A Complete Guide to Fixing Blurry Text in Windows 10

Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system enjoys a comfortable lead over its competitors in the desktop OS market. Used by over a billion users, the Windows 10 operating system covers a whole host of devices ranging from a few hundred dollars to a five-figure price tag. While Microsoft has done a great job with the scalability of Windows 10, there is one problem that keeps popping up for users – some fonts, text, and menus appear blurry or out of focus.

I immediately observed the problem on my HP Specter x360, which has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. I have gone through the display settings exhaustively and haven’t found anything that works to lighten the text.

Windows 10 offers a combination of modern apps and legacy apps. These ancestral apps weren’t designed to keep high resolution screens in mind. So, you may find blurry text and menu while using such apps. The problem ultimately ruins the experience on a rather beautiful screen.

In this article, we will talk about the tricks to fix blurry text in Windows 10. Go through the troubleshooting list below and resolve the issue immediately. Let’s start.

1. Let Windows 10 try to fix the problem

Microsoft has listened to a growing voice of consumers and built in a default way to fix Windows 10 blurry text issue. Follow the steps below and allow Microsoft to handle the matter.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on Windows 10 (use the Windows Key + I keyboard shortcut to quickly open the app).

2nd step: Go to the System> Display menu.

Step 3: Here, you will see lots of display adjustment options, such as brightness, color, scale, layout, etc. Switch to advanced scaling settings under the Scale and Layout menu.

Step 4: Turn on the “Let Windows try to fix apps so they aren’t blurry” toggle.

Close the applications you are having problems with and start them again.

2. Check Windows Global PPP Settings

Blurry text in Windows 10 can be a scaling issue. You can follow the steps below to check the general Windows PPP settings.

Step 1: Right-click on your desktop, then select Display Settings.

2nd step: In the Scale and Layout menu, make sure it’s 100% and not a custom top number.

Step 3: If the display is set to custom scaling, turn it off and sign out.

Reopen the app that seems blurry to check the result. If you have two screens, try to log out and log in, then both screens should have clear text.

3. Change the high DPI settings for a specific application

If only a few apps look blurry in Windows 10, you can try changing the app’s high DPI settings through the Properties window to resolve the issue. Here is what you should do.

Step 1: Press the Windows key and try to search for the app in the Windows search box.

2nd step: Right click on the app and select Open File Location.

Step 3: Right click on the app and tap Properties.

Step 4: Click on the Compatibility tab.

Step 5: In the next menu, tap on Change high resolution settings option.

Step 6: Check the “Use this setting to resolve scaling issues for this program instead of the settings” check box.

Step 7: In the High DPI scaling override box, select the Override high DPI scaling behavior check box. And make sure the app is selected from the drop down menu.

Step 8: Click on the OK button. Close and then reopen the application to find the problem.

4. Update display drivers

Windows 10 showing blurry text or menu may be due to outdated display drivers. You need to manually update the drivers on the PC to fix the problem.

Step 1: Click Windows Key and locate the drivers menu in Device Manager.

2nd step: Access graphics cards. You will find the display drivers. In my case, I can see the Intel model.

Step 3: Right-click on it and select Update Driver from the context menu.

After the installation is successful, restart the PC. The updated drivers should fix the problem.

5. Play with the custom scaling option

If none of the above tips work, you may need to use the custom scaling option from the display menu.

Open the Settings app and go to the System menu. Go to View> Scale and Layout. By default, it should be set to 150%. You can go to advanced scaling settings and add a number from the Custom Scaling menu.

Restart the PC and check the text of problematic applications again.

6. Update the Windows operating system

Burry text in Windows 10 may be caused by a buggy version released by Microsoft. After all, the company is not known for providing quality updates.

Open the Settings app, go to Windows Update, and check for updates. If a new version is available, install it on the PC.

If there are no new updates, you can join the Windows Insider program and test Windows beta versions on the device.

Enjoy crisp, clear text in Windows 10

By using the above tips, you can easily fix the blurry text issue in Windows 10. Go through them, apply the system tips, and you won’t have to adjust the glasses while reading text in Windows 10. Which troubleshooting option worked for you? Mention in the comments section below.