Here's how you can disable animations on Windows for a speed boost

Microsoft packs Windows with tons of animations, whether you're using Windows 11 or Windows 10. These animations appear briefly and on a small scale, but they may slow down your PC a little or cause slight delays in some actions. You likely wont mind animations if you're using one of the top laptops, but if you're on an older machine, these animations can add a few seconds of delay to tasks, which can be seriously annoying. Well show you how to disable animations on Windows for a speed boost.

VMware Fusion Pro running Windows 11 on a Mac.© Provided by XDA Developers

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How to disable animations on Windows 11 using settings

Unlike Windows 10, Windows 11 lets you easily disable animations from the settings. Follow these steps to make the adjustment.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Accessibility, then Visual effects. You can save yourself a few seconds by searching Visual effects in Windows Search.
   

   Screenshot showing Windows accessibility settings
3. Toggle the Animation effects button to turn animation effects off.
   

   Screenshot showing the option to disable windows animations

How to disable animations on Windows using the Control Panel

If you're using a Windows 10 PC, you will have to go through the control panel to disable animations, but the process is pretty straightforward.

1. Open the Control Panel on your PC and navigate to the Ease of Access Center.
   

   Screenshot showing Windows control panel
2. Click Use the computer without a display.
   

   Screenshot showing ease of access settings on Windows
3. Under the Adjust time limits and flashing visuals section, check the box for Turn off all unnecessary animations.
4. Click Apply, then OK to confirm your changes.
   

   screenshot showing option to disable animations on Windows

How to disable select animations on Windows

If you don't want to disable all animations but prefer to tweak certain ones, you can do so through system settings. For example, you might only want to disable window animations to improve responsiveness.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select System, then click on Advanced system settings.
3. A small dialog box titled System Properties will open.
4. Click Settings under Performance.
   

   Screenshot showing Windows system settings
5. In the window that opens, select the Custom option, then uncheck Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing. Click Apply and then OK. You can explore other options to tweak your systems visual effects before clicking OK.
   

   Screenshot showing Windows performance options

Improve your PC's performance

Now that you've disabled animations, Windows won't animate windows when you minimize or maximize them, and it wont fade menus or menu items in or out. The menus should pop in and out quickly, though it might feel a little jarring. If your PC doesn't have a lot of RAM or an SSD, the tradeoff might be worth it. A faster response usually feels way better than the slower, animated version. If your PC is still not running smoothly, check out some tips to boost performance without upgrading your hardware.