Remove red glow around aircraft and cockpit instruments in MSFS 2024 by changing interaction mode, tooltips, bloom or faulty graphics settings.
The red glow in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is usually the interaction highlight used by Lock-mode mouse or controller input. Open Settings, search for Cockpit Interaction System, and change Lock to Legacy. If the outline remains when no control or aircraft part is selected, diagnose bloom, HDR, graphics settings or an add-on instead.
What causes red outlines around aircraft and instruments?
The behaviour of the glow identifies its cause more reliably than its colour, which can vary with HDR and accessibility filters.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| A hard outline follows the mouse or selected control | Lock interaction highlighting | Use Legacy interaction mode or leave cursor mode |
| One cockpit control remains highlighted | An active checklist or interaction target | Clear the selected checklist item or close its guidance |
| Aircraft parts glow during walkaround | Pre-flight inspection or object interaction | Deselect the part or leave the interaction task |
| A soft red halo surrounds illuminated switches or displays | Bloom, HDR or colour processing | Test with Bloom and HDR disabled |
| Only one third-party aircraft is affected | Add-on material or visual-effect problem | Test a default aircraft and disable the add-on |
How do I turn off the MSFS 2024 interaction glow?
Switching from Lock to Legacy interaction mode removes or greatly reduces the coloured targeting outline for most cockpit controls.
- Confirm that it is an interaction highlight. Move the pointer over an empty part of the panel or outside the aircraft. If the glow moves to whichever item is selected, it is not part of the aircraft lighting.
- Open the interaction setting. Go to Settings and look under Accessibility, or use the settings search for
Cockpit Interaction System. - Select Legacy. Apply the change and return to the cockpit. Legacy is generally the better choice for direct mouse manipulation without Lock mode's persistent selection cue.
- Leave cursor mode when it is not needed. With a controller, search the Controls screen for cursor or cockpit-interaction commands rather than relying on a particular button, because bindings differ by platform and profile.
- Check for a separate highlight option. If your simulator build exposes an interaction or object-highlighting switch under Accessibility or Assistance, disable it as well.
Lock mode deliberately shows which switch, knob or external inspection point will receive input. Some versions do not let you hide that cue independently while retaining every Lock-mode behaviour. Our guide to mouse input and Lock interaction in MSFS 2024 explains the practical differences between the control styles.
Instrument name and description boxes are separate from the coloured outline. If the unwanted effect is actually a label appearing beside each control, use the settings for disabling cockpit tooltips and pop-ups.
Why does the red glow remain after switching to Legacy?
A glow that remains with the pointer parked away from every control is probably a rendering effect rather than interaction highlighting.
- Close checklist guidance. A checklist's control-location function can keep the relevant instrument highlighted until the item is cleared or the guidance is closed.
- Test Bloom. If the effect is a soft halo around red annunciators, displays or navigation lights, turn
Bloomoff temporarily. Bloom affects emitted light; it does not normally create a sharp outline around unlit geometry. - Test HDR and colour filters. Temporarily disable HDR and any simulator, console or operating-system colour filter. An interaction cue intended to appear in another colour can look red after colour processing.
- Reset the graphics configuration. If every aircraft shows coloured fringes even in daylight, use our safe procedure for resetting MSFS 2024 graphics settings, then restart the simulator before judging the result.
- Compare a default aircraft. Load a stock aircraft at the same airport and time of day. If only one add-on is affected, disable it through the simulator's add-on or content management interface; follow the clean aircraft add-on removal steps rather than deleting unrelated package folders.
Will Legacy interaction mode stop cockpit controls working?
Legacy mode does not disable clickable cockpit controls, but it changes how knobs, switches and tooltips respond to the mouse.
Choose Legacy when you primarily use a mouse and want direct control with minimal highlighting. Keep Lock mode when using a controller or when its target-and-confirm behaviour is easier, accepting that the coloured outline may be necessary feedback. If controls become difficult to operate after changing modes, restore Lock rather than altering unrelated graphics settings.