If text, apps, and interface elements look too large in Windows 11, reduce display scaling first. Changing screen resolution is usually not the right way to make everything smaller on a modern flat-panel display.
- Right-click the desktop and choose Display settings.
- Under Scale & layout, open Scale.
- Choose a smaller supported scaling percentage, such as moving from 150% to 125% or 100%, if comfortable and available.
- Keep Display resolution at the monitor’s recommended/native value.
- Sign out and back in if an older application does not immediately redraw at the new scale.
Smaller is not always better
Very low scaling can make text difficult to read and reduce accessibility. If only text is oversized, review Accessibility > Text size instead of shrinking the entire interface.
Multiple monitors can use different scaling
Select each display at the top of Display settings and adjust it separately. Monitors with different pixel densities often need different percentages.
Browser zoom is independent
If only webpages are large, reset browser zoom—often with Ctrl+0—rather than changing Windows display scaling.
Before you finish
After completing the Make Everything Smaller on Windows 11 procedure, test the exact feature you changed and keep the original settings or source data available until the result is confirmed. If the behavior differs from the steps above, check the software version and device-specific documentation before making additional changes.
Custom scaling
Windows also offers custom scaling, but it can produce blurry or awkward layouts in applications that do not handle unusual scale factors well. Prefer the recommended preset percentages first. If you experiment with a custom value, record the previous setting so you can restore it if menus or text become difficult to use.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.