landscape and portrait, for a monitor that is mounted upright.

Good to know

To enlarge only the text and leave everything else, open Settings, Accessibility, Text size.

With two screens, click the screen you want to change in the diagram at the top of the Display page first.

If the recommended resolution is missing or the picture changed by itself, install updates under Settings, Windows Update. A graphics driver is usually the cause.

In short: Settings, System, Display. Scale for size, Display resolution for sharpness.

Sources
  • Microsoft Support: Change your screen resolution and layout in Windows

Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.