How to Turn On Windows 10 Dark Mode
91This video walks you through how to turn on Windows 10 dark mode. You'll learn how to activate Windows dark mode for applications, and also a dark theme for Windows Explorer.
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Video Transcript:
Applying a dark theme to your Windows computer reduces the stress on your eyes when working in a darker environment, and helps reduces eye strain if you have a sensitivity to brightness. There are two different things you have to do to get a decent Windows dark mode environment. The first enables a dark theme for most of your native Windows apps and some third-party apps. The second activates a dark mode for Windows Explorer.
Let's start with activating dark mode for native Windows apps and some third-party apps.
Step 1. Right-click anywhere on the Windows home screen to open a context menu. Click "Personalize" in the context menu. The Background screen opens.
Step 2. Click "Themes" in the list of menu options that appears beneath Personalization on the left side of the screen. The Themes screen appears.
Step 3. Click "Color" in the Current Theme section toward the top of the screen. The Colors screen appears.
Step 4. Scroll down to the bottom of the Colors screen, and then click to shade the inside of the radio selector to the left of "Dark" in the Choose Your Default App Mode section. The background will instantly change from white to black, and any text on the screen will instantly change from black to white. The dark mode will activate for most native Windows applications and some third-party applications, but not Windows explorer.
Now let's walk through how to turn on a dark theme for Windows explorer.
Step 1. Press the "Windows" and "i" keys on your keyboard at the same time to launch the Settings app.
Step 2. Select "Ease of Access" on the Settings screen. The Ease of Access screen opens to the Narrator screen.
Step 3. Select "Color and High Contrast" in the menu on the left side of the screen. The Color and High Contrast window appears on the right side of the screen.
Step 4. Click the Choose a Theme drop-down in the High Contrast section, and then select "High Contrast Black." Click "Apply" at the bottom of the Color and High Contrast screen to save your changes. Your screen will turn blue and display a Please Wait message in the center of it for a few seconds before you're returned to the Settings screen, where the High Contrast Black theme will be applied in part. You'll need to restart your computer to apply the High Contrast Black theme in full. For example, if you launch Windows Explorer without restarting your computer, the menus along the top and side of the window will appear in dark mode, but the dark theme won't be applied to the area inside of the window where the folders are displayed. After you reboot your computer (which will take a bit longer than normal), the dark theme will be applied in full when you launch Windows Explorer.