How to Turn On Dark Mode on Windows 11
Switch Windows 11 to dark mode in Settings, Personalization, Colors. Here's the exact path, how to darken only apps or the taskbar, and how to schedule it.
To turn on dark mode in Windows 11, open Settings, Personalization, Colors, find “Choose your mode,” and pick Dark. That switches the Start menu, taskbar, Settings, and supported apps to a dark palette in one step. If you want only part of the system dark, choose Custom instead.
Turn it on
Open Settings (Win+I), go to Personalization, then Colors. At “Choose your mode,” select Dark and the change applies immediately — no restart. Your choice also tells apps that respect the system theme, like File Explorer and the Microsoft Store, to follow along. Picking Light switches everything back.
Darken only apps, or only the taskbar
Pick Custom under “Choose your mode” to split the two. “Choose your default Windows mode” controls the taskbar, Start, and Action Center; “Choose your default app mode” controls app windows.
| You want | Windows mode | App mode |
|---|---|---|
| Everything dark | Dark | Dark |
| Dark apps, light taskbar | Light | Dark |
| Dark taskbar, light apps | Dark | Light |
The taskbar follows the Windows mode, so a dark taskbar needs the Windows mode set to Dark.
Make it stick across apps
Some apps carry their own theme setting on top of Windows. Microsoft Office follows the system theme by default, or you can set it under File, Account, Office Theme. Chrome follows the Windows app mode automatically; if it does not, updating Chrome and relaunching usually syncs it. One thing Windows 11 still cannot do on its own is schedule dark mode by time of day — the Colors page has no scheduler. For that, Microsoft’s free PowerToys add-on includes Light Switch, which flips the theme on a fixed schedule or at sunset. While you are tidying the look, personalizing Windows 11 and removing bloatware pair well with a dark theme.
Dark mode is one toggle in Personalization, Colors; reach for Custom only when you want the taskbar and apps to differ. For automatic day-night switching, PowerToys is the add-on to install, since Windows has no built-in scheduler.
Common questions
How do I turn on dark mode for apps but keep the taskbar light?
Choose Custom under Settings, Personalization, Colors, “Choose your mode.” Set “default Windows mode” to Light (which keeps the taskbar and Start light) and “default app mode” to Dark.
Can I schedule dark mode to switch automatically?
Not with a built-in setting — Windows 11 has no scheduler on the Colors page. Install Microsoft PowerToys and use its Light Switch tool to flip the theme on a schedule or from sunrise to sunset. Night light only warms the screen color; it does not change the theme.
Does Windows dark mode darken Office and Chrome?
Office follows Windows by default, or set it in File, Account, Office Theme. Chrome follows the Windows app mode automatically; relaunch it if it has not caught up.
Why is the taskbar still light after I switched to Dark?
The taskbar follows the Windows mode, not the app mode. If you used Custom, set “default Windows mode” to Dark; on the plain Dark setting it should already be dark after a moment.