Open Settings > Accessibility > Motion. Turn on Reduce Motion. Moving transitions, background depth and motion effects, as well as automatic interface movements are reduced.
Reduce Motion
Reduces animations and motion effects to decrease visual strain.
What does this setting do?
Reducing motion minimizes transitions, parallax effects and automatic interface animations. This is especially helpful for users sensitive to rapid or unexpected visual changes, including those with photosensitivity, PTSD, anxiety or sensory overload. The level of reduction varies across operating systems.
Instructions for different systems
Open Settings > Accessibility > Color and motion. Turn on Remove animations. This significantly reduces system transitions and motion effects.
Note: You can further reduce or disable animations under Settings > System > Developer options by adjusting Animator duration scale.
Open Settings > Accessibility > Vision > Visual effects. Turn off Animation effects to reduce motion in the Windows interface.
Note: This reduces many animations and transitions, but not all motion effects across the system and apps.
Open System Settings > Accessibility > Display. Enable Reduce motion. macOS decreases parallax effects and interface animations across the system.
Often mentioned in relation to the following conditions:
- Photosensitivity – Sensitivity to bright light, screen glare, or high-contrast elements.
- PTSD – Potential triggers from flashing elements, loud sounds or sudden changes in the interface.
- Anxiety Disorder – Heightened sensitivity to sudden changes, alerts, flashing content or notifications.
- Autism (mild) – Mild autism-spectrum traits with sensory sensitivities to light, sound, motion or complex interfaces.
- Age-related Cognitive Changes – Slower processing, reduced working memory, and difficulty with complex navigation.
- Chronic Fatigue – Persistent physical and mental exhaustion with limited energy availability. Attention, processing speed, and resilience are often reduced over extended periods.
- Migraine – A neurological condition associated with increased sensitivity to light, motion, sound, and visual stimuli. Digital interfaces can quickly become overwhelming …
Commonly used for the following difficulties:
Motion and Animation Sensitivity
Rapid movement, parallax effects or animated UI elements can be overwhelming or distracting. Reducing or disabling animations can improve comfort and focus.
Sensitivity to Sudden Visual Changes
Rapid changes on the screen can feel startling or overwhelming. Slowing transitions and reducing motion improves stability.
Visual Overload
Users experiencing visual overload are quickly overwhelmed by dense layouts, flashing elements, or competing visual information. Simplified displays can reduce stress.
Other settings frequently used together
Relation to WCAG guidelines
For setting to be effective, a website or app often must be technically implemented in such a way that it respects operating system and browser settings.
Developers and designers should follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The following WCAG criteria are particularly relevant for this setting:
2.3.12.3.3