How to Change the Theme in Windows 11

Microsoft has completely overhauled the Windows 11 user interface, making it more customizable. However, the developer has also changed the menu structure and options available to Windows users to customize the user interface. Despite these changes, themes are still the easiest and most efficient way to change the look of your operating system’s interface.

Windows themes can change the wallpaper, system sounds, accent color, and even the slider. The operating system comes with several stock themes to choose from and more can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store.

Change the theme from Windows 11 settings

Changing the active theme only takes a few minutes. Here are the steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Open the Windows Settings app. You can do this by opening the Start menu, typing Settings in the search box, and clicking on the app.

2nd step: Go to the Personalization section of the menu. You can also access this menu by right clicking on a free area of ​​your desktop and selecting Personalize.

Step 3: Tap one of the thumbnails on the right to change the theme. These are all presets or the ones that have been downloaded from the store.

Once you click on a thumbnail, the theme will be applied immediately. Pay attention to the white or black square in the lower right corner of each thumbnail. These will indicate whether a theme has dark or light app backgrounds. Additionally, the line color at the bottom of the square is the theme’s accent color.

If you want more personalization, go to the Personalization menu and click on Themes. This will allow you to create a custom theme from scratch or load an existing theme and modify it. Once you click on Themes, you’ll be taken to a settings screen that lets you customize everything from the wallpaper to the mouse cursor.

Customize a Windows 11 theme

Here’s how to polish the different elements of your theme. You can change the wallpaper by following these steps:

Step 1: Select Background on the Themes page.

2nd step: Open the drop-down menu next to Customize your background.

Step 3: Choose a solid color, a slideshow of the files in your Photos folder, a specific image, or choose one of your photos.

Step 4: Open the drop-down menu in the Choose a fit for your desktop image section to define how the image will be displayed.

Windows 11 can use any image or photo as the desktop background. However, images that are smaller than your standard desktop resolution may not fit properly.

You can change the colors by clicking Color in the Themes menu and following the instructions below:

Step 1: Choose the general UI lighting mode from the Choose your mode drop-down menu. Selecting Dark will make most Explorer backgrounds and apps dark gray or black. The Light option will make them white.

2nd step: Change the accent color using the Accent Color drop-down menu. If you set it to automatic, the operating system will detect the predominant color of your wallpaper and select it by default. If you select Manual, you will be able to choose one of the 48 preset colors or define your own using the Show Colors button.

Step 3: Use the Show your color on startup and taskbar slider to change the color of these two elements to the accent color. If you have set the accent color to Automatic, their color will change when you set another background.

Step 6: Enable the Show accent color on title bars and window borders option to also color the top of windows and give them a subtle border effect as well. This color will also change depending on the accent color setting.

Once you’re happy with the changes you’ve made to a theme, be sure to go back to the top of the Themes screen and tap Save. This will store your settings for later use.

The Themes menu also allows users to modify mouse cursor and sounds. You can modify them according to your preferences.

Personalize Windows 11 to reflect your personality

You need to follow these main steps to completely change your Windows 11 theme and give your operating system a unique look. Depending on your preference, you can download predefined themes from the Microsoft Store or design them yourself. Once you’ve created a theme and saved it, you’ll be able to access it anytime. This will automatically restore all of your settings, making it easy for you to make your operating system look different every day of the week.