How to Enable Dark Mode in Windows 11

The short answer

Open Settings (press Windows + I), go to Personalization > Colors, and next to Choose your mode select Dark. Windows repaints instantly — the Start menu, taskbar, Settings, File Explorer and the notification centre all switch to a dark colour scheme, and every app that supports dark styling follows. There is nothing to save and no restart. The rest of this guide covers the same steps in detail, plus how to split Windows and app modes with Custom, put your accent colour on window title bars, and pair dark mode with contrast themes and Night light for genuine eye comfort.

This guide applies to:

Windows 11 Home, Pro, Education and Enterprise (all current feature updates)
Windows 11 on both x64 and Arm64 devices

Turn on dark mode (the quick way)

Press Windows + I to open Settings. (You can also right-click the desktop and choose Personalize to jump straight to the right place.)
In the left-hand list, select Personalization, then click Colors.
Find the Choose your mode drop-down at the top of the page.
Open the drop-down and select Dark.
The change takes effect immediately. Close Settings — you're done.

Fastest route of all

Right-click an empty part of the desktop, choose Personalize, then Colors. That skips the Settings home page and lands you one click from the Choose your mode menu.

The three options under Choose your mode, as listed in Microsoft's Personalize your colors in Windows support article, are:

Light — the bright default: light shell, light apps.
Dark — a dark colour scheme designed to be comfortable in low light, applied to both the Windows shell and supported apps.
Custom — lets you set the Windows shell and your apps independently. See below.

Split Windows and apps with Custom mode

If you want a dark taskbar and Start menu but light-coloured apps — or the reverse — choose Custom instead of Dark. Two extra drop-downs appear:

Set Choose your default Windows mode to Dark or Light. This controls the shell: Start, the taskbar, the notification centre and the system tray.
Set Choose your default app mode to Dark or Light. This controls the look of Windows apps such as Settings, File Explorer, Photos, Notepad and Store apps.

A popular combination is a dark Windows mode with a light app mode: you get the sleek dark taskbar and Start menu while documents and productivity apps stay on a bright, high-legibility background.

Put your accent colour on title bars and borders

Dark mode on its own leaves window title bars a fairly flat dark grey. To add a splash of colour and make the active window easier to pick out, turn on the accent colour for title bars:

Stay on Settings > Personalization > Colors.
Set Accent color to Manual and pick a colour, or leave it on Automatic to let Windows draw one from your wallpaper.
Turn on Show accent color on title bars and window borders.
Optionally turn on Show accent color on Start and taskbar — this switch is available when your Windows mode is set to Dark.

Tip: transparency effects

For the frosted, layered look that shows off dark mode, keep Transparency effects switched on (it sits just below the mode setting on the same Colors page). If you prefer solid, higher-contrast surfaces or you're on lower-powered hardware, turning it off can look crisper and save a little battery.

Note: not every app goes dark

Dark mode is a request, not a command. Windows switches its own shell and the apps built to follow the system setting — that includes most in-box apps and Microsoft Store apps. But many traditional desktop programs carry their own theme engines and ignore the system choice. In practice you may still need to switch some apps to dark from inside their own settings:

Microsoft Office apps have their own theme under File > Account > Office Theme (choose Black or Use system setting).
Browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Chrome have an Appearance setting that can match the system or be set separately.
Older win32 utilities may never offer a dark theme at all — that's a limitation of the app, not a mistake in your Windows setup.

Managed and work devices

On a device managed by your workplace or school, an administrator can lock personalization options through policy, and the Colors controls may appear greyed out. If you can't change the mode, that's the likely cause — contact your IT administrator rather than editing the registry blindly.

Dark mode vs. contrast themes — for readability, not just looks

Standard dark mode is cosmetic. If dark mode is about eye comfort or you find low-contrast interfaces hard to read, Windows 11's contrast themes are the accessibility-grade option. They apply high-visibility colour combinations across the whole system:

Open Settings > Accessibility > Contrast themes.
Open the Contrast themes drop-down and pick one of the four built-in themes: Aquatic, Desert, Dusk or Night Sky. Night Sky is the darkest, highest-contrast choice.
Click Apply. You can also select Edit to fine-tune individual colours for text, backgrounds, links and buttons, then save it as your own theme — the customisation flow set out in Microsoft's Change color contrast in Windows guide.

A contrast theme overrides the normal dark-mode palette, so you don't need both at once — pick contrast themes when readability matters more than the standard Windows look.

Pair dark mode with Night light for evening comfort

Dark mode changes which colours are on screen; Night light changes their temperature, cutting blue light so the display is easier on your eyes after dark. The two work well together.

Open Settings > System > Display.
Select Night light.
Drag the Strength slider to taste, then turn Schedule night light on to have it fade in each evening automatically (from sunset to sunrise, or between custom hours) — both scheduling choices are documented in Microsoft's Change display brightness and color in Windows article.

A note on scheduling dark mode itself

Windows 11 can schedule Night light, but it has no built-in schedule to flip the light/dark mode at set times. If you want dark mode to arrive automatically at sunset, that needs a third-party utility or a custom scheduled task — Night light is the supported, no-add-on way to soften the screen in the evening.

Quick recap

Turn it on: Settings > Personalization > Colors > Choose your mode > Dark.
Mix it: choose Custom to set Windows and app modes separately.
Add colour: enable Show accent color on title bars and window borders.
For readability: use Accessibility > Contrast themes.
For eye strain: add System > Display > Night light.
Changed your mind? See how to turn dark mode off — and stop it coming back.

Frequently asked

Does Windows 11 dark mode turn every app dark?

No. The setting changes the Windows shell — Start, the taskbar, Settings, File Explorer and the notification centre — and it switches on dark styling in apps that support it, such as Microsoft Store apps and most built-in apps. Older desktop programs that ship their own themes, and apps like some Office and browser tools, keep their own appearance until you change the theme inside that app separately.

What is the difference between Dark and Custom mode?

Dark applies a dark look to both the Windows shell and your apps at once. Custom lets you split the two: you choose a default Windows mode and a default app mode independently, so you can, for example, keep a dark taskbar and Start menu while your apps stay light, or the reverse.

Can I schedule dark mode to switch on automatically at night?

Windows 11 does not include a built-in schedule to flip between light and dark mode at set times. For easing eye strain in the evening, use Night light (Settings > System > Display > Night light), which reduces blue light on a schedule. Automatic light/dark switching requires a third-party tool or a scheduled task.

Is dark mode the same as a contrast theme?

No. Dark mode is a cosmetic dark colour scheme. Contrast themes are an accessibility feature (Settings > Accessibility > Contrast themes) that apply high-visibility colour combinations — such as the darkest Night Sky theme — designed for low vision or light sensitivity. A contrast theme overrides normal dark mode colours.

More Windows help

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