Basics

10 reasons why Night Light doesn’t work in Windows 10 (and how to fix it)

by Jonathan Dudamel
10 min read

Contents show

Overview

If Night Light doesn’t work, you can usually get it running again without reinstalling Windows. Night Light problems are commonly caused by settings (schedule or HDR), display drivers, conflicting third‑party apps, corrupted Night Light state files, or system policies. In this article you’ll learn ten common causes and step‑by‑step fixes so you can restore Night Light on Windows 10.

Key Takeaway

Most Night Light issues are resolved by checking the Night Light toggle and schedule, updating or rolling back the graphics driver, and clearing the Night Light state cache in the user profile; if those don’t work, run SFC/DISM and check for third‑party software or enterprise policies.

Quick Fix Guide

Quick Fix Guide

Reason for the Problem Quick Solution
1. Night Light is turned off or schedule misconfigured Turn Night Light on in Settings > System > Display and adjust Night light settings.
2. Incorrect location/time or time zone (sunset/sunrise schedule) Set correct Time & Language > Date & time and turn off/adjust sunset‑to‑sunset schedule.
3. HDR enabled (conflicts with Night Light) Disable Use HDR in Settings > System > Display for that monitor.
4. External monitor or multiple‑monitor limitation Set the correct main display and update monitor drivers; check each display’s settings.
5. Outdated or corrupted GPU/display drivers Update or reinstall drivers via Device Manager > Display adapters or vendor site.
6. Third‑party color utilities (f.lux, monitor tools) Exit or uninstall those apps; reboot and test Night Light.
7. System file corruption or Windows update bug Run sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth then reboot.
8. Remote desktop / virtual session Night Light often won’t work via RDP or some VMs — use a local session.
9. Corrupted Night Light settings cache (CloudStore) Delete the user CloudStore cache and restart the ShellExperienceHost or reboot.
10. Managed device / group policy / user profile issues Check for “This device is managed” banners and contact the administrator, or test a new user account.

Detailed Fixes for “Night Light doesn’t work”

1. Night Light is turned off or schedule misconfigured

Why this causes the problem:

  • Night Light must be enabled and either scheduled or manually turned on. A wrong schedule or accidentally toggled off switch is the most common cause.

Step-by-step solution:

  1. Open Settings (press Windows + I).
  2. Go to System > Display.
  3. Under Color, make sure Night light toggle is On.
  4. Click Night light settings.
  5. Use Turn on now to test immediately.
  6. Check Schedule: either enable Sunset to sunrise (requires location/time) or set Set hours with correct start/end times.
  7. Test by clicking Turn on now again after settings change.
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Notes:

  • If Night Light toggle is greyed out, continue through other fixes below (driver or policy issues).

2. Incorrect location/time or time zone (sunset/sunrise schedule)

Why this causes the problem:

  • The Sunset to sunrise option relies on correct time, time zone, and location; if those are wrong Night Light might never activate.

Step-by-step solution:

  1. Open Settings > Time & Language > Date & time.
  2. Ensure Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically are enabled (or manually set the correct time zone).
  3. If you use the Sunset to sunrise schedule, ensure location services are enabled: Settings > Privacy > Location → toggle Location on.
  4. Return to Settings > System > Display > Night light settings and toggle Sunset to sunrise.

Tip:

  • If you prefer not to use location services, pick Set hours and enter explicit times to avoid location reliance.

3. HDR enabled (conflicts with Night Light)

Why this causes the problem:

  • HDR and some advanced color management modes can override or disable Night Light since color processing is handled differently.

Step-by-step solution:

  1. Go to Settings > System > Display.
  2. Select the display that has HDR enabled (if multiple monitors).
  3. Turn Use HDR to Off.
  4. Reboot if Night Light doesn’t respond immediately.
  5. After confirming Night Light works, you can test toggling HDR back on to verify if HDR was the conflict.

Note:

  • If you need HDR and reduced blue light, consider monitor settings or vendor color profiles that allow manual warm color temperature.

4. External monitor or multiple‑monitor limitation

Why this causes the problem:

  • Some external displays, docking stations, or GPU drivers don’t support Night Light color changes across all outputs; Night Light may only affect the primary display.

Step-by-step solution:

  1. Open Settings > System > Display.
  2. Click Identify to map displays. Click the display you want to apply Night Light to and check its settings.
  3. Select the display you want as main and click Make this my main display.
  4. If the external monitor still won’t show Night Light:
    • Update the monitor driver in Device Manager > Monitors (right-click > Update driver).
    • Check any monitor OSD color settings and disable vendor color temp overrides.
    • Disconnect and reconnect cables (use direct connections rather than adapters if possible).

Tip:

  • Night Light may be limited on displays connected through certain USB docking stations or using legacy drivers.

5. Outdated or corrupted GPU/display drivers

Why this causes the problem:

  • Night Light adjusts colors via the display stack; if the graphics driver is buggy or outdated, Night Light can fail.

Step-by-step solution:

  1. Press Windows + X and open Device Manager.
  2. Expand Display adapters, right‑click your GPU, and select Update driver.
  3. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software. If Windows doesn’t find one, download the latest driver from your GPU vendor (Intel, NVIDIA, AMD).
  4. If updating doesn’t help, try Uninstall device (Device Manager) and reboot to let Windows reinstall the driver.
  5. If an update introduced the issue, use Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver in Device Manager (if available) or restore a previously working driver from vendor site.
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Important:

  • After driver changes, reboot and recheck Night Light in Settings > System > Display.

6. Conflicting third‑party color utilities (f.lux, monitor utilities)

Why this causes the problem:

  • Apps like f.lux, manufacturer control panels, or color calibration utilities can take exclusive control of color adjustments and block Night Light.

Step-by-step solution:

  1. Check the system tray and Task Manager for apps such as f.lux, Iris, monitor control software, or vendor utilities.
  2. Exit those apps (right‑click tray icon → Exit) and test Night Light.
  3. If exiting fixes it, uninstall the conflicting app via Settings > Apps or change its settings to avoid color control.
  4. Reboot and verify Night Light returns.

Tip:

  • Some apps offer an option to “disable for fullscreen apps” or similar; check app settings to avoid conflicts.

7. System file corruption or Windows update bug

Why this causes the problem:

  • Corrupted system files or a faulty update can break Night Light functionality. SFC and DISM can repair system components.

Step-by-step solution:

  1. Open an elevated Command Prompt: press Windows, type cmd, right‑click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
  2. Run: sfc /scannow
  3. After SFC completes, run DISM to repair the component store:
    • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  4. Reboot the PC and test Night Light again.

Note:

  • If a recent Windows update caused the problem, check Settings > Update & Security > View update history and consider uninstalling the recent update via Uninstall updates.

8. Remote desktop or virtual session

Why this causes the problem:

  • Night Light may be disabled in remote desktop (RDP) sessions or some virtual machine displays because the local GPU color stack isn’t used.

Solution:

  • Log in locally to the machine and enable Night Light via Settings > System > Display.
  • If you must use RDP, try third‑party remote tools that forward local GPU color processing, or apply a software filter on the client side.

Note:

  • This is expected behavior — not a bug — for many RDP setups.

9. Corrupted Night Light settings cache (CloudStore)

Why this causes the problem:

  • Night Light configuration is stored in per‑user cache files (CloudStore); if those files become corrupted Night Light may not respond. Clearing the cache forces Windows to recreate settings.

Step-by-step solution (advanced but common fix):

  1. Save your work and sign out of your user account, or create a System Restore point first.
  2. Open File Explorer and paste the path: %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\CloudStore\Store\Cache
  3. Delete the files inside the Cache folder (you may need admin privileges). Alternatively, rename the parent folder to keep a backup.
  4. Restart Windows (full reboot) or restart ShellExperienceHost:
    • Open Task Manager, find Windows Shell Experience Host, right‑click and choose End task (it will restart automatically).
  5. Sign back in and test Night Light.

Warning:

  • Deleting CloudStore files resets some Start/Menu customizations and Windows shell state; create a restore point if unsure.

Alternative PowerShell method (admin):

  • Open PowerShell (Admin) and run:
    • Stop the ShellExperienceHost: Stop-Process -Name ShellExperienceHost -Force
    • Remove cache items: Remove-Item -Path “$env:localappdata\Microsoft\Windows\CloudStore\Store\Cache*” -Recurse -Force
    • Wait a moment and sign out or restart.
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10. Managed device, group policy, or user profile issues

Why this causes the problem:

  • Organization policies, restricted user accounts, or profile corruption can prevent Night Light from being available.

Step-by-step solution:

  1. Check if your device is managed: Settings > Accounts > Access work or school. If connected to an organization, contact the administrator.
  2. Look for a banner in Settings that says This device is managed by your organization.
  3. Test Night Light in a new local user account:
    • Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Add someone else to this PC → create a new local account.
    • Sign in with that account and check Settings > System > Display > Night light.
  4. If Night Light works in the new user, the original profile may be corrupted — migrate data to a new account or repair the profile.

Tip:

  • If group policy might be blocking features, run gpresult /r in an elevated Command Prompt to view applied policies and consult your IT admin.

Preventive Tips and When to Contact Support

  • Keep Windows and graphics drivers up to date to prevent compatibility issues.
  • Avoid running multiple color‑temperature utilities simultaneously; pick one solution.
  • Create a restore point before making registry or system file changes.
  • If you’re on a company PC and the device is managed, contact your IT department for policy-related issues.
  • If none of the steps fix Night Light, consider contacting Microsoft Support or your device manufacturer, especially if the issue began after a recent driver or OS update.

FAQ

Will Night Light affect screenshots or video recordings?

No — Night Light changes are applied by the display pipeline and do not alter saved screenshot files or recorded video (those capture unaltered output from the GPU or application).

Can I use Night Light with multiple monitors?

Partially — Night Light should work on most monitors but some external displays, docking stations, or adapters may prevent color adjustments on that output; set the desired monitor as your main display and update drivers.

How is Night Light different from f.lux?

Night Light is built into Windows and uses the system color stack; f.lux is third‑party with more customizable temperature options and features. Running both simultaneously can cause conflicts — choose one.

Does Night Light reduce eye strain?

Night Light reduces blue light by warming color temperature, which many find helps evening comfort. It’s not a medical solution for eye strain — adjust brightness, take breaks, and consult an eye care professional if you have persistent issues.

What if Night Light worked before an update and stopped after?

Try rolling back or reinstalling the graphics driver and run sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. If the update is the culprit, check Settings > Update & Security > View update history and consider uninstalling the problematic update or waiting for a hotfix.

Conclusion

Most cases of Night Light doesn’t work are fixed by checking the Night Light toggle and schedule, updating or reinstalling display drivers, clearing the Night Light cache, and disabling conflicting apps or HDR. If those steps fail, test a new user account, run system repairs, and consult your IT admin or device manufacturer for managed or persistent issues.

About the author

Jonathan Dudamel

Jonathan Dudamel

I'm Jonathan Dudamel, an experienced IT specialist and network engineer passionate about all things Windows. I have deep expertise in Microsoft project management, virtualization (VMware ESXi and Hyper-V), and Microsoft’s hybrid platform. I'm also skilled with Microsoft O365, Azure ADDS, and Windows Server environments from 2003 through 2022.

My strengths include Microsoft network infrastructure, VMware platforms, CMMS, ERP systems, and server administration (2016/2022).

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