Windows 11 is the latest operating system from Microsoft, and it comes with many new features and improvements. One of them is the integration of Windows Terminal, a modern and customizable app that can host multiple command-line tools, such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, and Linux shells.
However, some users may prefer the old-fashioned Windows Console Host, which is the default app that used to host console windows in previous versions of Windows. Or they may want to change the display settings for the command-line interface, such as the font size, color scheme, or window size.
In this article, we will show you how to change the display settings for the command-line interface in Windows 11, whether you use Windows Terminal or Windows Console Host. We will also answer some frequently asked questions related to this topic.
Table of Contents
How to Change Display Settings for Windows Terminal
Windows Terminal is the new default app for hosting console windows in Windows 11. It has many advantages over the old Windows Console Host, such as support for tabs, panes, profiles, themes, and Unicode characters. It also allows you to customize the appearance and behavior of each command-line tool you use.
To change the display settings for Windows Terminal, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open Windows Terminal by pressing Win + X and selecting Windows Terminal from the menu.
Step 2: Click on the down arrow button next to the plus sign on the title bar and select Settings. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + , to open the settings.
Step 3: In the settings window, you will see a list of profiles on the left pane. Each profile corresponds to a command-line tool that you can use in Windows Terminal, such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Ubuntu. Select the profile that you want to customize.
Step 4: On the right pane, you will see various options to change the display settings for the selected profile. For example, you can change the font face, font size, cursor shape, cursor color, background image, color scheme, and more. You can also enable or disable some features, such as acrylic background, retro terminal effects, or bell sound.
Step 5: To apply your changes, click on the Save button at the bottom of the window. You can also preview your changes by opening a new tab with the selected profile.
How to Change Display Settings for Windows Console Host
Windows Console Host is the legacy app that used to host console windows in previous versions of Windows. It has fewer features and customization options than Windows Terminal, but some users may still prefer it for compatibility or familiarity reasons.
To change the display settings for Windows Console Host, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open Windows Console Host by pressing Win + R and typing cmd or powershell in the Run dialog box.
Step 2: Right-click on the title bar and select Properties from the context menu.
Step 3: In the properties window, you will see four tabs: Options, Font, Layout, and Colors. Each tab contains different options to change the display settings for Windows Console Host. For example, you can change the font size, buffer size, window size, window position, screen colors, and more.
Step 4: To apply your changes, click on the OK button at the bottom of the window. You can also preview your changes by clicking on the Apply button.
How to Switch Between Windows Terminal and Windows Console Host
By default, Windows 11 uses Windows Terminal as the app to host console windows. However, you can switch between Windows Terminal and Windows Console Host if you want to use a different app for your command-line interface.
To switch between Windows Terminal and Windows Console Host, follow these steps:
Step 1: Press Win + I to open Settings.
Step 2: Select Privacy & security from the left pane and then select For developers from the right pane.
Step 3: Under Terminal, you will see a drop-down menu that allows you to choose between Windows Terminal and Windows Console Host as your default terminal application.
Step 4: Select your preferred option and close Settings.
Alternatively, you can also switch between Windows Terminal and Windows Console Host from within Windows Terminal itself. To do that:
Step 1: Open Windows Terminal by pressing Win + X and selecting Windows Terminal from the menu.
Step 2: Click on the down arrow button next to the plus sign on the title bar and select Settings. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + , to open the settings.
Step 3: In the settings window, select Startup from the left pane.
Step 4: On the right pane, you will see a drop-down menu that allows you to choose between Windows Terminal and Windows Console Host as your default terminal application.
Step 5: Select your preferred option and click on the Save button at the bottom of the window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions and answers related to changing the display settings for the command-line interface in Windows 11.
Question: How do I change the display settings for a specific command-line tool in Windows Terminal?
Answer: You can change the display settings for a specific command-line tool by creating a custom profile for it in Windows Terminal. To do that:
Step 1: Open Windows Terminal and go to Settings.
Step 2: In the settings window, click on the Add a new profile button on the left pane.
Step 3: On the right pane, enter a name for your profile and select a command-line tool from the Command line drop-down menu. You can also browse for an executable file if you want to use a custom command-line tool.
Step 4: Customize the display settings for your profile as you wish, such as font size, color scheme, background image, etc.
Step 5: Click on the Save button to create your profile.
You can now open a new tab with your custom profile by clicking on the down arrow button on the title bar and selecting your profile from the menu.
Question: How do I change the display settings for all command-line tools in Windows Terminal?
Answer: You can change the display settings for all command-line tools by modifying the default profile in Windows Terminal. To do that:
Step 1: Open Windows Terminal and go to Settings.
Step 2: In the settings window, select Default profile from the left pane.
Step 3: On the right pane, customize the display settings for your default profile as you wish, such as font size, color scheme, background image, etc.
Step 4: Click on the Save button to apply your changes.
Your changes will affect all command-line tools that use the default profile in Windows Terminal.
Question: How do I reset the display settings for Windows Terminal or Windows Console Host?
Answer: You can reset the display settings for Windows Terminal or Windows Console Host by restoring them to their default values. To do that:
- For Windows Terminal, open Settings and click on the Reset to defaults button at the bottom of the window.
- For Windows Console Host, open Properties and click on the Use Defaults button at the bottom of each tab.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to change the display settings for the command-line interface in Windows 11, whether you use Windows Terminal or Windows Console Host. We have also explained how to switch between these two apps and answered some frequently asked questions related to this topic.
We hope you found this article helpful and learned something new. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below.
Disclaimer: This article is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft or any other company. The information provided here is for educational purposes only and may not be accurate or up-to-date. Use it at your own risk.