How to Customize Windows 11 UI Elements
Windows 11 has been unveiled to the world and with it comes new design language, interesting new features and some new ways to customize the Windows experience. We also got a new design style, Settings app, andcustomizable Start Menu. But there are other ways to customize Windows UI like the icons, fonts, resolution, and Taskbar. That’s what we are going to cover in this guide.
Also Read:How to Get Windows 10 Start Menu on Windows 11
Table of Contents
How to Change Icons on Windows 11
The experience of changing icons hasn’t changed at all from Windows 10. Here’s how you can do it.
1.On the desktop, right-click on the app shortcut that you want to change icon of and click onProperties.
2.Now on theShortcuttab, click on theChange Iconbutton.
3.This will open another window where you can select choose from a bunch of available icons. Click on theBrowseoption to select an icon if you have one downloaded and save.
4.Select the icon that you want and clickOpen. Windows 11 supports ICO file type for icons. So if you have an image of an icon, you can convert it to ICO using theICO Convertweb app.
5.Once selected, clickOKand then selectApply. Now you can close the Properties window.
Your icon should have been updated.
Also Read:How to Remove Shortcut Arrow Overlay on Windows 11
How to Change Icons on the Taskbar
To change the app icon on the Taskbar, right-click on it and under Properties, select the app itself.
You cannot change app’s icon on the Start Menu. Also, changing the icon of one shortcut will not affect other shortcuts of the same app. For example, changing Chrome’s icon on the desktop will not change Chrome’s icon in the Taskbar. You have to change it individually for each app shortcut.
How to Change Size of Icons on Windows 11
Changing size of icon for any app is easy enough on Windows 11. Just right-click any where on the desktop and select theViewoption.
Here you can choose fromLarge, Medium,andSmallicon size. By default, Windows 11 is set to Medium icons, you can instantly change that.
How to Change Taskbar Size in Windows 11
Unfortunately, changing the size of icons on the desktop does not changes the size of the icons on the Taskbar. Also, with version 11, Windows no longer allows changing the size of the Taskbar. Nonetheless, we can update some keys in the Registry Editor to change Taskbar’s size.
1.First, open the Registry Editor by clicking onWindows button+Rto open Run prompt, typeregedit, and hitEnter. Alternatively, you may search and open Registry Editor using Windows Search.
2.In the Registry Editor, copy and paste the following directory path in the address bar at the top and hitEnter.
3.In theAdvancedfolder, right-click in an empty area in the right window-pane and selectNew > DWORD (32-bit) valueto create a new key.
4.Rename the newly created Key asTaskbarSi.
5.Now open the key that you have just created and leave the value to0for small icons, change the value to1for medium icons, and change the value to2for large icons. Then click onOKto save changes.
6.Now Reboot the system for the changes to take place and you shall notice the size of Taskbar changed along with the size of icons housed in it.
For more Taskbar customizations, you can openSettings > Personalization > Taskbarand do things like automatically hide the Taskbar, move Taskbar icons towards left, and more.
How to Change Font Style on Windows 11
Windows’ default font, Segoe UI, is great, but you’re able to change that to something else that suits your preference.
1.Press Windows key+I to open theSettingsapp and go toPersonalization > Fonts. Here you shall find all the fonts that comes preinstalled in Windows 11.
Note:You can also install third-party fonts by dragging the TTF files into the Settings window. Once installed, you will find these fonts in apps too such as Microsoft Word.
2.But to install the font as a System font, copy the name of the font that you want on your system. Now openStartand search for and openNotepad.
3.Inside Notepad, paste the following code.
4.Now replaceFONT-STYLEwith the name of the font that you have copied. verify you are not missing capitals and spaces in the font name as it is case-sensitive.
5.Now save the file by giving it a name and using.regat the end as file type format. Then chooseAll filesinSave as typeoption.
6.Once saved, right-click on the file and then click onOpenor just double-click on the file icon.
7.Then selectYesin pop-up window and then again selectYesto add your registry key to the Registry Editor.
8.Now restart your PC to implement the changes.
How to Change the Font Size on Windows 11
Unlike font style, changing font size is easy. Just open the Settings app again (Windows key+I) and go toAccessibility > Text size.
Now adjust the text size accordingly. you may see the Text size preview in the section above. Then click on theApplybutton beside it. Your screen will go blue for few seconds before applying changes.
How to Change Font Size Temporarily on Windows 11
Often times you may find font size too small or big in certain apps or a specific page making it hard to read. Changing the text size systemwide may not be what you need. Instead, you need a temporary solution.
In some apps, you may be able to use theWindows +to magnify andWindows –to reduce the whole screen. In web browsers, you can use the keyboard shortcutCtrl +to zoom in andCtrl –to zoom in the open tab.
How to Change the Size of UI Elements on Windows 11
If you want to make everything bigger like icons, text, and everything else, it better to make systewide change that reflects across the Windows OS UI.
To do that, open Windows Settings (Windows key+I). Got to openSystem > Displayand select a value for the scale from the drop-down next to it. Choose a percentage to increase or decrease the UI elements size and choose one that you are comfortable with.
The changes will be applied instantly after selecting the option.
How to Change Screen Resolution on Windows 11
Finally, you can also change the resolution of the screen, this will help to save battery by decreasing the screen quality. You can do that by opening theSettings > System > Displayand change the resolution by clicking on the drop-down menu besideDisplay Resolution.
Windows will suggest you the best possible resolution for your display by default, you can decrease it by selecting any lower resolution. Remember not all resolutions match the aspect ratio of your display. So you can find black bars around it.
Also Read:How to Redirect Windows 11 Widgets From Edge to Chrome
Ravi Teja KNTS
Tech writer with over 4 years of experience at TechWiser, where he has authored more than 700 articles on AI, Google apps, Chrome OS, Discord, and Android. His journey started with a passion for discussing technology and helping others in online forums, which naturally grew into a career in tech journalism. Ravi’s writing focuses on simplifying technology, making it accessible and jargon-free for readers. When he’s not breaking down the latest tech, he’s often immersed in a classic film – a true cinephile at heart.
