Due to PowerToys, Home windows 11 darkish mode is lastly usable

After teasing the feature again in September, Microsoft has finally rolled out its anticipated Gentle Swap instrument for Windows 11. Bundled in with the newly-released model 0.95.0 of PowerToys, which is a free obtain over on the Microsoft Retailer, Gentle Swap brings with it the flexibility to routinely swap between gentle and darkish themes on the fly.

The release of Light Switch is notable because it marks the primary time a first-party auto-theme switcher has been constructed for the Windows platform — till now, third-party apps like AutoDarkMode had been required to unlock this (admittedly long-overdue) performance. Now, with Gentle Swap in tow, PC customers can effortlessly swap between gentle and darkish UI states by way of a scorching key, or, alternatively, have the system maintain the method solely behind the scenes.

I welcome Gentle Swap for Home windows 11 with open arms

Though Gentle Swap is not constructed straight into Home windows 11, it is nonetheless a priceless first-party instrument to have on the disposal

I have been utilizing Gentle Swap for the higher a part of a day now, and, for probably the most half, I am proud of the way it capabilities. The instrument is straightforward to configure, with sufficient choices to fulfill my basic itch for customization. From inside the app’s settings web page, there are alternatives to set darkish and light-weight mode switching on a manually-defined time foundation, or to have the utility swap themes routinely based mostly on the time of day.

The latter configuration, often known as Sundown to dawn, requires you to present PowerToys location entry. As soon as this permission is granted, it’s going to fetch coordinates that assist it decide the perfect time to modify themes based mostly in your present geolocation.

Different configurable choices embrace the flexibility to pick whether or not dark mode applies universally throughout the system, or solely to both shell interface components or to appropriate functions. You can too offset the theme switching set off on a minute-by-minute foundation, which could come in useful relying on particular person use case.

Lastly, the Shortcuts part makes it straightforward to modify between gentle and darkish modes by way of a keyboard hotkey. By default, the shortcut is ready to Home windows key + Ctrl + Shift + D, however I promptly switched it to Home windows key + Spacebar to streamline accessibility.

Gentle Swap is not fairly as feature-packed as some third-party options, however I am nonetheless completely happy to see a first-party theme switcher lastly make its strategy to Home windows in any case these years. Positive, it requires the set up of a separate app versus being constructed straight into the OS, nevertheless it does comply with Windows 11 design principles, and it does work reliably. Microsoft tends to make use of its PowerToys suite to check out options earlier than they hit the mainstream, and so it is solely attainable that Gentle Swap will ultimately be ported over to Home windows 11 correct.

Methods to arrange auto theme switching on Home windows 11 utilizing Gentle Swap

The Gentle Swap instrument is on the market inside Microsoft’s PowerToys utility

To get began with computerized gentle and darkish mode switching in your Home windows 11 PC, comply with these steps:

1. Obtain and set up the PowerToys utility from the Microsoft Store, if you have not already completed so.
2. Launch PowerToys.
3. Navigate to System Instruments > Gentle Swap.
4. Swap the Allow Gentle Swap toggle to the on place.

From inside this identical settings web page, it’s also possible to modify the theme toggle shortcut to whichever mixture you discover most handy. Moreover, you’ll be able to swap between computerized daylight-based and manually-defined theme swap cadences, in addition to modify which elements of the working system darkish mode is utilized to when triggered.

Microsoft is lastly taking darkish mode significantly

The corporate is working to deliver darkish theming to extra legacy Home windows interface components

Different working programs, together with macOS, iPadOS, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS have included the flexibility to routinely swap the system between gentle and darkish mode states for a few years now. With Gentle Swap for PowerToys, Home windows is definitely enjoying catch-up on this division.

Total, switching between gentle and darkish modes inside Home windows 11 feels a bit sluggish when in comparison with the competitors, probably owing to the abundance of legacy desktop code layered beneath newer PC code. Maybe this unoptimized darkish mode toggling is the rationale Microsoft has been hesitant to deliver auto-switching to the Home windows platform till now.

The opposite ache level right here is to do with consistency: regardless of Windows delivery with a darkish mode for the higher a part of a decade now, many UI components proceed to stick solely to gentle mode, making for a disjointed end-user expertise that feels solely unpolished.

Fortunately, this seems to be altering, and I could not be happier. In a recent Windows Insider blog post, Microsoft formally showcased new darkish mode dialogues for legacy interface components just like the Run immediate, file switch progress, file deletion, and several other error home windows. I sincerely hope to see this effort to darken Home windows’ darkish mode be accelerated, as there are nonetheless many screens inside the OS that do not adhere to the theming, even in 2025.

In the interim, Gentle Swap is a strong addition to Home windows 11, and it might solely get higher if Microsoft improves the visible consistency and efficiency of theme switching at a platform degree within the coming months. I do have one further request for Microsoft: please add a theme switching fast setting tile to Home windows’ Quick Settings pane, for further comfort on high of shortcut keys.