Windows 10/118 min readReviewed 2026-07-29

Night light or a color tint stays on after disabling it

Isolate Windows Night light, ICC profile loaders, GPU color controls, and third-party display tools.

Quick diagnosis

If a screenshot looks normal on another device while the local display remains tinted, investigate the local color pipeline or monitor rather than the image content.

Common symptoms

The screen remains warm, yellow, or tinted.
Night light shows Off.
Signing out, resetting the driver, or closing a color utility changes the tint.

Likely causes

Third-party color-temperature utility.
ICC calibration loader applying a gamma ramp.
GPU vendor color override.
Night light state or schedule did not refresh.

Before changing anything

Record installed color tools and profiles.
Disable HDR for the baseline only if the symptom is SDR-specific.
Use a neutral gray test image.

Diagnose it in this order

1
Exit third-party color tools
Close display, calibration, accessibility, and eye-comfort utilities one at a time.
2
Reset the graphics path
Press Windows+Ctrl+Shift+B once, then sign out and in if needed.
3
Inspect per-display profiles
In Color Management, note the assigned profile before temporarily returning to the supported default.
4
Reset GPU color overrides
Return vendor desktop-color controls to reference/default values.

Solutions

Remove the conflicting color layer

Keep one intended Night light or calibration system active instead of stacking multiple gamma controls.

Reassign the correct ICC profile

Use the monitor or calibrator profile intended for that exact display.

Record profile assignments before removing or changing them; professional workflows may depend on a calibrated profile.

Verify the fix

Compare neutral gray before and after each isolated change.
Restart and check the tint before launching startup utilities.
Verify each monitor separately.

Roll back safely

• Restore the recorded ICC profile and intended color utility settings.

When to stop and escalate

• If the monitor OSD is tinted across sources, reset or service the monitor rather than changing Windows profiles.

Related tests and guides

testColor accuracy test

Frequently asked questions

Can several apps adjust color at the same time?

Yes. Windows, calibration loaders, GPU utilities, and third-party tools can apply separate transforms.

Sources

Change display brightness and color in Windows
Microsoft Support. Windows Night light, schedule, brightness, and display color controls.

Diagnose it in this order

Exit third-party color tools

Close display, calibration, accessibility, and eye-comfort utilities one at a time.

Reset the graphics path

Press Windows+Ctrl+Shift+B once, then sign out and in if needed.

Inspect per-display profiles

In Color Management, note the assigned profile before temporarily returning to the supported default.

Reset GPU color overrides

Return vendor desktop-color controls to reference/default values.