Night Light Not Working in Windows 11? Try These Fixes

Windows 11 Night Light is designed to reduce the blue light from your screen by giving the display a warmer color. However, sometimes Night Light doesn’t turn on, the screen color doesn’t change, or the feature stops working after a Windows update or driver change. The problem is usually related to display drivers, incorrect Night Light settings, location-based scheduling, or a Windows display configuration issue.

In this guide, we’ll go through practical fixes for Night Light not working in Windows 11, starting with settings and display checks, then moving to drivers and system-level fixes.

Why Is Night Light Not Working in Windows 11?

Night Light can stop working when Windows cannot properly apply the display color adjustment. The problem may appear after a Windows update, graphics driver change, or when Night Light’s schedule is not configured correctly.

Common causes include:

• Night Light is enabled, but the strength is set too low to notice.
• A Night Light schedule is preventing it from turning on when expected.
• An outdated or incompatible graphics driver is interfering with the feature.
• Windows has a temporary display configuration problem.
• Location settings are affecting the scheduled Night Light feature.
• A recent Windows or graphics driver update has changed display behavior.

If the Night Light option is completely missing or greyed out, the problem may be more closely related to your graphics driver or display configuration.

1. Turn Night Light Off and On

A temporary Windows 11 display glitch can prevent Night Light from applying its color filter correctly. Turning the feature off and enabling it again is a quick way to refresh the setting.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to System → Display.
3. Select Night light.
4. Turn Night light off.
5. Wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.
6. Move the Strength slider and check whether the screen becomes warmer.

If the screen color changes when you adjust the strength, Night Light is working and the problem may be related to its schedule.

2. Check the Night Light Schedule

If Night Light works when you turn it on manually but doesn’t activate automatically, the schedule may be the issue.

1. Open Settings → System → Display → Night light.
2. Turn on Schedule night light.
3. Choose Set hours and set a start and end time.
4. Alternatively, select Sunset to sunrise if available.
5. Make sure Windows has the correct time and time zone.

Now wait until the scheduled time or manually enable Night Light to test it.

3. Check Location Settings

If Night Light is scheduled to follow sunset and sunrise, Windows needs access to your device’s location to determine the correct times. If location services are disabled, the schedule may not work as expected.

• Open Settings → Privacy & security → Location.
• Turn on Location services.
• Make sure Let apps access your location is enabled if Windows asks for it.

• Return to Settings → System → Display → Night light.
• Select Sunset to sunrise and check whether Night Light activates correctly.

If you prefer not to use location services, select Set hours and choose your own start and end times instead.

Quick Insight: This fix mainly applies when Night Light works manually but fails to turn on automatically using the sunset-to-sunrise schedule.

4. Update or Reinstall the Display Driver

Night Light relies on the graphics driver to apply the color adjustment to your display. If the driver is outdated, corrupted, or incompatible, Night Light may stop working or the option may become unavailable.

1. Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Display adapters.
3. Right-click your graphics adapter and select Update driver.
4. Choose Search automatically for drivers.
5. Restart your PC and test Night Light again.

If updating doesn’t help, download the latest graphics driver for your PC from Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, or your computer manufacturer’s support website, then install it.

If Night Light stopped working immediately after a graphics driver update, you can also open the adapter’s Properties → Driver tab and check whether Roll Back Driver is available.

5. Restart Windows Explorer

Sometimes Windows 11’s display interface can experience a temporary glitch, causing settings such as Night Light to behave incorrectly. Restarting Windows Explorer refreshes parts of the Windows interface without requiring a full restart.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Find Windows Explorer in the process list.
• Right-click it and select Restart.

• Wait for the desktop and taskbar to reload.
• Open Settings → System → Display → Night light and test it again.

If Night Light still doesn’t work, restart the PC before moving to the next fix.

6. Check for Windows 11 Updates

If Night Light stopped working after a Windows 11 update or has been unreliable for some time, a newer update may contain a fix for the display issue.

1. Open Settings → Windows Update.
2. Select Check for updates.
3. Install any available updates.
4. Restart your PC.
5. Go to Settings → System → Display → Night light and test it again.

Also check Advanced options → Optional updates → Driver updates for display-related driver updates if they are available.

7. Reset Night Light Settings

If Night Light settings have become corrupted or Windows is no longer applying the saved configuration correctly, resetting the feature can help. Windows does not provide a dedicated Reset Night Light button, so the simplest approach is to turn off its settings and configure them again.

1. Open Settings → System → Display → Night light.
2. Turn Night light off.
3. Turn off Schedule night light.
4. Restart your PC.
5. Turn Night light back on.
6. Adjust the Strength slider and test it manually.
7. If it works, enable the schedule again.

If Night Light still has no effect after resetting these settings, the display driver or Windows display configuration is more likely to be responsible.

8. Check the Display and Graphics Settings

If Night Light is enabled but the screen color never changes, another display setting or graphics configuration may be interfering with it.

First, if you’re using multiple monitors, test Night Light on the built-in laptop display or another monitor. Some external displays may handle color adjustments differently.

You can also temporarily disconnect an external monitor, dock, or adapter and test Night Light on the main display.

If Night Light works after disconnecting another display, the problem may be related to the monitor, graphics driver, or display configuration.

What to Do If Night Light Still Doesn’t Work

If Night Light still doesn’t work after trying the fixes above, the problem is more likely related to the graphics driver or Windows display configuration.

Try these final checks:

• Restart the PC after installing or changing the display driver.
• Test Night Light with external monitors or docking stations disconnected.
• Check the PC manufacturer’s website for a newer graphics driver.
• If the problem started after a recent driver update, consider rolling it back.
• If Night Light is missing or greyed out entirely, check Device Manager for display adapter errors.

If the feature works after a driver update or rollback, the graphics driver was likely responsible. If it still doesn’t work, a deeper Windows display configuration problem may need to be investigated.

Frequently Asked Questions