Not a big fan of Fluent Design? Although the translucent glass is loved by many, it can also be an unwelcome distraction – or a potential performance issue on low-power PCs. Here’s a quick tip to show you how to disable the Windows 7 Aero throwback if it’s not to your taste.
Turning off the transparency is easily done, although the setting’s not in the most obvious of places. You’ll find it within Windows’ accessibility controls, the Ease of Access Centre.
Disabling Fluent Design transparency – the left sidebar of the Settings app now has an opaque background colour
Open the Settings app (Win+I keyboard shortcut) and click the “Ease of Access” tile. On the page which appears, look for the “Show transparency in Windows” toggle button under the “Simplify and personalise Windows” heading. Turn it to the off position to banish the translucency.
The change will take effect immediately. With transparency disabled, Fluent Design surfaces such as window backgrounds and the Start menu will instead take on a single opaque colour. You’ll see solid grey, with the tone varying depending on your system theme choice. Should you wish to reenable Fluent Design in the future, just return to the Ease of Access settings page and slide the toggle back to “On.”
