How to Turn On Dark Mode in Windows 11

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How to Turn On Dark Mode in Windows 11

Dark mode swaps the bright white backgrounds in Windows 11 for dark grey and black. Many people find it easier on the eyes in a dim room. It takes a few seconds to turn on, and you can choose whether it applies to Windows itself, your apps, or both.

Turn On Dark Mode

Open Settings (press Windows + I).
Select Personalization > Colors.
Next to Choose your mode, pick Dark.

The Start menu, taskbar, Settings, File Explorer and apps that follow the Windows theme switch straight away. No restart is needed.

To go back, choose Light in the same place.

Mix Dark and Light With Custom Mode

If you like a dark taskbar but prefer white documents and windows (or the other way round):

In Settings > Personalization > Colors, set Choose your mode to Custom.
Choose your default Windows mode controls the Start menu, taskbar and other parts of Windows.
Choose your default app mode controls apps that follow the Windows setting.

Microsoft notes that light mode doesn't let you add your accent colour to the Start menu and taskbar - that option, Show accent color on Start and taskbar, only works when the Windows mode is Dark.

Dark Mode in Your Browser and Office

Many programs follow Windows automatically. A few have their own switch:

Microsoft Edge: Settings > Appearance - choose Dark, or System default to follow Windows.
Google Chrome: follows the Windows mode by default. To set it yourself, open a new tab, select Customize Chrome (bottom right) and choose Light, Dark or Device.
Firefox: Settings > General > Website appearance lets you pick Automatic, Light or Dark.
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook): File > Account > Office Theme. Black is the darkest; Use system setting follows Windows.

Menu names in browsers change between versions, so if you don't see the exact wording, look for Appearance or Theme in the browser's settings.

Dark Mode Not Working?

Settings are greyed out: Windows must be activated to change personalisation settings. Check Settings > System > Activation.
A high contrast theme is on: contrast themes override dark mode. Open Settings > Accessibility > Contrast themes and choose None.
One app stays white: it may not support dark mode, or it has its own theme setting (see above).
Work or school PC: your organisation may lock the theme.
File Explorer looks half dark: install the latest updates in Settings > Windows Update, then restart. Older builds didn't make every dialog dark.

Dark Mode vs Night Light

They are different tools:

Dark mode changes the colours of windows and menus.
Night light keeps the colours but makes the whole screen warmer (less blue) and can switch on automatically in the evening.

You can use both together. If night light won't turn on or off, see night light not working in Windows 11. If the problem is that text looks too small or fuzzy rather than too bright, see text too small or blurry on Windows 11.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does dark mode save battery on a laptop?

It can help a little on laptops with OLED screens, where dark pixels use less power. On ordinary LCD screens the backlight stays on, so the difference is small. Lowering brightness saves far more.

Why is one app still white after I turned on dark mode?

Only apps that follow the Windows app mode switch automatically. Older desktop programs and some apps have their own theme setting, or no dark theme at all.

Can I have a dark taskbar and light apps?

Yes. In Settings > Personalization > Colors choose Custom, then set your default Windows mode to Dark and your default app mode to Light.

Can Windows 11 switch to dark mode automatically at night?

Windows 11 has no built-in schedule for dark mode. Night light, which warms the screen colours at night, does have a schedule.