How to Enable Auto Color Management for SDR Displays in Windows 11

ACM lets Windows manage color at the system level on supported displays, including for apps that do not manage color themselves. It does not turn an SDR monitor into an HDR monitor, and switching it on is not the same as calibrating a display.

Check the PC and display before starting​

You can check for the switch first and return to these requirements if it is missing. Have the display connected and turned on, and save any work before installing updates or changing drivers.

• Windows version: Press Windows + R, type winver, and press Enter. Look for Windows 11 version 22H2 or later. If you have an older installation, update Windows before troubleshooting ACM.
• Graphics driver: Microsoft specifies a WDDM 3.0 or later driver for the expanded SDR feature. WDDM is the Windows display driver model, not the DirectX version shown on the first page of the diagnostic tool.
• Graphics hardware: Microsoft’s published requirements list AMD RX 400 series or later and Ryzen processors with Radeon Graphics; Intel 12th-generation or later integrated graphics and DG1 or later discrete graphics; and NVIDIA GTX 10xx/Pascal or later.
• Display: Microsoft says there is no hard display or connection requirement for the expanded feature. An 8-bit sRGB display can benefit; a wider-than-sRGB gamut and 10-bit output are recommendations, not prerequisites.
• Multiple displays: Check each screen separately. A laptop panel and an external monitor may not offer the same setting.

The requirements are a starting point, not a guarantee that a switch will appear on every configuration. The practical check is to select the intended display in Settings and look for Automatically manage color for apps.

For color-critical work, the display’s color information and calibration still matter. Microsoft’s original Windows 11 22H2 Advanced Color documentation described specially provisioned SDR displays; Microsoft later expanded the feature and documented the broader requirements above. Do not download or install a random color profile merely to try to make the switch appear.

Select the SDR display and enable ACM​

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings, then select System > Display.
2. If you have more than one screen, select Identify. Windows displays a number on each screen. Note the number of the display you want to configure, then select that display near the top of the Settings page.
3. If the selected display supports HDR and HDR is on, make a note of its current state. For this SDR procedure, turn HDR off. If the display has no HDR switch, you do not need to enable HDR for ACM.
   Turning HDR off changes how HDR content is presented. To restore your previous HDR setup later, return to Settings > System > Display, select the same screen, and turn HDR back on.
4. On the Display page, select Color profile. On the color management page, select the intended display near the top if Windows asks you to choose one again.
5. Find Automatically manage color for apps and switch it On. You do not need to choose individual applications; the control is for the selected display.
6. If you do not see that control on the Color profile page, return to System > Display > Advanced display. Select the intended screen and look for Automatically manage color for apps there. Microsoft documented that location for the earlier Windows 11 rollout.
7. Repeat for another display only if you also want ACM enabled on that screen. One screen offering the switch does not establish that another screen will offer it.

The Settings change normally applies without restarting Windows. If an already-open app does not appear to respond, close and reopen that app before comparing its output.

Verify the setting and check the result​

Return to the page where you found the control, select the same display, and confirm that Automatically manage color for apps remains On. That is the clearest check that you enabled the setting. If you use multiple monitors, verify the display selection before reading the switch.

For a practical visual check, open a familiar SDR photo in a color-aware app such as Microsoft Photos. Look at neutral grays, skin tones, and smooth gradients. You can compare the image with ACM on and off, but keep the monitor’s picture mode and Windows HDR setting unchanged during the comparison.

A more vivid picture is not necessarily a more accurate one. Likewise, a subtle or invisible change does not prove the setting failed: the result depends on the display, the image, and the app. A switch showing On confirms the setting, not the display’s measured color accuracy. A color-critical workflow may still require a suitable profile and measurement with calibration equipment.

ACM can use higher-precision processing and may reduce visible artifacts, but it does not change the physical capabilities of an 8-bit panel into those of a 10-bit panel.

If the ACM option is missing or unavailable​

Work through these checks in order. After each relevant change, return to Color profile and, if necessary, Advanced display to check the selected screen again.

Confirm Windows can see the right display​

1. Go to Settings > System > Display and select Identify. Check that the number on the physical screen matches the screen selected in Settings.
2. If an external screen is not shown at all, check its power and cable connections. Then expand Multiple displays and select Detect.
3. Once Windows detects it, select that display and check both locations for the ACM control.

If the external display is connected through a dock or adapter, try a direct connection that the PC and monitor support, if one is available. Then check Settings again. This is a diagnostic comparison, not a claim that a dock or particular cable type is inherently incompatible with ACM. Restore your normal connection afterward if the direct test does not help.

Check the Windows version and updates​

1. Press Windows + R, type winver, and press Enter. Note the Windows version and OS build.
2. Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.
3. Install applicable updates and restart if Windows requests it.
4. Select the display again and check for the switch.

The expanded SDR control was included in the November 14, 2023 update for Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2. An older 22H2 installation may therefore need updates even though the version number meets the initial Advanced Color boundary.

Identify the graphics driver model​

1. Press Windows + R, type dxdiag, and press Enter.
2. If prompted to check whether drivers are digitally signed, select Yes.
3. Open the Display tab, or check the available display-related tabs if your PC has more than one graphics device.
4. Note the GPU name and the Driver Model value in the driver information. Microsoft’s expanded ACM requirements specify WDDM 3.0 or later.

On a laptop with integrated and discrete graphics, do not assume that the more powerful GPU is the one driving the screen. Check the relevant display information and, if needed, ask the PC manufacturer which GPU drives the affected output.

A compatible WDDM version alone does not prove that the entire configuration qualifies. Conversely, an 8-bit display or an sRGB panel alone is not a reason to rule it out.

Update the graphics driver if needed​

Before changing a graphics driver: Save your work. A driver installation can interrupt the display, and a driver not intended for your PC may cause display problems. On a managed work PC, follow your organization’s update policy or ask IT before installing one.

1. Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates and expand Driver updates if it is available.
2. Review any offered graphics driver update and install it if appropriate for the PC.
3. If Windows Update does not offer a suitable driver, check the official support page of the PC or graphics-device manufacturer for a driver intended for your model and Windows version.
4. Restart if prompted, then reopen dxdiag and check the driver model. Return to the selected display’s color settings and look for the ACM switch again.

Avoid third-party driver-download sites and utilities that promise to force the option on. If the hardware or current configuration does not qualify, a registry tweak is not a reliable substitute for the Settings control.

If a display problem began immediately after a driver update, an administrator can try restoring the previous driver:

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Display adapters, right-click the affected adapter, and select Properties.
3. Open the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver, if available.
4. Choose a reason, select Yes, and restart if prompted.

If Roll Back Driver is unavailable, contact the PC or GPU manufacturer for the appropriate recovery driver rather than removing drivers at random.

Restore the previous appearance or escalate​

If colors look wrong after enabling ACM, first confirm that you are looking at the intended screen and that its HDR state and monitor picture mode have not changed. Reopen the affected app and compare again. If the issue is limited to one app, record its name and whether other apps look normal before changing the display-wide setting.

To undo the ACM change:

1. Go to Settings > System > Display > Color profile, or Advanced display on the layout where you found the control.
2. Select the affected display and switch Automatically manage color for apps Off.
3. If you turned HDR off for the test and want it back, select that display under System > Display and turn HDR on.
4. Reopen the affected app and check whether the previous appearance returns.

If the switch remains missing after the checks, or the picture is still incorrect, contact the PC or display manufacturer—or your IT support team for a managed device. Provide the Windows version and build from winver, the GPU and WDDM model from dxdiag, the display model, its connection method, and whether the control appears under either Settings location.