To turn off animations in Windows 11, open Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and switch off Animation effects. Windows stops animating windows, menus, and the Start menu, which can make the PC feel snappier and helps if on-screen motion bothers you. For finer control, the classic Performance Options dialog lets you turn individual effects on or off.
Method 1: Turn off all animations in Settings
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Select Accessibility, then Visual effects.
- Turn off Animation effects.
The change applies immediately. On the same page, you can also turn off Transparency effects (the see-through blur on the taskbar and Start menu), which can help on older PCs.
Method 2: Choose individual effects in Performance Options
If you only want to remove some animations, such as the zoom effect when minimizing windows, use the classic settings:
- Press Windows + R, type SystemPropertiesPerformance, and press Enter. (Or search for Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.)
- On the Visual Effects tab, choose Custom.
- Uncheck the effects you don’t want, for example:
- Animate controls and elements inside windows
- Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing
- Animations in the taskbar
- Fade or slide menus into view
- Fade or slide ToolTips into view
- Select Apply, then OK.
Choosing Adjust for best performance turns everything off at once, including font smoothing, which can make text look jagged. If that happens, re-check Smooth edges of screen fonts.
Method 3: Control Panel’s Ease of Access Center
- Open Control Panel > Ease of Access > Ease of Access Center.
- Select Make the computer easier to see.
- Check Turn off all unnecessary animations (when possible) and select Apply.
Does turning off animations make Windows faster?
It makes Windows feel faster, because windows and menus appear instantly instead of sliding or fading in. On older or low-powered PCs, turning off animations and transparency can also reduce graphics work. On a modern PC, the speed difference is small, but many people simply prefer the snappier feel. For bigger gains, see our tips to improve Windows 11 performance.
Animations in specific apps
- Web browsers follow the Windows setting for many site animations that respect the “reduce motion” preference.
- Microsoft Office has its own options; in PowerPoint, animations belong to the presentation itself. See how to turn off all animation in a PowerPoint presentation.
- Games use their own graphics settings, unaffected by these options.
Turn animations back on
Go back to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and turn Animation effects on, or select Let Windows choose what’s best for my computer in Performance Options.
Frequently asked questions
Will this turn off the Start menu animation?
Yes. With Animation effects off, the Start menu and other flyouts open without the slide-up motion.
Can I turn off animations on Windows 10 the same way?
Similar: on Windows 10 the switch is under Settings > Ease of Access > Display > Show animations in Windows, and Performance Options works the same.
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.