Applies ToWindows 10
Support for Windows 10 will end in October 2025
After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. Your PC will still work, but we recommend moving to Windows 11.
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If you have multiple displays connected to your PC or if your display configuration changes, some desktop apps might appear blurry. Windows 10 (version 1803 or later) can try to fix this automatically, so apps don’t appear blurry. Windows might not be able to fix all apps, so some apps will still be blurry on high-resolution displays.
Here are some examples of where you might experience this:
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You open an app on a display with a high resolution and then move the app to another display that has a different resolution.
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You dock your laptop or tablet to a display that has a different resolution, and then you project in Second screen only mode.
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You connect remotely to another PC, and the display for the PC you’re connecting to has a different resolution than the one you’re connecting from.
Notes:
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You must have Windows 10 (version 1803) installed to use the setting for fixing blurry apps automatically. To find out your version, see Which Windows operating system am I running?
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If you have Windows 10 (version 1903) installed, the setting to fix blurry apps is turned on by default. However, you can turn it off at any time. The notification to fix blurry apps depends on the app and might still appear.
Fixing blurry apps
If apps appear blurry or if a notification about blurry apps appears on your main display, follow these steps:
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Do one of the following, depending on whether you’re prompted with «Fix apps that are blurry?»
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If the prompt appears, select Yes, open Settings, and then select Apply.
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If the prompt doesn’t appear, in the search box on the taskbar, type advanced scaling settings and select Fix apps that are blurry.
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In Fix scaling for apps, turn on Let Windows try to fix apps so they’re not blurry.
To find out if Windows can fix the problem, close a desktop app that appears blurry on your main display and then open it again.
If an app still appears blurry, you can try to use a different high-DPI compatibility setting for that app instead of the Let Windows try to fix apps so they’re not blurry setting. For more info about how to do this, see Make older programs compatible with this version of Windows.
Whether or not you’ve had blurry apps or have seen a notification about blurry apps, you can choose to turn this feature on or off any time.
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In the search box on the taskbar, type advanced scaling settings and select Fix apps that are blurry.
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In Fix scaling for apps, turn on or off Let Windows try to fix apps so they’re not blurry.
While the notification for fixing blurry apps automatically can be useful, sometimes you might not want the notification to appear. Here are two ways you can turn off the notification:
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Select the Start button, then select Settings > System > Notifications & actions, and then turn off Display Settings.
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Select action center , and then select Focus assist. This Windows 10 feature enables you to manage when notifications appear. For more info, see Make it easier to focus on tasks.
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Are some apps on your Windows 11/10 computer appear blurry? Some applications might appear blurry when you switch monitors or change your display settings. Windows 11/10 usually fixes these blurry or ugly windows automatically. If they are not fixed automatically, you can try to change some settings on your PC to fix them.
It is worth noting that dual monitor users are more susceptible to this problem. So, if you’re experiencing the same issue, let us not waste time and start implementing the solutions. There are several methods of resolving the problem. We will review them one by one.
How to Enable Windows 11/10 Automatically Fix Blurry Apps?
Starting with version 1803, Windows 10 automatically fixes your blurry apps. With version 1903, this option comes enabled by default, so you don’t need to turn it on. If any of your desktop programs appear blurry, it might be because you or someone else has disabled this feature. You need to verify whether the option is on or off. Here is how to do it.
Step 1. First, click on the Start menu and search for Fix apps that are blurry, and click on its entry to open it.
Step 2. In the “Fix scaling for apps” section, turn the switch on beside the “Let Windows try to fix apps so they’re not blurry” option.
How to Fix a Blurry App by Changing its DPI Settings?
If a single app appears blurry, you should change the app’s DPI (dots per inch) settings to fix the blurriness. To do this, use the following steps:-
Step 1. Open the Start menu and search for the app that is blurry. Then right-click on it the search results, and select the Open file location option.
Step 2. In the folder that opens, find the executable file and right-click it. After that, select the Properties option.
Step 3. In the app’s Properties dialog, choose the Compatibility tab and then hit the Change high DPI settings button.
Step 4. In the following window, check the box “Use this setting to fix scaling problems for this program instead of the one in Settings” and “Override high DPI scaling behavior.”
Step 5. Then, choose the Application option from the dropdown menu of “Scaling performed by.”
Step 6. Finally, click the OK button to save the changes.
Restart your computer and check if the blurry issue is solved for that app. If it’s not, try the next method.
How to Use ClearType Text Tuner to Fix Blurry Apps?
ClearType Text Tuner is a built-in utility on Windows 10 that makes the text that appears on your screen look sharper, clearer, and easier to read. You can enable and configure this option to see whether it fixes your app’s blurriness.
Step 1. First, click on the Start menu and search for Adjust ClearType text and click on that name in the search results.
Step 2. Enable the “Turn on ClearType” checkbox and then click the Next button.
Step 3. Now, Windows 11/10 will set your monitor to its default resolution. Click Next.
Step 4. In the following screen, you’ll see two samples of text. Click the text that looks best to you and then hit the Next button.
You’ll need to select the text five times that looks best to you.
Step 5. On the last screen, you will see, “You have finished tuning the text on your computer.” Click the Finish button at the bottom to exit the utility.
If the above methods do not help you, then try to update the graphics drivers and also lower the screen resolution.
Conclusion
In conclusion, blurry apps on Windows 11/10 can be a frustrating experience, especially for dual monitor users. However, there are several ways to resolve this issue. Firstly, you can check whether the “Fix scaling for apps” option is turned on in the “Fix apps that are blurry” section. Secondly, you can change the DPI settings of a single app by accessing its Properties and choosing the Compatibility tab. Another option is to use the built-in ClearType Text Tuner utility to make the text on your screen look sharper and clearer. If these methods do not work, updating graphics drivers and lowering screen resolution can also help. With these solutions, you can eliminate blurry apps and enjoy a clear and crisp viewing experience on your Windows 11/10 computer.
If you’re facing Blurry apps on your Windows 10 then don’t worry as today we are going to see how to fix this particular issue. But how do you know that you’re facing this issue? Well, if you open any app on your system and the texts or images appear to be blurred then you’re definitely facing this issue. Many users have also reported that some of their desktop apps mainly third-party appear somewhat blurry in comparison to other apps.
Why apps appear blurry in Windows 10?
The main reason as to why you’re facing this issue is because of display scaling. Scaling is a very good feature that was introduced by Microsoft but sometimes this feature results in blurry apps. The problem occurs because it’s not necessary that all the apps support this scaling feature but Microsoft is trying hard to implement scaling.
If you’re using a dual monitor setup then you may be facing this issue more frequently than others. It doesn’t really matter why you’re facing this issue, so without wasting any time let’s see how to fix blurry apps in Windows 10 with the help of the below-listed troubleshooting guide. Depending on the system configuration and problem you are facing you can opt for any solution.
Table of Contents
Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.
Method 1: Allow Windows to Automatically Fix Blurry Apps
Blurry apps issues is not a new problem for Windows users. If you’re using a low-resolution monitor but the display settings is set to Full HD resolution then your apps will definitely appear blurry. Acknowledging the issue, Microsoft has created a built-in troubleshooter for this problem. Enabling this troubleshooter automatically try to fix the blurry apps issue.
1.Right-click on the desktop and select Display Settings.
2.Select Display from the left-hand window then click on “Advanced scaling settings” link under Scale and layout.
3.Enable the toggle under “Let Windows try to fix apps so they’re not blurry” to fix scaling for blurry apps in Windows 10.
Note: In the future, if you decided to disable this feature, then simply disable the above toggle.
4.Reboot your PC to save changes and check if the problem is resolved.
Method 2: Change the DPI settings of a specific app
If you’re only facing the blurry apps issue with a particular app then you can try changing the DPI settings of the app under the Compatibility mode to solve this issue. The change you made in the compatibility mode overrule the screen DPI scaling. You can also follow this method to fix the blurry apps issue with a particular app or a few apps. Here’s what you need to do:
1.Right-click on the particular app showing blurry images or text and select Properties.
2.Switch to the Compatibility tab.
3.Next, click on “Change high DPI settings” button.
4.You need to checkmark the box that says “Use this setting to fix scaling problems for this program instead of the one in Settings“.
5.Now checkmark “Override system DPI” box under the High DPI scaling override section.
6.Next, make sure to select the Application from the Application DPI drop-down.
7.Finally, Click OK and reboot your PC to save changes.
After the reboot, check if you’re able to Fix Apps that appear blurry in Windows 10.
Method 3: Enable ClearType for Blurry Fonts
In some cases, blurriness affects only the fonts which make reading difficult. You can increase the size of the fonts but they will lose the aesthetic aspect. Therefore, the best idea is to enable the ClearType mode under Ease of Access settings which will make the letters more readable, reducing the blurriness effect in the legacy apps. To enable ClearType, follow this guide: Enable or Disable ClearType in Windows 10
Recommended: Can’t Adjust Screen Brightness in Windows 10 [SOLVED]
Method 4: Check Windows DPI setting
Windows 10 has a certain bug which makes text appear blurry on the user’s PC. This problem affects the overall display of Windows, so it doesn’t matter if you go to the System settings, or Windows Explorer, or Control Panel, all the text & images will appear somewhat blurry. The reason behind this is the DPI scaling level for display feature in Windows 10, so we are going to discuss how to change DPI scaling level in Windows 10.
Note: Make sure under the Scale and layout the drop-down is set to the Recommended value.
Method 5: Update Display Drivers
This is one of the rare causes which lead to blurry apps issue. However, it is recommended to check and update the display driver. Sometimes an outdated or incompatible Display drivers can cause this problem. If by now you’re not able to fix Apps that appear blurry in Windows 10 issue then you need to try this method. You need to update the Display drivers either through Device Manager or directly browse the official website of the Graphics card manufacturer and download the latest driver from there.
Manually Update Graphics Drivers using Device Manager
1.Press Windows Key + R then type devmgmt.msc and hit enter to open Device Manager.
2.Next, expand Display adapters and right-click on your Graphics Card and select Enable.
3.Once you have done this again right-click on your graphics card and select “Update Driver“.
4.Select “Search automatically for updated driver software” and let it finish the process.
5.If the above steps were helpful in fixing the issue then very good, if not then continue.
6.Again right-click on your graphics card and select “Update Driver” but this time on the next screen select “Browse my computer for driver software.“
7.Now select “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.”
8.Finally, select the latest driver from the list and click Next.
9.Let the above process finish and restart your PC to save changes.
Follow the same steps for the integrated graphics card (which is Intel in this case) to update its drivers. See if you’re able to Fix Apps that appear blurry in Windows 10 Issue, if not then continue with the next step.
Automatically Update Graphics Drivers from Manufacturer Website
1.Press Windows Key + R and in the dialog box type “dxdiag” and hit enter.
2.After that search for the display tab (there will be two display tabs one for the integrated graphics card and another one will be of Nvidia’s) click on the Display tab and find out your graphics card.
3.Now go to the Nvidia driver download website and enter the product details which we just find out.
4.Search your drivers after inputting the information, click Agree and download the drivers.
5.After successful download, install the driver and you have successfully updated your Nvidia drivers manually.
Method 6: Fix Scaling for Blurry Apps in Windows 10
If Windows detects that you’re facing the problem where apps might appear blurry then you will see a notification pop-up in the right window pane, simply click “Yes, fix apps” in the notification.
Miscellaneous: Lower the resolution
Even though this is not a proper solution but sometimes lowering the resolution can reduce the blurriness of the apps. The DPI scaling will also be reduced and due to which the look of the interface should improve.
1.Press Windows Key + I to open Settings then click on System.
2.Next navigate to Display > Resolution.
3.Now from the Resolution drop-down select a lower resolution than what it is currently set to.
All the methods mentioned above to fix blurry apps issue on Windows 10 are tested by many users and have actually fixed the issue by adopting one of these methods.
If you don’t find some of the steps or methods applicable to you, then you need to check for Windows Update in order to update your PC to latest build. Depending on the apps (inbuilt apps or third-party apps) some solutions will work perfectly for both apps categories whereas some of them will only work for each category of apps.
Recommended:
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- Delete SoftwareDistribution Folder on Windows 10
- How to Change Screen Brightness in Windows 10
- How to Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows 10
I hope the above steps were helpful and now you can easily Fix Apps that appear blurry in Windows 10, but if you still have any questions regarding this tutorial then feel free to ask them in the comment section.
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- Get “Fix Apps That Are Blurry” Error in Windows 10? Fix It!
By Vera | Follow |
Last Updated
The “fix apps that are blurry” notification is a common problem in Windows 10 when you connect multiple displays to your computer or your display configuration changes. How can you fix the blurry apps problem? MiniTool will show you some troubleshooting tips.
Fix Apps That Are Blurry Notification
If you have multiple monitors connected to your computer or the display configuration changes, you may run into blurry apps. Usually, you get a notification saying “fix apps that are blurry”. Some apps may get blurry on your main display.
When encountering this issue, the text in apps doesn’t look good and it looks blurry, bold and the fonts are difficult to read. According to users, some desktop apps mainly third-party apps appear blurry.
The main reason is display scaling that is a good feature introduced by Microsoft. But sometimes, it results in blurry apps. This happens since not all the programs need to support the scaling feature. If you are using a dual monitor, you may be more susceptible to this problem.
To get rid of the Windows 10 blurry apps, follow these solutions below.
Fix Blurry Apps Windows 10
Automatically Fix Blurry Apps
If you get the fix apps that are blurry notification, you can follow these instructions:
Step 1: Choose Yes, open Settings, and click Apply.
Step 2: In the Fix scaling for apps section, switch the toggle of Let Windows try to fix apps so they’re not blurry to On.
Tip: If you cannot see the prompt, you can right-click the empty of the desktop, click Display settings, then go to Advanced scaling settings and let Windows fix blurry apps.
Change the DPI in Compatibility Mode Settings
If you get the burry problem with a particular app, you can try to change the DPI settings of that program in the Compatibility mode to get rid of the issue. Here is what you need to do:
Step 1: Right-click the particular app and choose Properties.
Step 2: Under the Compatibility tab, click Change high DPI settings.
Step 3: In the pop-up window, check Use this setting to fix scaling problems for this program instead of the one in Settings.
Step 4: Also, check Override high DPI scaling behavior.
Step 5: Save the change.
Enable ClearType
In some cases, when you get the fix apps that are blurry notification in Windows 10, the only elements affected are the fonts, making reading difficult. You can increase the size of the fonts but they will lose their blurry appearance.
Thus, the best choice is to enable the ClearType feature, making the fonts more readable to reduce the blurriness effect in the legacy apps.
Step 1: Type cleartype to the search box in Windows 10 and click Adjust ClearType Text from the list.
Step 2: In the new window, check the option of Turn on ClearType.
Step 3: Windows is making sure your monitor is set to its native resolution.
Step 4: Choose which text sample you prefer.
Step 5: Click Finish to finish the process.
Step 6: Reboot your PC to check if Windows 10 blurry apps are fixed.
Update Display Driver
Sometimes incompatible or old display driver may lead to blurry apps. This is rarely the case. To fix this issue, you should check and update your display driver. To know the detailed method, you can refer to this post – How to Update Drivers in Windows 11? Try 4 Ways Here.
Bottom Line
Do you get the notification “fix apps that are blurry” in Windows 10? How to fix the blurry apps? After reading this post, you know how to easily get rid of the issue. Just have a try!
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 7 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.
If you find yourself in any of these scenarios:
- When you open any app in your Windows 10, the texts and images display in blur;
- Some desktop applications appear somewhat blurry when you compare them with other applications on the screen;
- You have a second display connected to your Windows 10 PC and the texts appear blurry on the second screen;
You can try the the methods below to solve the problem.
Try these methods
- Turn on Let Windows try to fix apps so they’re not blurry
- Check for the overall Windows DPI setting
- Change the high DPI settings of a specific app
- Update your graphics driver
Method 1: Turn on Let Windows try to fix apps so they’re not blurry
You can try these easy steps to let Windows troubleshoot the Windows 10 blurry text problem for you first:
- Right-click on your desktop, then select Display settings.
- Click Advanced scaling settings.
- Turn on Let Windows try to fix apps so they’re not blurry.
- Close the app(s) that you initially had issues with, and then open it again to see if Windows has fixed the problem. If not, move on to Method 2.
Method 2: Check for the overall Windows DPI setting
Blurry text in Windows 10 may be a scaling issue. You can take the steps below to check for the overall Windows DPI setting:
- Right-click on your desktop, then select Display settings.
- Under Scale and layout, make sure that it is on 100 percent and not some higher number.
- Reopen the app that appears blurry to check the result.
- If you have two screens, try logging out and logging in, then both screens should have crisp text.
Method 3: Change the high DPI settings of a specific app
If only a certain app, or a few apps, appears blurry in your Windows 10, you can try changing the app’s high DPI settings through the Properties window to solve the problem. Here’s what you need to do:
- Type the name of the app in the Windows search box.
- Right-click the search result, then select Open file location.
- Right-click the app, then select Properties.
- Click the Compatibility tab.
- Click the Change high DPI settings button.
- Select the Use this setting to fix scaling problems for this program… check box.
- In the High DPI scaling override area, select the Override high DPI scaling behavior check box. And make sure Application is selected from the drop-down menu, which option was called Disable display scaling on high DPI settings in previous versions of Windows.
- Click OK.
- Close and then reopen the app to check for the issue.
Method 4: Update your graphics driver
It’s also possible that your Windows 10 blurry text problem is being caused by driver issues — the graphics driver on your PC is outdated or faulty. The steps above may resolve the blurry text problem, but if they don’t, or you’re not confident playing around with drivers manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.
You can update your (graphics) drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 clicks (and you get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):
- Download and install Driver Easy.
- Run Driver Easy and click Scan Now. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
- Click the Update button next to your graphics driver to automatically download the correct version of the driver, then you can manually install it (you can do this with the FREE version).
Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (this requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).
Did this solve your problem? Feel free to leave a comment below to share your results.