Dark Mode Windows 11: Turn It On, Fix Apps That Stay Light

Dark mode in Windows 11 swaps the bright white backgrounds of the taskbar, Start, Settings, File Explorer and many apps for dark grey, which is easier on the eyes in a dim room and can save a little power on OLED screens. Turning on dark mode Windows 11 style takes one setting, but there are a few extra choices worth knowing: mixing a dark taskbar with light apps, getting accent colours to show, and dealing with apps that stubbornly stay white. This guide covers all of them using the Settings app only.

The steps apply to Windows 11 version 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2, on Home and Pro.

Turn on dark mode

1. Right-click an empty part of the desktop and select Personalize, or open Start > Settings > Personalization.
2. Select Colors.
3. In Choose your mode, select Dark.

The change is instant. The taskbar, Start, Quick Settings, notifications, Settings, File Explorer and apps that follow the Windows setting all turn dark. To go back, select Light in the same list.

If Personalization is greyed out with a message that some settings are managed by your organization, the PC is controlled by a work or school policy. Ask the IT department rather than trying to work around it. Personalization also needs Windows to be activated; on an unactivated copy many of these options are locked, which our Windows 11 activation guide explains.

Light, Dark and Custom explained

Microsoft’s Colors page offers three modes:

Mode	What it does	Good for
Light	Bright Windows and apps	Bright rooms, printed-page feel
Dark	Dark Windows and dark apps	Evenings, dim rooms, OLED screens
Custom	Choose Windows and apps separately	A dark taskbar with light documents, or the reverse

To use Custom:

1. In Choose your mode, select Custom.
2. Set Choose your default Windows mode. This covers the taskbar, Start, Quick Settings and other system surfaces.
3. Set Choose your default app mode. This covers Settings, File Explorer and apps that follow the system.

A popular combination is a dark Windows mode with a light app mode: the taskbar stays dark and unobtrusive, while documents and web pages keep their normal white background.

Accent colours and transparency

The same Colors page controls the accent colour, used for highlights, buttons and the active window border.

• Accent color: choose Automatic to let Windows pick a colour from your wallpaper, or Manual to choose one yourself.
• Show accent color on Start and taskbar: Microsoft notes this is only available when the Windows mode is Dark (or Custom with a dark Windows mode). In Light mode, the switch is greyed out.
• Show accent color on title bars and window borders: adds the colour to window edges, which helps you see which window is active on a dark desktop.
• Transparency effects: turns the frosted-glass look on or off. Turning it off can help on older PCs and is one of the things Windows 11 energy saver does automatically.

For wallpapers, themes and the lock screen, see our Windows 11 personalization guide.

Apps that stay light

Microsoft is clear that not all applications support dark mode, and that some apps let you set dark or light individually. When one app stays bright, check these in order:

1. Look for a theme setting in the app. Many apps have an Appearance or Theme option with Light, Dark and a choice such as “Use system setting” or “System default”. Pick the system option so the app follows Windows in future.
2. Office apps. Microsoft 365 apps have their own theme under File > Account > Office Theme. When it is set to Use system setting, Microsoft says the apps choose between their white and black themes based on whether Windows is in light or dark mode.
3. Web browsers. Browsers usually follow the Windows app mode for their own menus. Whether a website turns dark is up to the website; many follow the browser’s setting, others do not.
4. Older desktop programs. Some classic programs and control panels draw their own windows and stay light whatever you choose. There is no Settings fix for these, and we do not recommend registry edits or patching tools that try to force them.

If File Explorer or Settings itself refuses to change, restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager or sign out and back in. If that does not help, the system files may be damaged; run the checks in our SFC scannow guide.

Dark mode vs contrast themes vs night light

These three are often confused:

• Dark mode changes the colour scheme of Windows and apps. It is a personal preference.
• Contrast themes (Settings > Accessibility > Contrast themes) are an accessibility feature for people who need stronger contrast to read the screen. Microsoft’s page explains that they replace app colours with a limited high-contrast palette. They look very different from dark mode and some apps look unusual with them, so only use them if they help you read. Microsoft lists Left Alt + Left Shift + Print Screen as the shortcut to turn the last-used contrast theme on and off, which is worth knowing if you switch one on by accident.
• Night light (Settings > System > Display > Night light) warms the colours of the whole screen to reduce blue light in the evening and can follow a schedule. You can use it together with dark mode. Our Windows 11 night light guide covers the schedule and strength settings.

Does dark mode save power?

It depends on the screen. On OLED displays each pixel produces its own light, so dark areas use less power, and Microsoft’s power settings page lists using dark mode on OLED screens as a way to save energy. On standard LCD screens the backlight stays on regardless of colour, so the saving is small. If battery life is the goal, lowering brightness and shortening screen timeouts makes a bigger difference; see change screen timeout in Windows 11.

Quick checklist

• Settings > Personalization > Colors > Choose your mode > Dark.
• Use Custom for a dark taskbar with light apps.
• Turn on Show accent color on Start and taskbar (Dark Windows mode only) for a coloured taskbar.
• Set browsers and Office to follow the system theme.
• Leave contrast themes off unless you need them for accessibility.

For the rest of the Settings app, our Windows 11 settings guide gives a tour of every section.