Because of 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 mild 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 have been required to unlock this (admittedly long-overdue) performance. Now, with Gentle Swap in tow, PC customers can effortlessly swap between mild and darkish UI states through a sizzling key, or, alternatively, have the system care for the method completely behind the scenes.

I welcome Gentle Swap for Home windows 11 with open arms

Despite the fact that Gentle Swap is not constructed straight into Home windows 11, it is nonetheless a helpful 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 essentially 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 throughout the app’s settings web page, there are alternatives to set darkish and lightweight mode switching on a manually-defined time foundation, or to have the utility swap themes routinely primarily based on the time of day.

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

Different configurable choices embrace the flexibility to pick out whether or not dark mode applies universally throughout the system, or solely to both shell interface components or to appropriate purposes. You can even 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 simple to change between mild and darkish modes through a keyboard hotkey. By default, the shortcut is about 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 alternate options, however I am nonetheless joyful to see a first-party theme switcher lastly make its solution to Home windows in any case these years. Certain, 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 completely attainable that Gentle Swap will ultimately be ported over to Home windows 11 correct.

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

The Gentle Swap instrument is out there inside Microsoft’s PowerToys software

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

1. Obtain and set up the PowerToys software from the Microsoft Store, if you have not already achieved 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, you may as well modify the theme toggle shortcut to whichever mixture you discover most handy. Moreover, you possibly can swap between computerized daylight-based and manually-defined theme swap cadences, in addition to modify which components of the working system darkish mode is utilized to when triggered.

Microsoft is lastly taking darkish mode critically

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

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

General, switching between mild and darkish modes inside Home windows 11 feels a bit sluggish when in comparison with the competitors, doubtless owing to the abundance of legacy desktop code layered beneath newer PC code. Maybe this unoptimized darkish mode toggling is the explanation 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 mild mode, making for a disjointed end-user expertise that feels completely 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 a number of 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 throughout the OS that do not adhere to the theming, even in 2025.

In the meanwhile, Gentle Swap is a stable addition to Home windows 11, and it could 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.