The fastest way to change screen color depends on your operating system
Windows and Mac both let you shift the color of your entire display through built-in settings. On Windows 10 or 11, you go to Settings > System > Display > Color filters, then toggle the filter on and choose warm, deuteranopia, protanopia, or tritanopia. On Mac, open System Settings > Accessibility > Display, then turn on Color filters and pick a type. Both take under a minute and affect everything on your screen at once.
If you want to change only the background color — the desktop wallpaper — that is a separate process. Windows lets you right-click the desktop and choose Personalize, then pick a solid color or upload an image. Mac users go to System Settings > Wallpaper and select from the library or add their own photo. These changes do not alter the color of windows, text, or applications themselves, only what sits behind them.
Key Takeaways
- Windows and Mac both have color filter settings that shift the entire display warmer or cooler, found in Display or Accessibility settings.
- Changing your desktop background is separate from changing display color and requires right-clicking the desktop (Windows) or opening Wallpaper settings (Mac).
- Blue light filters reduce eye strain in low-light conditions and are built into both operating systems under different names.
- Third-party tools like f.lux offer more control over color temperature throughout the day but are optional additions to the built-in options.
Windows color filter settings and where to find them
Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I, then navigate to System on the left sidebar. Click Display, scroll down, and select Color filters. You will see a toggle to turn the filter on. Once enabled, a dropdown menu shows your options: Deuteranopia (red-green color blindness), Protanopia (another form of red-green blindness), Tritanopia (blue-yellow color blindness), and Grayscale (black and white only).
Each filter shifts how colors appear across your entire screen — applications, websites, documents, everything. The change is when ready and applies to all monitors if you have more than one connected. You can turn the filter on and off without changing any other settings. If you want to adjust the intensity or add a warm color tone instead, Windows also has a separate Night light feature under the same Display menu, which gradually shifts your screen toward orange as the day progresses.
Mac color filter and accessibility options
On Mac, go to System Settings (the gear icon in the dock or top-left Apple menu). Click Accessibility in the sidebar, then select Display. You will see a toggle for Color filters. Turn it on and choose from Deuteranopia, Protanopia, Tritanopia, or Grayscale. Like Windows, the change applies when ready to your entire display.
Mac also has a Night Shift feature, found in System Settings > Displays, which warms your screen color in the evening. You can set it to turn on automatically at sunset or at a specific time, or toggle it manually whenever you want. Both color filters and Night Shift work together — you can have a color filter on and Night Shift active at the same time.
Changing your desktop background color or image
On Windows, right-click anywhere on your desktop (the empty space, not on an icon or window). Select Personalize from the menu. The Settings window opens to the Background tab. You can choose a solid color by clicking the dropdown that says "Picture" and selecting "Solid color" instead. Then pick your color from the palette below. Alternatively, keep it set to Picture and browse to an image file on your computer or choose from the built-in Windows images.
On Mac, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings. Go to Wallpaper, then click the Desktop tab. You will see thumbnail images of available wallpapers organized by category — Nature, Solid Colors, Abstract, and others. Click any image to preview it, then click Set Desktop to explore it. If you want to use your own photo, click the plus icon at the bottom and navigate to the image file.
Blue light filters and night mode for eye comfort
Both Windows and Mac include built-in tools to reduce blue light, which can strain your eyes during evening use. On Windows, this is called Night light. Open Settings > System > Display and scroll to Night light. Turn it on and adjust the slider to control how warm (orange) the screen becomes. You can set it to turn on automatically at a specific time or at sunset, or leave it off and toggle it manually when you need it.
Mac's equivalent is Night Shift. Go to System Settings > Displays and click Night Shift. Set it to turn on automatically at sunset or at a custom time, or turn it on manually. The intensity slider lets you choose how much the color shifts toward warmer tones. Neither feature changes the actual content on your screen — they only adjust the color temperature of the display itself, so text and images remain readable.
Third-party tools for more detailed color control
If the built-in options do not give you the control you want, f.lux is a free program that runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It automatically adjusts your screen color based on your location and the time of day, shifting toward warmer tones in the evening and back to neutral during the day. You set your location once, and f.lux handles the rest. You can also manually override the color at any time or pause it for an hour if you are doing color-sensitive work like photo editing.
Other tools like Iris or Redshift offer similar features with additional options — some let you set multiple color profiles for different times of day, or create custom schedules. These are entirely optional; the built-in Windows Night light and Mac Night Shift cover the most common use case. Third-party tools are worth exploring only if you find yourself frequently adjusting your screen color and want more granular control.
Troubleshooting color changes that do not stick
If you change your screen color and it reverts after restart, check whether you actually saved the change. On Windows, after selecting a color filter, make sure the toggle is switched on — the setting does not save if the toggle is off. On Mac, the same applies: the Color filters toggle must be on for the setting to persist. If Night light or Night Shift keeps turning off, check whether you set it to a schedule; if you did, it may be turning off automatically at a certain time of day.
If a color filter makes your screen unreadable or causes problems with a specific process, turn it off temporarily. Some older software does not display correctly with color filters enabled. You can toggle the filter on and off without restarting your computer, so test whether the problem goes away. If it does, you may need to disable the filter when using that process and re-enable it afterward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing screen color affect my monitor or just the software?
It affects only the software — the operating system is telling your monitor to display colors differently, but the monitor itself is not being changed. If you restart your computer or turn off the filter, your monitor goes back to normal. This is why the change is when ready and reversible.
Can I set different colors for different times of day automatically?
Yes, both Windows Night light and Mac Night Shift can be set to turn on and off automatically based on sunset or a custom schedule. If you want more complex schedules — for example, a different color at 9 a.m., 2 p.m., and 6 p.m. — third-party tools like f.lux or Iris offer that level of control.
Will a color filter help if I am colorblind?
The Deuteranopia, Protanopia, and Tritanopia filters are designed to simulate how the screen appears to people with those types of color blindness, not to correct it. They can help you see how your content looks to colorblind users, which is useful for design and accessibility testing. For personal use, you would need to test whether a particular filter makes your screen easier or harder to read.
What is the difference between a color filter and a blue light filter?
A color filter shifts all colors on your screen to simulate color blindness or convert to grayscale. A blue light filter (Night light or Night Shift) specifically reduces blue wavelengths by adding warmth to the display, which may reduce eye strain in low-light conditions. They serve different purposes and can both be on at the same time.
Can I change the color of just one window or process?
Not through the operating system settings — color filters and Night light explore to your entire display. Some individual applications have their own color or theme settings (for example, many text editors let you choose a dark theme), but those are separate from the system-wide color controls. Check the process's preferences or settings menu to see what options it offers.