How to Customise Windows 11 Colours and Themes
Light/dark mode, accent colour, wallpaper and saved themes.
Customising Windows 11's look takes a couple of minutes and needs no extra program.
Light/dark mode and accent colour
- Settings → Personalisation → "Colours".
- Choose "Light", "Dark", or "Custom" (one for apps, another for Windows).
- Further down, choose your "Accent colour" — it will apply to buttons, links and highlighted elements throughout the system.
Wallpaper
Personalisation → "Background" → choose your own image, a solid colour, or a slideshow that changes automatically after a set time.
Full themes (background + sounds + colours at once)
Personalisation → "Themes" — Windows includes several pre-made ones, and you can save your own custom combination as a new theme to reapply it with a single click in the future.
Tip: dark mode isn't just aesthetic — it reduces the screen's overall brightness, which can be more comfortable on the eyes for long sessions or in low ambient light.
Frequently asked questions
Does customising the colours affect the machine's performance?
No, these are purely visual settings with no impact on the system's performance or speed.
Can I have dark mode in Windows and light mode in apps, or vice versa?
Yes, the 'Custom' option in Colours lets you choose a different mode for Windows and for apps separately.