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How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows 10

Windows gives you plenty of appearance options

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What to Know

  • Click Start > Settings > Personalization > Colors , and select a custom color. 
  • Check the Start , taskbar , and action center checkbox in the color settings, and the taskbar will change to your custom color.
  • If the default Windows mode is on Light , you can’t choose a custom color.

This article explains how to change the color of the taskbar in Windows 10.

Brothers91 / E+ / Getty

Windows 10 gives you the ability to choose the color of your taskbar. If you don’t want fine control over the color, simply switching between light and dark mode will change the color of your taskbar. You can also access Windows settings via the Start Menu for some color personalization options, including the ability to change the taskbar color to whatever you like.

Here’s how to change the taskbar color in Windows 10:

Click Start > Settings .

Click Personalization .

Click Colors .

Click the Choose your color drop down, and select Custom .

Switching from Light to Dark or the other way around will immediately change your taskbar color.

Under Choose your default Windows mode , click Dark .

Click Custom color .

Use the color picker to choose your custom color, and click Done .

Check Start, taskbar, and action center .

Your taskbar will now reflect the custom color you chose.

Why Can’t I Change the Color of My Taskbar?

If you can’t change the taskbar color in Windows 10, first make sure you have fully updated Windows. To change the taskbar color, you need to have the Windows 10 1903 feature update or newer. If you’re fully up to date, you need to make sure you set Choose Your Color to Custom and set Windows Mode to Dark .

You can set App Mode to either Light or Dark, but you won’t be able to change the color of the taskbar if you've set Windows Mode to Light. If the Start, taskbar, and action center box in your color settings are grayed out, it’s usually because Windows Mode is on the Light setting.

Why Has My Taskbar Changed Color in Windows 10?

If you’ve noticed your taskbar color changed in Windows 10, you probably switched from dark mode to light mode. When you change between those two modes, the taskbar will automatically change colors. When the 1903 feature update arrived, introducing the ability to customize your taskbar color, it may have altered automatically at that time as well.

When you navigate to Settings > Personalization > Color , you can choose your accent color or allow Windows 10 to select an accent color from your background. If you have that box checked, then the taskbar may change color automatically from time to time. It will also change color whenever you switch to a new background image, especially if the color it was using before is no longer present in the current background.

If you want to go back to the old taskbar color, you can choose the custom color option from the colors menu and manually set the old color. When you set the color manually, the taskbar color will stay that color until you choose to change it or until another feature update alters Windows settings.

To change the taskbar color in Windows 7, click Start > Control Panel , then select Change the Theme . Select Windows Color , then choose a color from the Window Color and Appearance box. To make your taskbar color solid, uncheck Enable Transparency .

To change the taskbar color in Windows 8, press Windows key + C to bring up the Charms menu , then select Settings > Personalization . Under Change the color of your window borders, Start Menu, and taskbar , click the color tile of your choosing. Use the intensity slider to customize the color, or click Show Color Mixer to mix your own color.

To move the taskbar in Windows 10 , right-click any blank space on your taskbar and select Taskbar Settings . Under Taskbar location on screen , select Left , Right , Top , or Bottom .

To make the taskbar smaller in Windows 10 , first right-click the taskbar and make sure Lock the taskbar isn't checked. Click and hold the top of the taskbar until you see an arrow, then drag downward to make the taskbar smaller. To make it even smaller, right-click a blank space on the taskbar, select Taskbar Settings , and toggle on Use small taskbar buttons .

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How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows

Princess Angolluan

Personalizing your Windows PC allows you to tailor your computing experience to your preferences and needs. One way to do this is to change the taskbar color. Besides adding a personal touch, changing the color can also help improve screen visibility. This tutorial demonstrates how to change the taskbar color in Windows.

Good to know : dealing with an unresponsive taskbar in Windows ? Check out our list of solutions to fix the issue.

How to Set Custom Taskbar Colors

How to change the taskbar color using a theme, how to save your taskbar color to a theme, how to further modify the taskbar color.

The simplest way to change the taskbar color on your Windows PC is to go through the Settings app.

Right-click the Start button and choose Settings from the WinX menu. Navigate to Personalization -> Colors .

Windows color settings under Personalization

Click the drop-down menu for Choose your mode , and select Dark (or Custom ).

Switching Windows display mode to

Scroll down to the Accent color section, and select your preferred hue from the color options.

Selecting an accent color in Windows Personalization.

Switch on the slider for Show accent color on Start and taskbar to apply your changes.

Note : this option will appear disabled if you’ve selected Light mode above. It’s only available if you’ve opted for Dark or Custom mode.

Enabling

If you’re on Windows 10, tick the checkbox for Start, taskbar, and action center under Show accent color on the following surfaces under Settings -> Personalization -> Colors on the Settings app.

Tip : check out these awesome 4K desktop backgrounds for Windows .

If you can’t find a color you like from the options above, add a custom one. Click the View colors button next to Custom colors .

Clicking the

Drag the color picker around the Choose a custom accent color box to select a new hue. Windows will prompt you if the color is too light or dark to where it would impede on the proper visibility of your PC’s display.

Picking a custom accent color from Windows Personalization.

You can also enter a hex color code (if you want to import a color you’ve previously used), or enter the exact RGB color values. Expand the More drop-down to access these settings.

Extra options view while selecting custom taskbar color in Windows Personalization.

If you’re striving to give your desktop an aesthetic look, but you’re not confident that you can pick the right color schemes, you can install a theme so that you don’t have to worry about it. Windows offers a handful by default, yet if you’re not a fan of any of those, you can get more.

Navigate to Settings -> Personalization -> Themes . Under the Current theme section, click the Browse themes button on the right side of Get more themes from Microsoft Store.

Clicking

Browse the available options on the Microsoft Store. Click on your choice, then the Get button to get it on your PC.

Themes view in Microsoft Store.

Once you activate the theme, it will change your taskbar color automatically to a color that will naturally match the desktop wallpaper and accents. The advantage here is that you can have a taskbar of a different color in combination with a Light theme, something you can’t do if you decide to use the first method.

FYI : learn how to further customize your Windows desktop with Rainmeter .

It’s also possible to save a custom taskbar color to a theme. This way, you can quickly bring it back if you switch themes later.

Open Settings -> Personalization -> Themes . Under Color is the hue you’ve selected for your taskbar. Click on it to change it, if desired.

Option to modify the Windows accent color under the Themes section.

Click the Save button. In the Save a theme dialog box, name your theme, then press Save . Then, click the Save button in the dialog box.

Naming a custom theme on Windows.

If you want to bring it back in the future, navigate to the same location, and click your custom theme under the Current theme option.

Once you’ve set a new taskbar color, you can further customize and modify this hue by accessing several presets from the Accessibility menu. Think of it as adding filters that could give an interesting look to your taskbar.

Note : these presets are actually designed to help people with color blindness and other eye problems.

Navigate to Settings -> Accessibility -> Color filter . Select one of the Color filter options.

Turning on color filters on Windows

If you’re using Windows 10, open the Settings app, and navigate to Ease of Access -> Color filters. Under the Use color filters section, switch off the slider to Turn on color filters.

Tip : find out how to set Bing wallpapers as your default desktop background.

Working With a Personalized Taskbar

Good taskbar customization doesn’t stop at changing its colors, as you can go further than that. Why not try to add separators between your taskbar icons for better organization, too? If your taskbar icons go missing , learn how to troubleshoot the issue.

Image credit: Freepik . All screenshots by Princess Angolluan.

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Princess Angolluan

Princess is a freelance writer based in Croatia. She used to work as an English teacher in Hokkaido, Japan before she finally changed careers and focused on content writing & copywriting, while running their own digital marketing company in Europe. For 5 years, she has written many articles and web pages on various niches like technology, finance, digital marketing, etc. Princess loves playing FPS games, watching anime, and singing.

Featured image depicting OneDrive being turned off on a Windows device. Image courtesy Freepik.

how to change windows taskbar color

Personalize Windows colors

You can personalize the color for window title bars and borders, the Start button, or the taskbar.

Open Colors setting

These settings allow you to:

Change the colors that appear in Windows and the apps by choosing a mode that’s Light , Dark , or Custom .

Personalize the colors of the Start button and taskbar (this option is only available if you select Dark or Custom as your Windows color).

Choose accent colors to contrast with—or match—your wallpaper and Windows color.

Show accent colors for window title bars and borders.

To learn more, see Change colors in Windows .

Open Colors setting

Choose a Windows color (for a variety of surfaces that you see when you use Windows) that's Light , Dark , or Custom .

Personalize the colors of the Start button, taskbar, and action center (this option is only available if you select Dark or Custom as your Windows color).

Choose accent colors to contrast with or match your wallpaper and Windows color.

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How-To Geek

How to customize the taskbar in windows 10.

The Windows 10 taskbar works much like previous Windows versions, offering shortcuts and icons for every running app.

Quick Links

Pin apps to the taskbar, pin a file or folder to taskbar jump lists, configure or remove the search box, remove the task view button, hide system icons in the notification area, hide application icons in the notification area, move the taskbar to a different edge of the screen, change the size of the taskbar, use small icons to fit more on the taskbar, show labels for taskbar icons, change the color and transparency of the taskbar, enable the peek feature, add a toolbar to the taskbar, configure the taskbar for multiple displays, key takeaways.

  • Customize the taskbar by pinning apps and shortcuts for easy access. Right-click an app's icon to pin it or drag the app icon to the taskbar.
  • Utilize jump lists for quick access to folders and files on the taskbar. Right-click an icon to view the jump list and pin items to it.
  • Personalize the taskbar by removing the search box, hiding system icons, moving the taskbar, changing its size, and adjusting its color and transparency in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.

The Windows 10 taskbar works much like previous Windows versions, offering shortcuts and icons for every running app. Windows 10 offers all kinds of ways to customize the taskbar to your liking, and we're here to guide you through what you can do.

We've taken a look at customizing the Start menu and the Action Center in Windows 10. Now, it's time to tackle the taskbar. With just a little bit of work, you can tweak the taskbar to get it running just how you like it.

The simplest way to customize your taskbar is by pinning various apps and shortcuts to it so that you can access them more quickly in the future. There are two ways to do this. The first is to open the program, either from the Start menu or an existing shortcut. When the app's icon appears on the taskbar to indicate it's running, right-click the icon and select the "Pin to taskbar" option from the context menu.

Right-click the icon of an open app and select

The second way to pin an app to the taskbar does not require the app to be running first. Find the app on the Start menu, right-click the app, point to "More," and then choose the "Pin to taskbar" option you find there. You could also drag the app icon to the taskbar if you prefer doing it that way.

Right-click an app, go to

This will immediately add a new shortcut for the app to the taskbar. To remove an app from the taskbar, right-click the pinned app and choose the "Unpin from taskbar" option.

Right-click a pinned icon, then select

Windows also provides an easy way to get access to folders — and individual files — on your taskbar. Jump lists are handy context menus associated with each pinned app that show certain actions you can perform with the app and, for apps where it's applicable, also show a list of recent files and folders you've accessed. You can view an app's jump list by right-clicking an icon.

For example, the jump list for the File Explorer icon lets you open a new File Explorer window and shows recent folders you've viewed and folders you've pinned. Just point your mouse at a recent item to reveal a pushpin icon to its right. Click the pushpin to pin the item to the jump list.

Click the pin next to a folder.

By the way, if you want to view the conventional context menu for an icon on the taskbar, hold the Shift key while right-clicking the icon. This is particularly useful for configuring any folder shortcuts you've pinned there. And this is just one of the many useful keyboard shortcuts you can use with the taskbar.

When you've pinned items to a jump list, those items appear separately from recent items. All you have to do is click one of them to open that folder. And of course, exactly what you see on a jump list depends on the app. Apps like Notepad or Microsoft Word show recently opened files. A jump list for your browser might show favorite sites and provide actions for opening new tabs or windows.

By default, Windows 10 shows about 12 recent items in jump lists. In previous versions of Windows, you could increase or decrease that number easily through taskbar properties. Windows 10, for some reason, does not have this feature easily accessible. You can, however, change the number of items shown on jump lists with a quick Registry hack .

The search box takes up a lot of room on the taskbar, and you don't need it to do your searching. Even without it, if you press the Windows key and start typing, you'll get the same search experience. If you want to perform a voice search — normally accessed by clicking the microphone icon in the search box — you just have to press Windows+C on your keyboard instead.

You can remove the search box and leave just the icon, or you can remove both entirely. Right-click the taskbar and choose "Search" to see the options.

Right-click the Taskbar, mouse over

Choose the "Hidden" option to remove both the search box and icon or choose "Show Search Icon" to have just the icon on the taskbar.

The "Task View" button provides access to a thumbnail view of all your open apps and windows. It also lets you work with virtual desktops and shows you your Timeline if you enabled that.

The results of clicking the Task View button.

But you don't need a button to do this. Simply press Windows+Tab to access the same interface. To save a little taskbar space and get rid of the button, right-click the taskbar and turn off the "Show Task View button" option.

Right-click the Taskbar and untick

The Notification Area (sometimes called the "System Tray") holds system icons — like your Action Center and clock — and icons for various apps that run in the background. You can easily tweak which system icons appear in the Notification Area. Right-click any open area on the taskbar and then click "Taskbar Settings." On the taskbar settings page, scroll down a bit to the "Notification Area" section and click the "Turn system icons on or off" link.

Select

You'll see a list of system icons. Run through them and toggle each one on or off to suit your needs.

Some system icons that can be toggled.

Many of the apps you install in Windows are designed to run in the background. They're not things you need to interact with regularly, so instead of appearing directly on your taskbar, their icons are relegated to the Notification area. This lets you know they're running and gives you quick access when you need it. A few of these appear right in the Notification Area to the left of the clock. Others are hidden, but you can see them by clicking the up arrow to the left.

Click the chevron to see hidden icons.

You can quickly customize where these icons appear by dragging them between these two locations. For example, you might prefer that your OneDrive icon is always visible, in which case you'd drag it to the main Notification Area. You can also hide less important icons by dragging them to the hidden area.

Drag icon in or out of the hidden area.

You can also work with these icons through the settings interface. Right-click any open area of the taskbar and choose the "Settings" option. Scroll down and click the "Select which icons appear on the taskbar" link.

Click

If you want to remove the hidden area and see all the icons all the time, turn on the "Always show all icons in the notification area" option. If you leave that setting off, you can also run through the list and turn individual apps on or off. Just note that turning an app off here doesn't remove it from the Notification Area altogether. When an app is turned off, it shows up in the hidden area. When it's on, it shows up in the main Notification Area.

A list of toggleable icons that can appear on your Taskbar.

The bottom edge of the screen is the default location of the taskbar in Windows 10, but you can move it. If you've got an extra-wide display — or multiple displays — you may find it nicer having the taskbar on the right or left edge of a display. Or maybe you prefer it at the top. You can move the taskbar in one of two ways. The first is just to drag it. Right-click the taskbar and turn off the "Lock the taskbar" option. If you have multiple displays you'll see "Lock All Taskbars" instead.

Select

Then, you can grab the taskbar in an empty area and drag it to any edge of your display.

Taskbar on the left side of the screen.

The other way to change the taskbar location is through the settings interface. Right-click on any empty area of the taskbar and choose "Taskbar Settings." In the taskbar settings window, scroll down and find the "Taskbar location on screen" drop-down menu. You can choose any of the four sides of the display from this menu.

Click the drop-down menu to change the Taskbar location.

You can also resize the taskbar to get a little additional space. This can be particularly handy if you moved it to the right or left edge of your screen, but it's also good if you just want space for loads of icons. Right-click the taskbar and turn off the "Lock the taskbar" option. Then place your mouse at the top edge of the taskbar and drag to resize it just like you would with a window. You can increase the size of the taskbar up to about half your screen size.

Click the Taskbar's edge and drag to resize it.

If you want a few more icons on your taskbar, but aren't keen on resizing it, you can configure Windows 10 to show small taskbar icons. Right-click on any empty area of the taskbar and click "Taskbar Settings." In the settings window, turn on the "Use small taskbar icons" option.

Go to the

As you can see, almost everything is the same except that the icons are smaller and you can cram a few more into the space. One difference you should note is that when you're using the smaller icons, the taskbar itself shrinks a bit vertically. As a result, only the clock is shown and not the date as well. But you can always hover your mouse over the clock or click it to check the date. This also applies if you've set your taskbar to display labels instead of just icons.

Tiny taskbar labels and icons.

By default, the taskbar groups icons for windows of the same app and doesn't show labels for those icons. This saves a lot of taskbar space but can make it difficult for newer users to recognize icons. You can have Windows show text labels, but the downside is that you also lose the grouping of related icons. To do this, right-click on an empty area of the taskbar and click "Taskbar Settings." In the settings window, look for the "Combine taskbar buttons" drop-down menu.

The

The menu gives you three choices:

  • Always, hide labels . This is the Windows default setting. When it's selected, all windows for an app are grouped on the taskbar, and no labels are shown.
  • When taskbar is full . This is a middle-range setting. When selected, windows are not grouped, and labels are shown unless the taskbar becomes full. When it fills up, it reverts to the "Always, hide labels" functionality.
  • Never . When selected, windows are never grouped, and labels are always shown. You can see this setting in action below. Note that instead of a single File Explorer icon and a single Chrome icon, I now have two of each and the titles of the windows are displayed as labels.

In Windows 10, the default color of the taskbar is black. To change the color, press Windows+I to open the settings interface. In the main Settings window, click "Personalization."

Select

In the Personalization window, scroll down until you see the colors.

You'll see two options for controlling the taskbar — along with the Action Center and Start menu. Use the "Transparency Effects" toggle to choose whether those items should be transparent or opaque. When the "Start, taskbar, and action center" option is turned off, those items use the default black color. When you turn that option on, those items use the color you've picked in the color chooser at the top or, if you have the "Automatically pick an accent color from my background" option turned on, the color Windows has chosen.

Tick

By the way, Windows doesn't offer any controls to adjust the transparency of the taskbar, Start menu, and Action Center. If you don't mind making a quick Registry hack, though, you can make those items a bit more transparent than the default.

The Peek feature was introduced back with Windows 7 to let users quickly peek through all open applications to view the desktop. In previous versions, it was turned on by default. In Windows 10, you have to turn it on. Right-click on any empty area of the taskbar and click "Settings." In the settings window, turn on the cumbersomely named "Use Peek to preview the desktop when you move your mouse to the Show desktop button at the end of the taskbar" option.

Use peak option on Windows 10 taskbar.

With the Peek option turned on, you can move your mouse to the tiny sliver of space at the far right of the taskbar to hide all your windows and show you your desktop. When you move the mouse away, your windows return to their previous state. You can also click this area to automatically minimize all your windows so that you can actually do things on the desktop. Click the area again to restore your windows. You can also use the Windows+D keyboard shortcut to do the same thing as clicking the Peek area.

Windows also allows you to add toolbars to the taskbar. A toolbar is essentially a shortcut to a folder on your system, but the shortcut is displayed as the same kind of toolbar you might see in a browser or other app. You can access toolbars by right-clicking the taskbar and then pointing to the "Toolbars" submenu.

Right-click the taskbar and select

There are three toolbars built in:

  • Address . The address toolbar adds a simple address box to your taskbar. Type an address in it just like you would in your browser and the resulting page will open in your default browser.
  • Links . The links toolbar adds items found in your Internet Explorer favorites list.
  • Desktop . The desktop toolbar provides access to items stored on your desktop.

Below, you can see what the Address and Desktop toolbars look like when they're turned on. Instead of expanding the Desktop toolbar to show any icons, I reduced its size and use the double arrow to open a pop-up menu with all the items.

You can also add a custom toolbar that points to any folder on your system. This can be a great way of adding quick, taskbar access to items you regularly need. To create a toolbar, all you have to do is select the "New toolbar" option from the Toolbars submenu and point it to a folder.

If you use multiple displays, you'll be happy to know that Windows 10 includes decent customization controls for using your taskbar across multiple monitors. You can have a taskbar shown on only one display, a single taskbar stretched across all displays and even a separate taskbar for each display that only shows the apps open on that display. To tweak all this, right-click any open area of the taskbar and choose "Taskbar Settings." In the settings window, scroll all the way to the bottom to find the controls for multiple displays.

The options for controlling the Taskbar on multiple displays.

If you leave the "Show taskbar on all displays" option turned off — which is the default setting — then you'll see a single taskbar on your primary monitor only. All open windows for apps are shown on that taskbar, regardless of which display the windows are open on. Turn that option on to have a taskbar shown on all your displays and also open up the other options below.

The "Show taskbar buttons on" drop-down menu contains three options:

  • All taskbars . When you select this setting, the taskbar will be the same on every display. Each display's taskbar will show all open windows, no matter which display they're open on.
  • Main taskbar and taskbar where window is open . When you select this setting, the taskbar on your primary display will always show all open windows from all displays. Each additional display's taskbar will only show windows open on that display.
  • Taskbar where window is open . When you select this setting, each display — including your primary display — gets its own independent taskbar. Open windows are only shown on the taskbar on the display on which the window is open.

The "Combine buttons on other taskbars" option works much like the same option we covered earlier when we talked about adding labels to taskbar icons. The reason this option is here is so that you can have one option set for your primary display and a different option set for your other displays. For example, say you had three monitors. One is a large display, and the other two are smaller. You might want to have taskbar buttons not combined on your primary display — where you have lots of space — but combined on the smaller monitors.

Hopefully, these tips should get you much closer to turning the taskbar into something that meets your individual needs.

  • PC & Mobile

How to Change the Windows 10 Taskbar Color

how to change windows taskbar color

Lee Stanton Lee Stanton is a versatile writer with a concentration on the software landscape, covering both mobile and desktop applications as well as online technologies. Read more February 2, 2021

Windows 10 offers a wide range of customization options, including the ability to change the taskbar color, size, and contrast. However, finding all the settings in a relatively new Windows version can be challenging.

How to Change the Windows 10 Taskbar Color

But don’t worry. We’re here to help.

In this article, we provide a step-by-step guide to changing the Windows 10 taskbar color, size, and contrast. Plus, we’ll list the most common mistakes that occur when customizing the Windows 10 taskbar.

To customize the Windows 10 taskbar color, follow the easy steps below.

how to change windows taskbar color

Windows 10 offers “Light”, “Dark” and “Custom” color modes. “Light” mode is basically a standard theme and is best suited for bright spaces, setting a white color for the start button, taskbar, action center, and most apps. “Dark” does the job in darker settings, making buttons and apps black/dark grey. The “Custom” option provides a combination of any wallpaper and accent color. The “Light” mode does not support the taskbar color change – any chosen color will appear grey.

how to change windows taskbar color

Select the accent color.

Accent color applies to the “Start” button, taskbar, action center, title bars, and window borders.

There are four options to select it manually. Choose color among suggested by clicking under “Recent colors” or “Windows colors”. To set a different color, click “Custom color”.

Clicking “Automatically pick an accent color from my background” allows Windows to select a suitable color based on your wallpaper.

Select surfaces to show the accent color on.

how to change windows taskbar color

Select “Show accent color on the following surfaces” and tick one of the following or both – “Start, taskbar, and action center” or “Title bars and window borders”.

How to Change the Windows 10 Taskbar Color Without Activation

Personalizing Windows 10 without activation is slightly more complicated, but possible through the Registry Editor. Below is a guide on how to make Windows 10 select the accent color automatically to complement the background. To set a background image, simply right-click on any image from your files and select “Set as a background”. Then, follow these steps:

how to change windows taskbar color

  • Close the Registry Editor and restart the File Explorer.

With the theme and taskbar color set up, you might want a few more tips on how to personalize your desktop on Windows 10.

How to Resize the Windows 10 Taskbar

To change the height of the taskbar:

how to change windows taskbar color

  • Click and drag the cursor up or down to change the height.
  • Release the mouse button.

how to change windows taskbar color

This step is optional and will help to prevent accidentally changing the taskbar size.

To change the width of the taskbar:

  • Switch the taskbar to the vertical position.
  • Move the cursor to the edge of the taskbar.
  • The pointer cursor will change to a resize cursor, a two-sided arrow.
  • Click and drag the cursor left or right to change the height.

how to change windows taskbar color

Other Customization Options

Windows is an incredibly versatile OS so there are a lot of things you can do with your Windows 10 Taskbar. Let’s review a few more to perfect your machine’s interface.

Resize Your Icons

You can actually resize your icons. You can actually make them smaller by going into the computer’s settings just as we did above. Select the option for ‘Personalization’ then select the option for ‘Taskbar.’ Next, toggle the switch for ‘Use small taskbar buttons.’

Customize the System Tray

If you’d like to get rid of the clock or a notification icon simply head over to your system’s Settings and click on the ‘Personalization’ option, then click on ‘Taskbar.’ Click ‘Select which icons appear in the taskbar’ and toggle off the ones you’d like to remove (or toggle on the ones you would like to see).

Hide Cortana

You can hide the Cortana Search Bar by right-clicking the taskbar and clicking on the option for ‘Search.’ From here, you’ll see the ‘Hidden’ option. Click it and Cortana will disappear from the taskbar.

Frequently Asked Questions

As we mentioned above, we’ve included more information about the Windows 10 Taskbar in this section!

How Do I Increase My Contrast on Windows 10?

• Click the “Start” button.

how to change windows taskbar color

• Click “Settings” > “Ease of Access” > “High contrast”.

how to change windows taskbar color

• Select the “Turn on high contrast” toggle button.

how to change windows taskbar color

• Select a theme from the suggested options

how to change windows taskbar color

• Select the “Turn on high contrast” toggle button again. Windows may display a “Please wait” screen between the steps. To quickly switch from the high contrast to ordinary mode, press the left Alt key + left Shift key + Print screen.

In case none of the suggested color themes are a good fit for you, Windows offers an option of creating a custom theme by varying colors of screen elements such as hyperlinks, selected text, and button text in the “Choose a theme” dropdown menu.

Why Can’t I Change the Color of My Taskbar in Windows 10?

There are several common reasons why the taskbar color fails to change. First, check whether the “Light” mode is selected. Custom accent colors are not supported in this mode, so you have to go back to the theme menu and select “Dark” or “Custom”.

The second most common reason is the wrong choice of theme. Some themes found online might be interfering with the Windows 10 taskbar color settings, resulting in wrong color codes being selected. To fix it, try choosing a custom accent color instead of an automatically picked color. If this does not help, pick a different theme and restart your PC.

The third reason is that the color filter is selected. Windows 10 allows you to set a color filter for disabled access. In case the accent color you have picked is not displaying correctly, chances are the filter is on.

Here’s how to remedy the issue:

• Click “Settings” in the “Start” menu and select “Ease of Access”.

how to change windows taskbar color

• Click “Color filters”.

how to change windows taskbar color

• Find “Turn on color filters” and turn off the toggle button beside it.

how to change windows taskbar color

Finally, your display driver might need an update. To update display drivers:

• Find in the “Search” box “Device Manager” and click it.

how to change windows taskbar color

• Find the “Display Adapters” option, click it, and find your display name.

how to change windows taskbar color

• Right-click on the display name and select “Update driver”.

how to change windows taskbar color

• Follow the instructions on the screen.

• Restart your PC.

Colorful Solutions

Increasing display contrast and changing the taskbar height serve a practical purpose, while changing the theme and color of the Windows 10 taskbar can truly brighten up your desktop and help it stand out. Hopefully, they are now adapted to your preference.

Let us know if you’ve experienced any issues related to the Windows 10 personalization and how you fixed them! Do you have additional tips to add a dash of color to a PC? Share your experiences in comments section below!

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How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 11

Changing the taskbar color is a simple yet effective way to add your touch to the digital canvas. Whether you’re a minimalist or a fan of bold statements, the color of the taskbar sets the tone for your Windows experience. In this article, we will guide you on how to change the taskbar color in Windows 11.

Change Taskbar Color in Windows 11

Changing your taskbar color lets you personalize your digital environment, boosting productivity and enhancing the overall user experience. It’s not just about looks; it’s about tailoring your device to suit your style and workflow seamlessly.

There are two ways to change the color of the taskbar. We will explain both methods in detail with step-by-step instructions. Let’s begin.

Method 1: Use Personalization Settings to Change Color of Taskbar

Changing the taskbar color using personalization settings on Windows 11 is straightforward. Follow the below steps.

Step 1 : Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Settings , and click Open.

Type Settings

Step 2 : Navigate to Personalization and choose Colors from the right pane. 

Choose Colors

Step 3 : Click the Chevron (arrow) icon beside ‘Choose your mode’ and choose Custom.

Choose Custom

Step 4 : From the expanded menu, next to ‘Choose your default Windows mode,’ select Dark. 

Note : Under ‘Choose your default app mode,’ you’re free to select either Light or Dark as your preference.

Select Dark

Step 5 : Now, scroll down to the Accent color section, pick a color of your choice for the taskbar from the grid, and click on it. 

Note : If you don’t like any color from the grid, scroll down a bit, click on View colors, and custom-pick a color. 

Pick a color

Step 6 : Finally, turn on the toggle for ‘Show accent color on Start and taskbar.’

Note : Accent colors don’t apply to the taskbar in Light Windows mode.

Toggle on

So, if the ‘Show accent color on Start and taskbar’ option is greyed out, ensure that you have selected Dark mode under ‘Choose your default Windows mode’ in the above settings.

That’s it. The accent color is applied to the taskbar immediately. If you want to do the same to the windows’ border or title bar, toggle on the ‘Show accent color on title bars and windows’ border option. If, however, you want to go back to default settings, you can always choose the pre-set themes.

Also Read : Best ways to ungroup Taskbar icons in Windows 11

Method 2: Change Themes to Change Taskbar Color

When you change themes on Windows 11, it inherently also changes the color of your taskbar. Let’s follow the below-mentioned steps.

Step 2 : Navigate to Personalization and choose Themes from the right pane.

Choose Themes

Step 3 : Under Themes, go through the options and choose any theme. 

Note :   Additionally, you can select free or paid themes from the Microsoft Store by clicking the Browse themes button.

Choose any of the themes

There you go. This theme has now been applied, and the color of your taskbar should have changed. If you want to change the color of not only the taskbar but also of other components, such as the start menu, continue reading.

How to Change Accent Color in Windows 11

Step 2 : Navigate to Personalization and choose Colors from the right pane.

Step 3 : Scroll down to the Accent color section, click on the chevron (arrow) icon, and choose Manual from the drop-down menu.

Choose Manual

Step 4 : Now, pick a color of your choice for your taskbar from the grid and click on it.

Note : If you don’t like any of the colors, scroll down, click View colors, and custom-pick a color.

Click on it

There you have it. The accent color has now changed. That said, if you’re having trouble changing the color of your taskbar on Windows 11, there could be several reasons behind it. Let’s understand them.

Also Read : How to make taskbar transparent in Windows 11

Why Can’t I Change the Color of My Taskbar

  • Some editions of Windows 11 may have restrictions on specific customization options. Ensure you are using a version of Windows 11 that allows taskbar color customization.
  • Using a custom theme or third-party software to customize your desktop may conflict with Windows 11’s native settings. Try reverting to the default theme and checking if you can change the taskbar color.

How to Make Taskbar Transparent in Windows 11

  • Ensure that you have administrative privileges on your account. Certain changes to system settings, including taskbar color, may require administrator access.
  • Outdated or incompatible graphics drivers can sometimes cause issues with visual customization. Update your graphics drivers to the latest version compatible with Windows 11.
  • Group policies may restrict certain customization options if your computer is part of a network domain. Check group policy settings or registry entries related to visual customization.

After trying these solutions, if you still can’t change the taskbar color, there might be a specific issue with your system configuration, and you may need to contact Microsoft support.

FAQs on Changing Taskbar Color in Windows 11

Yes, changing the taskbar color may affect the color of other elements, including the Start menu, window borders, and the action center. This is part of the overall color customization in Windows 11.

Yes, changing the taskbar color can affect the appearance of elements in both light and dark modes. Windows 11 adjusts the overall color scheme based on your preferences.

No, taskbar color customization does not significantly impact system performance. It’s a cosmetic feature and doesn’t consume substantial system resources.

Change Your Taskbar Style

Changing the color of the taskbar in Windows 11 is a small but meaningful feature, allowing users to make their digital space their own. The color of your taskbar can set the tone for your computing experience. You may also want to read the best ways to disable Taskbar thumbnail preview in Windows 11 .

Last updated on 19 February, 2024

The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

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Atish is a seasoned tech enthusiast fueled by caffeine and a Computer Science engineering degree. He stumbled into the blogging world in 2015 and hasn't looked back. Over 2000+ articles later, his work has been featured on sites like Gizbot, Firstpost, PhoneArena, GSMArena, and IBTimes. At GT, he's your go-to guy for how-tos, invaluable tips, and troubleshooting guides that actually work. He's also an SEO and digital marketing whiz and content strategist, so his tech takes are always on point and ethical.

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oTechWorld » Windows » How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

Want to change the taskbar color in Windows 10 ? Read this post to know how to do that in a few steps. By default, Windows 10 comes with a dark start menu, taskbar, and action center theme. But, you can change it to any color.

Well, you may know that Windows 10 offers personalization settings to change the appearance. You can easily change the background, color, and themes from personalization settings. Changing the taskbar accent color is not a difficult task in Windows 10. Though, the option is available in settings.

But, if you want to change the taskbar color from the personalization settings, start menu and action center color will also be changed. However, it looks cool with matching start menu and taskbar color. But, it is also possible to change only taskbar color with the registry editor. This will prevent start menu and action center to change the color.

However, Windows 10 provides a lot of customization options to change the appearance. But still, there is no separate option available for the taskbar. Also, there are some limitations in personalization color settings.

Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

There are two light and dark theme options in Windows 10. While using a light theme, you can’t change the start menu, taskbar, and action center color. This is because most of the colors might be hard to visible in light theme. That’s why Windows 10 grayed out this option in a light theme, and you can’t use it. But, you can enable this option by using a dark or custom theme.

Too light colors are not supported in colors option. Also, Windows 10 tells that, if the color (moderate light color) might be hard to read. So, you can easily select custom colors.

Method 1. Change Taskbar, Start menu, and Action center Color

Step 1. Open Colors Personalization Settings

At first, open the personalization settings. For this right-click on the desktop and select Personalize option from the list. Alternatively, open settings app by pressing “Windows key + I” from the keyboard, and click on the personalization option.

Open Personalization settings

After that, click on the “Colors” option from the left menu.

Step 2. Select Custom or Dark Theme Mode

Windows 10 doesn’t allow to change the taskbar color while using light theme mode. So, you need to select the custom or dark mode.

For this, click on the “Choose your color” dropdown list. Select the custom or dark option.

If you select the dark mode, then default Windows mode and default app mode will be dark. But, you can select a separate mode for both default Windows and app mode by selecting custom theme mode.

If you select the custom option, you must be select the dark option from the default Windows mode.

Select Dark or custom theme mode

Step 3. Select accent color

Scroll down and select the color from the Windows colors. Click on the Custom color option to choose a custom accent color. While choosing, you’ll see the preview.

Click on the More option to enter the RGB, HSV, or HTML color code.

You’ll also see the message if the color is not supported or hard to read. This will help you to select another color.

Step 4. Enable color for start, taskbar, and action center

Enable the “Start, taskbar, and action center” option by click on the check mark box. After that, you’ll see the new taskbar color.

Select accent color and enable for taskbar

You can also enable the check mark box for titles bars and the Windows border.

Method 2. Change Only Taskbar Color using Registry Editor

The personalization settings only allow changing the whole theme mode i.e taskbar, start, and action center.

But, it is also possible to change only taskbar color without changing the start and action center color. This can be done by changing the value in the registry file.

By default, while using a light theme, you can’t choose the accent color for the taskbar. But, the registry editor solves this problem. So, you can keep the dark or light mode on the start menu and action center.

Note that this will only keep the start menu and action center color. Tiles and settings app colors will be changed.

Step 1. Select the color from the Personalization settings

Open personalize settings by right click on the desktop. Otherwise, go to settings and open the Personalization option. Select the Colors option from the left-hand side list.

Select the theme from choose your color option. Light, dark, and custom options are available. You can select any option from the dropdown. The light mode makes the default Windows and app mode to the light color. Dark mode makes the default Windows and app mode to dark color. And Custom mode gives options to select the default Windows or app mode.

Next, select the color you want to put on the taskbar from Windows colors. Click on the “Custom color” option for more colors. You can also use color codes by click on the more option.

While using a light theme, you can’t see the preview or changes on the taskbar. You can see the changes after changing the value in the registry.

If you select the dark theme or custom theme with dark default Windows mode. You can see the preview and changes by enabling start, taskbar, and action center option. But, in this case, after changing the value in the registry, start menu and action center color will be back to dark as your theme settings. Read step 2 to change the value.

Step 2. Change the value in the registry

Open Run command by pressing Windows Key + R from the keyboard. Alternatively, Type “Run” in the Cortana search bar and open the run app.

Type “regedit” (without quotes) in run command and click on the OK button. Click on the Yes button from the popup user account control window.

Open regedit run command

Navigate to the following key:

Click on the Personalize folder and you’ll see the registry files. Open “ColorPrevalence” by double click on it.

Open ColorPrevalence registry

Write 2 in the Value data field and click on the OK button.

Write 2 in ColorPrevalence value data to change taskbar color

After that, you’ll see the changes immediately. However, you don’t need to restart your PC. But, if you face any problem, you can restart your PC to see the changes.

If you have any problem to change the registry values, then read how to change registry keys .

Method 3. Change and Set Automatic Taskbar Accent Color from Background

You can also set the taskbar color matched with the desktop background wallpaper.

Right-click on the desktop and open Personalize option. Click on the Colors option from the left menu.

Select Dark or Custom theme with dark default Windows mode. In a light theme, the automatic accent color option will not work. However, you can toggle on the Transparency effects option while using a light theme to match with the background.

Enable “Automatically pick an accent color from my background” option.

Enable Automatically pick an accent color from my background

Scroll down and enable the “Start, taskbar, and action center” option.

That’s it. You’ll see the changes after enabling the options. You don’t need to pick color manually.

Final Words

Now you know how to change taskbar color in Windows 10. However, the accent color is used and appears in tiles, settings app menus, and some windows menus. Moreover, you can enable accent color on the surfaces like some window title bars, windows borders, taskbar, start menu, and action center.

But, there is no separate option for the taskbar. Well, the registry editor helps to do that. Write in the comment section if you have any problem while changing the taskbar accent color.

Popular on OTW Right Now!

How to Use Emojis on Windows 10

Thanks for nothing on this task bar color. You make it entirely impossible for a layman to follow these instructions. Why did you have to change the color to almost invisible in the first place. If it ain’t broke don’t change it and if you want to change it make it an option instead..

how to change windows taskbar color

Please fix the task bar back. We can’t see it. It’s awful!!!

how to change windows taskbar color

you could not have made the color on the task bar worse if you had tried. it is almost invisible.

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How to change Taskbar color on Windows 11

Windows 11 lets you change the color of the Start menu and Taskbar to anything you want, and here's how.

Avatar for Mauro Huculak

  • To change the Taskbar color on Windows 11, open Settings > Personalization > Colors , select “Custom” for “Choose your mode,” choose “Dark” for the Windows mode and “Light” for the app mode, turn on “Show accent color on Start and taskbar,” and select the new color. 

UPDATED 10/20/2023: On Windows 11 , the Taskbar uses the light color scheme by default, and while you can always switch to dark mode , you can also choose virtually any color you want. However, changing the accent color for this feature is not straightforward since you must use a specific color mode before the option to switch colors becomes available in the Settings app.

Also, choosing a new color for the Taskbar will change the color of the Start menu and other elements, such as Quick Settings, Notifications, Search, and more.

In this guide , you will learn the steps to choose a different color for the Start menu and Taskbar on Windows 11.

Change Taskbar color on Windows 11

To change the color of the Taskbar on Windows 11, use these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 11.

Click on Personalization .

Click the Colors tab.

In the “Choose your mode” setting, select the Custom option.

Choose your mode setting

Select the Dark option in the “Choose your default Windows mode” setting.

Turn on the “Show accent color on Start and taskbar” toggle switch.

Enable color settings for Tasbkar and Start

Choose the Manual option in the “Accent color” setting.

Select the new color for the Taskbar (and Start menu).

Change Taskbar color

(Optional) Click the View colors button to create a custom color in the “Custom colors” setting.

Once you complete the steps, the Windows 11 Taskbar (and Start menu) will reflect the color you selected on the settings page.

Update October 20, 2023: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect new changes.

Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter) , YouTube , LinkedIn and About.me .

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How To Change Taskbar Color In Windows 10

how to change windows taskbar color

Microsoft offers umpteen ways to personalize a Windows 10 PC as per the user’s needs and requirements. For example, you can change the desktop wallpaper, set the screensaver, or even change the overall look of the Start menu. You can also change taskbar color in Windows 10  to make sure it matches the desktop wallpaper.

We can use the taskbar to pin all the applications that we use the most. Black is the default color and a blue underline shows which apps are open and in use. The default look isn’t bad, but you can always customize the taskbar and use a selected color if you love personalization. Apart from the taskbar, there are multiple ways to personalize Windows 10 .

Changing the taskbar color default theme can be a tad bit challenging if you aren’t well-acquainted with the personalization settings of your PC. If that’s the case, let’s take a glance at how to change the Windows 10 taskbar color in simple steps.

1. How To Change Taskbar Color

You can change taskbar color in Windows 10 by following the steps mentioned below.

Step 1: To begin with, click on the Start button and open Windows Settings with the gear icon.

Open Settings

Step 2: In the Settings window, click on Personalization.

Click on Personalization

Step 3: Select Colors in the left sidebar. Click on ‘Choose your color’ and select Custom from the dropdown menu.

Step 4: Select the Dark color mode option in the ‘Choose your default Windows mode’ section instead of the Light mode.

Choose Custom color and select the Dark option

Step 5: You can choose an accent color manually or automatically to enhance your desktop background.

An accent color is used to complement the primary color to enhance the desktop appearance. Blue is the default accent color in Windows 10.

To do it automatically, select the checkbox that says ‘Automatically pick an accent color from my background.’

Choose accent color automatically

Step 6: To choose the accent color manually, scroll down and select the Custom color option.

You can also select a color from the available color palette. However, if you want a particular shade, consider using the Custom color option.

Select Custom Color

Step 7: Pick the color of your choice from the color scheme. Click on Done after selecting the color.

Pick the color

Step 8: Now, go to the Colors tab in the left sidebar and enable the ‘Start, taskbar, and action center’ option.

Check the accent color option

Step 9: You need to restart your computer for the taskbar settings to take effect.

Once the PC is restarted, you will see your taskbar with a new color. 

2. Change Theme

If you are using a third-party or custom theme, it can affect the Windows color settings of your computer. So, you might need to switch back to the default Windows theme if the default setting isn’t favorable.

Step 1: Press the Win key + I shortcut to open the Settings. Then, choose the Personalization option.

Step 2: Select Themes in the left pane and scroll down to choose the Windows theme.

Select Windows theme

Step 3: Restart the PC to let the changes take effect.

Note: If the Windows 10 taskbar color still doesn’t change after switching the theme, you need to edit the accent color settings. Once again, you need to choose the Custom color for your task bar and edit the accent color placement in the Personalization window as shown in the previous method.

3. Disable Color Filters

If you want to change taskbar color in Windows 10, you can disable the color filters.

Step 1: Open the Settings window using the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut and select Ease of Access.

Select Ease Of Access

Step 2: Choose Color filters in the left sidebar and turn off the filters by toggling the switch.

Turn off filters

After turning off the filters, check if you have the proper taskbar color you were initially looking for.  

4. How To Change Taskbar Color Without Activation

Few Windows 10 users are aware that it is possible to customize the desktop screen appearance using the registry editor. In this method, you can make the Windows 10 operating system select an accent color automatically to complement the desktop background color.

Step 1: To change taskbar color in Windows 10, press the Win key + R to open the Run dialog box. Then, type ‘regedit’ in the search box and click on Ok to open the registry editor.

Open the registry editor

Step 2: Navigate to the following path given below.

Step 3: In the right pane, double-click on the ColorPrevalence option and change the Value Data field to 1.

Change the Value Data field

Step 4: Navigate to the path given below.

Step 5: In the right pane, double-click on AutoColorization and change the Value Data to 1.

Change the AutoColorization value

After doing this, close the registry editor and restart the PC to see the changes.

Final Thoughts On Change Taskbar Color In Windows 10

The taskbar is an essential aspect of the Windows 10 operating system. You can access the Start menu from the taskbar and pin the taskbar icons of frequently used applications. Users can customize multiple aspects of Windows 10, and the taskbar is one of them. You can change taskbar color in Windows 10  if you wish to; it’s not a compulsion.

The taskbar has black color by default, but if you are unsatisfied with it, there are a few ways to change the color to match your expectations. Also, users cannot set different colors for the Start menu, taskbar, and action center. The taskbar and the Start menu have the accent color, which is a secondary color used in multiple places in Windows 10.

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How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 11

Change the Taskbar color of on your Windows device to a color that better suits you than the generic accent colors.

Parth Sawhney

It is always fun to personalize your PC the way you like it, and adjusting the color scheme of menus and taskbar is a part of it. Windows allows you to either set a single color on your taskbar or let it change automatically according to the current wallpaper displayed.

The latter option sets the color of the taskbar by determining the dominant color of the wallpaper and as mentioned above, changes whenever a new wallpaper appears on your desktop from the slideshow.

Note: The color you set for the taskbar will also reflect on the Start Menu of your Windows device. There’s no way to change it only for the taskbar.

Changing the Taskbar Color in Windows 11

You can change the taskbar color from the Settings app. First, head to the Start Menu and click on the ‘Settings’ tile to proceed. Alternatively, you can press the Windows + I keys together on your keyboard to open the app.

how to change windows taskbar color

Then, click on the ‘Personalization’ tab from the left sidebar to proceed.

how to change windows taskbar color

Next, click on the ‘Colors’ tile from the right section.

how to change windows taskbar color

From the ‘Choose your mode’ tile, click the drop-down menu and select either ‘Custom’ or ‘Dark’. Curiously, the taskbar color isn’t available with the Light mode so you can’t skip this step.

how to change windows taskbar color

If you select ‘Dark’, your Windows, as well as apps, will be in the dark mode.

how to change windows taskbar color

But if you chose ‘Custom’, you can have different settings for Windows and apps. In this case, from the ‘Choose your default Windows mode’ tile, select ‘Dark’. Having Windows in the dark mode is essential for the taskbar color option to be available. You can leave the default app mode as ‘Light’ and it won’t affect the taskbar color.

how to change windows taskbar color

After that, click on the dropdown menu following the ‘Accent color’ option and select the ‘Automatic’ or ‘Manual’ option, as per your preference. The ‘Automatic’ option will set the accent color according to the current wallpaper of your device.

how to change windows taskbar color

If you select ‘Manual’, you can either click on a color from the grid of options or click on the ‘View colors’ button on the Custom colors tile to set a color using the color picker.

how to change windows taskbar color

Once done, click on the toggle following the ‘Show accent color on Start and taskbar’ option to turn it on. This toggle won’t be available in the light Windows theme.

how to change windows taskbar color

After the toggle has been turned on, you will be able to notice the accent color on the taskbar and the Start Menu.

how to change windows taskbar color

How to Change Taskbar Color Without Windows being Activated

Changing the Taskbar color on a non-activated Windows version can prove to be tricky. However, it is possible by tweaking the Registry Editor of the system.

First, head to the Start Menu and type Registry to perform a search. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Registry Editor’ tile to continue.

how to change windows taskbar color

After that, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned address in the address bar and hit Enter to navigate to the directory.

how to change windows taskbar color

After that, double-click on the ‘ColorPrevalance’ DWORD file to open its properties.

how to change windows taskbar color

Now, enter 1 in the value field and click on the ‘OK’ button to confirm and close.

how to change windows taskbar color

Then, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned address to navigate to the directory.

how to change windows taskbar color

After that, double-click on the ‘AutoColorization’ DWORD file to continue.

how to change windows taskbar color

Then, enter 1 in the value field and click on the ‘OK’ button.

how to change windows taskbar color

Finally, restart your PC to let the changes take effect. The Taskbar and Start Menu will now have an accent color matching the current desktop wallpaper. The accent color will change whenever a new wallpaper is set.

There you go, people. You can easily change the color of the taskbar on your Windows device and shake things up by using the method mentioned above.

how to change windows taskbar color

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How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows 10

We show you how to change your taskbar color in Windows 10 without the accent applying to the rest of your system.

How to change the accent color only in the taskbar on Windows 10

Though it has a multitude of accent options, Windows has surprisingly little choice of where you can apply them. For example, the Settings app does not let you change Windows 10 taskbar color without it applying to other parts of the system.

Thankfully, while a bit unintuitive, it is possible in Windows 10 to change the color of the taskbar only. All it requires is a quick change in the registry and for you to be using the dark theme. Once complete, you should be able to easily distinguish your taskbar from other UI elements. Today, of course, we're going to show you how to perform this trick. Here's how to change taskbar color in Windows 10 but disable the accent elsewhere:

How to Change Accent Color for the Windows 10 Taskbar Only

Before we start, let's reiterate that you must be using the Windows 10 dark mode for this trick to work. Don't worry, though, we're going to show you how to switch to it as part of the process below:

how to change windows taskbar color

In your Registry Editor search bar, paste the following or navigate there manually via the sidebar:

how to change windows taskbar color

If you enjoyed this little customization trick, we have plenty more where that came from. Here's how to change your mouse cursor and set a video as your desktop wallpaper.

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How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows?

The taskbar is an access point to programs which appear on your desktop. Taskbar features on Windows allow users to issue commands, access resources, and view program status directly from the taskbar. The taskbar is an access point to programs that appear on your desktop even when the programs are minimized. Such programs are meant to be present on your desktop. The taskbar allows you to see the primary windows and certain secondary windows open on your desktop and quickly switch between them.

Features of the Windows Taskbar:

Taskbar buttons are the name for the controls on the taskbar. Windows include a taskbar button for each primary window (or secondary window with certain properties) that a program creation, and it removes the button when the window closes. These new taskbar button characteristics can be used by programs created for Windows 7:

  • Even when the program isn’t operating, Jump Lists offer quick access to frequently used locations (such as files, folders, and links) and actions via a context menu accessible via the program’s taskbar button and Start menu item.
  • Quick access to frequently used commands for a certain window is made possible by thumbnail toolbars. The taskbar button’s thumbnail displays’ toolbar thumbnails.
  • The taskbar button icon for the software displays overlay icons to indicate status changes.
  • On the program’s taskbar button, progress bars display the status of lengthy tasks.
  • Users can go immediately to window tabs, project windows, multiple-document interface (MDI) child windows, and secondary windows by using the taskbar button thumbnails for sub-window taskbar buttons.
  • In order to enable rapid access to programs even when they aren’t operating, users can pin program buttons to the taskbar.

How to use the taskbar on Windows:

More than just viewing your apps and the time may be done with the taskbar. You may alter the color, add your favorite apps, and rearrange the taskbar buttons to make it uniquely yours. Additionally, you can check the charge of your battery and in a moment reduce all running programs in order to view your desktop.

Change your taskbar settings:

From the taskbar itself, customize the taskbar. Use the Taskbar settings to modify several characteristics of the taskbar at once. Taskbar settings can be accessed by right-clicking or holding down any empty space on the taskbar.

Windows Taskbar

Scroll through the taskbar settings to see options like customization, resizing, icon selection, battery information, and more.

Change Taskbar Color On Windows:

To change the color of the Taskbar, follow these Steps:

Step 1: Click on “Start” and “Settings”. 

how to change windows taskbar color

Step 2 . In “Settings”, Select “Personalization” and then click on “Colors”.

how to change windows taskbar color

Step 3 . In “Colors”, Click on the “Choose your color” drop-down and Select “Custom”.

how to change windows taskbar color

Step 4 . Under “Choose your default Windows mode”, choose “Dark” (You won’t get an option to put the color in taskbar if you choose “Light”). 

how to change windows taskbar color

Step 5 . Now, you can select the color from “Windows color” or you can Click on “Custom color” and use the “color picker” to select your custom color.

how to change windows taskbar color

Step 6 . Check the box “start, taskbar, and action center”.

how to change windows taskbar color

Step 7 . Now, the color decided by you will reflect on the “Taskbar”.   

Note : To change the color of the taskbar, you have to select “Dark”, Under the “Choose your default Windows mode” option. Because if you decide “Light” then Checkbox “start, taskbar, and action center” will not get active.            

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How to change the accent color only in the taskbar on Windows 10

If you only want to change the accent color in the taskbar, you can edit the Registry to prevent the Start menu and Action Center from changing color in the process.

how to change windows taskbar color

Windows 10 includes a lot of personalization options to change the appearance of the operating system to make the experience more personal. However, there some customization options that are designed to change a group of elements on Windows 10 , when you're probably only interested in customizing one.

For example, if you want to pick an accent color for the taskbar, you only get one option to show accent color on the Start menu, taskbar, and action center. Unfortunately, the Settings app doesn't offer separate options to change color individually. However, if you know your way around the Registry, you can change the taskbar color to anything you want, while preventing the Start menu and action center from changing color in the process.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll guide you through the steps to modify the Registry to change color only on the taskbar on Windows 10.

How to change taskbar color, while keeping Start and Action Center dark

Important: This is a friendly reminder to let you know that editing the registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. It's recommended to make a full backup of your computer before proceeding.

  • Open Settings .
  • Click on Personalization .
  • Click on Colors .
  • Pick an accent color, which will be the color you want to use in the taskbar.
  • Turn on the Show color on Start, taskbar, and action center toggle switch.
  • Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
  • Type regedit and click OK to open the Registry.
  • Browse the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize
  • On the right side, double-click the ColorPrevalence key and check the value to 2 .
  • Click OK to complete the task.

Once you close the Registry, you can now open Start menu or Action Center, and you'll notice that they are retaining its dark color.

The only caveat you have to keep in mind is that the Start menu and Action Center will keep their dark color as long as you don't turn off the "Show color on Start, taskbar, and action center" toggle switch. Once you do that, it will reset the ColorPrevalence to its default value, and you'll have to go through the steps again. However, changing the accent color won't reset the Registry key.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers on Windows 10, you can visit the following resources:

  • Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
  • Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
  • Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

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Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. He has an IT background with professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, and he's a recognized member of the Microsoft MVP community.

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Use This App to Customize Your Windows Taskbar

Justin Pot Avatar

Customizing your Windows taskbar with TranslucentTB

After installing, TranslucentTB runs from the system tray. Click the icon and you’ll see the options.

how to change windows taskbar color

This looks like a lot but don’t be overwhelmed: start by selecting an effect in the Desktop sub-menu. For Windows 11 users, there are four different effects. There’s Normal , the default, which doesn’t make any changes—you just get the default Windows 11 taskbar.

how to change windows taskbar color

Next there’s Opaque , which makes the taskbar a single color. You can pick the color using the Accent Color option in the same menu. Here’s an ugly blue I picked for some reason:

how to change windows taskbar color

Next we have Clear , which makes it look as the the taskbar isn’t even there. This leaves you with floating icons:

how to change windows taskbar color

Finally there’s my personal favorite: Acrylic . This gives your taskbar a blurred transparency:

how to change windows taskbar color

There are a lot of options here, and there’s room for tweaking. For example: the Clear setting looks pretty good when you don’t have any windows but looks bizarre when the wallpaper is covering up most everything. You can choose to have the taskbar be clear only when there are no windows open—just choose Clear in the Desktop sub-menu and something else in the Visible Window sub-menu. Or maybe you only mind the transparency when a window is maximized? then configure something besides Clear in the Maximized window sub-menu.

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How do I use Windows 11? A guide to the OS

Quick links, windows 11 start menu, windows 11 widgets, microsoft edge, install apps in windows 11, the settings app, included apps in windows 11, multitasking in windows 11, using a touchscreen in windows 11.

Windows 11 has been around for over two years now, but many people are still using Windows 10. That means if you're getting a new laptop today, there's a good chance you have to deal with a lot of new things you're not exactly familiar with coming from a previous version.

If you're not sure where to start with Windows 11, we've put together some tips on how to use the operating system so you can get up to speed quickly. Keep in mind that since Windows 11 is always getting updates, some details may change over time, but it's unlikely you'll run into anything significantly different.

Icons are centered now

If you've used Windows 10 or other versions, some changes will be apparent as soon as you boot into the desktop. Out of the box, the taskbar icons will be centered instead of on the left side. And, if you're used to having the taskbar on the side or the top of the screen, that's no longer possible with Windows 11. Thankfully, you can move the taskbar icons back to the left side:

  • Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings .
  • Scroll down to Taskbar behaviors and expand the section if you haven't already.
  • Click the dropdown list next to Taskbar alignment to change it to Left .

The new taskbar icons

You'll also see a few icons on the taskbar that you may not be familiar with if you're coming from Windows 10, though most of them are equivalent to features on that version. First, you'll see the new Start icon with four identical squares, and next to it is a search bar, which can be used to search your computer and the internet (using Bing). There's also the two black and white squares, which is the Task view button. These look different, but they're the same things you're used to form Windows 10. Then there are two brand-new icons. First, the Copilot button, which lets you access Microsoft Copilot in Windows (more on that later). This button is set to move to the bottom right corner of the screen at some point, but for now, it's next to the search bar.

In the far left corner, you'll also see a weather icon, which is where you access the Widgets panel. If you set your taskbar alignment to the left, this icon will be mixed with the icons we mentioned above. If you want to hide any or all of these icons:

  • Right-click the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings .
  • For the search bar, click the dropdown menu and choose Hide .
  • For the remaining icons, set the toggles to Off.

System tray

Over in the right corner of the taskbar, you'll find a few things, including the time and date, notifications, system icons for battery, internet, and volume, and potentially the OneDrive (cloud) icon along with other icons for apps you may have installed. Most of this should feel fairly familiar if you've used Windows 10 before, though the notifications icons no longer counts how many notifications you have in the latest versions of Windows 11.

At the very far right corner, there's a small empty area you can click to show your desktop at a moment's notice. A small line appears when you hover over it so you know you can click it.

Notifications

Right next to that button is your notification icon along with the time and date. If you click this area, you'll see a calendar showing the events you've added to your Outlook calendar. The calendar shows a full month, though you can collapse using the arrow at the top so you only see the current date. At the bottom of this area is a button labeled Focus next to a timer. You can use this timer and button to start a focus session, powered by the Clock app. This stops incoming notifications and can even play music to help you stay focused. You can learn more about focus sessions here .

Above the Calendar are your notifications, whether that's from apps or Windows itself. Notifications will stack until they fill the area, and then you can scroll them. They're also grouped by app, and you can expand or collapse notifications from the same app if you want to see more. At the top, there are two buttons, one to Clear all your notifications, and the bell icon that turns on Do not disturb.

You can also change notification settings for an app by clicking the ... (ellipsis) icon next to an incoming notification and choosing Go to notification settings . You can learn more about notifications settings if you're interested in further tweaks.

Quick Actions

Next, there's a set of three icons — Network, sound, and battery. Clicking this will give you access to the Quick Actions panel. Here, you'll see sliders for your system volume level and the display brightness, along with a number of quick actions. The quick actions you see here will depend on the device you have, but for a standard laptop, the defaults will be:

  • Wi-Fi : Lets you turn Wi-Fi connections on or off. Clicking the arrow lets you see the available networks around you.
  • Bluetooth : Lets you turn Bluetooth on or off so you can connect devices like Bluetooth headsets or other peripherals.
  • Airplane mode : Disables all wireless connectivity to avoid interfering with airplane communications.
  • Battery saver : Lets you enable or disable battery saver mode if you have a laptop. This helps your battery last longer, but certain background tasks are paused and notifications may be slower to arrive. This setting can't be changed when your laptop is plugged into an outlet.
  • Night light : Lets you toggle Windows 11's blue light reduction feature, which can help prevent eye strain during long periods of use.
  • Accessibility : This gives you quick access to various accessibility tools in Windows 11 . These are Magnifier , Color filters , Narrator , Mono audio , Live Captions , and Sticky keys .

You can also customize these Quick Actions using the gear icon at the bottom of the panel to add and remove items to your liking. Also, if you're playing any media on your PC, you're going to see playback controls above the Quick Settings panel.

System tray apps

Finally, there's the overflow menu. You'll notice it by the OneDrive (cloud) icon that should show up by default, along with the arrow to expand the list. These are icons for certain apps and they serve as quick shortcuts to those apps. What you see here is dependent on the apps you install. In the case of OneDrive, that's preinstalled with Windows 11, and the icon lets you see quick information about your sync status.

You can make it so that these icons are directly on the taskbar or remove the ones you don't want to see immediately:

  • To add icons to the taskbar, click the arrow to open the overflow menu and click and drag the icon you want to the area on the right side of the arrow (where OneDrive is)
  • To remove icons from the taskbar, click and drag the icon from the taskbar and over the arrow to place it in the overflow menu.

The Start menu is the launchpad for almost everything you do on Windows, and Windows 11 shakes things up significantly. In addition to the new Start button, there's a completely new design for the Start menu itself.

As you can see, lots of things are different. Live Tiles are gone, and instead, you get a grid of pinned apps at the top. You can click the All apps button to see a list of all your installed apps. You can right-click an app to pin it or unpin it from the Start menu. If you want to re-arrange your pinned apps, you can simply click (or touch) the app and drag it around. Starting with Windows 11 version 22H2 , you can also create folders on the Start menu by dragging one app over the other. We have an extensive guide on how to use Start menu folders in Windows 11 , if you're interested.

At the bottom, a Recommended section shows you your recent files and recently installed apps. You can click the More button to see all recommended items. If you don't want a particular item to be listed, you can right-click it and choose Remove from list . You can also remove everything from the recommended area , if you want.

The bottom bar of the Start menu contains the user and power menus. Clicking your user name lets you change account settings, while the power button lets you shut down or restart your PC. You can also customize certain shortcuts to show up in this bar. To do that, go to the Settings app and head to Personalization > Start .

AI is now part of Windows

The biggest addition in Windows 11 (though it's also been added to Windows 10 in recent months) is that of Copilot, which we briefly mentioned above. Copilot is an AI assistant that uses the GPT large language model to interpret your requests and return information to you from all over the internet. Because it has a massive training data set, it can comprehend natural language without issues, so you can speak to it naturally and it'll come back with responses that sound natural, too. That means you don't have to go scouring multiple webpages to find the information you want.

You can summon Copilot by clicking the icon on the taskbar or pressing Windows + C on your keyboard. From there, just type what you need, or even insert an image to ask a question about it. Copilot isn't always accurate, but it can save you some time when it does get things right.

Copilot integration with Windows

A unique aspect of Copilot in Windows is that it can actually help you control some system settings. It's still a bit limited, but Copilot can help you enable dark mode or start a focus session in Windows 11, so you don't have to remember where these options are in the operating system.

Another thing that's brand new in Windows 11 is the new widgets panel. As we mentioned above, you can open it by clicking the icon on the taskbar, and what it does is show you quick glanceable information from apps and services, as well as news from various sources. Widgets can be powered by web services or by supported apps on your PC, such as the Clock app, Spotify, or Messenger.

The Widgets panel also shows you news, powered by Microsoft Start by default, though Microsoft is making it possible to choose alternate news providers, at least in the European Union.

Add or remove widgets

You can click the ellipsis icon near the corner of each card to resize or remove it. Some widgets can also be customized to show different information. If you'd like to add more widgets, simply click the + (plus) icon above the widgets area.

Customize news and interests

Currently, there isn't much you can do to remove the news section from the Widgets panel (though this is in the works), but you can tailor your interests. If you see an article you don't care about, you can click the thumbs down button to see fewer articles like it. You can also block a specific news outlet you may not like by clicking the ... (ellipsis) icon in the corner of a news piece and choosing Block (outlet) .

Alternatively, you can manage your interests in-depth by choosing Manage interests , which will take you to Microsoft Edge. You can find more about this process in our Windows 11 widgets guide .

The web browser

Edge is Microsoft's web browser for Windows 10 and Windows 11. It's been around since 2015, but if you haven't used it in a while, it's significantly different and much better now. It's based on the same foundation as Google Chrome, so it should work identically across the web.

The big difference is it will sync your data using your Microsoft account instead of a Google account. Edge is also available on phones, so you can more easily sync your data across different devices.

You shouldn't have a hard time figuring out the basics if you've used any modern browser. The address bar is at the top, along with the usual navigation buttons. You can find everything else you need using the menu near the top right corner.

Click the ... (ellipsis) icon in the top right corner to get access to all the major options you might need. Your history, downloads, and favorites (bookmarks) are all there. You can also right-click any of them and click Show in toolbar if you want the buttons to show up next to the address bar without using the menu.

As Edge is based on Chrome, that also means it can install extensions made for Chrome, including themes. Find any extension you want on the Chrome Web Store and you should be able to install it normally. Of course, you can still install any browser you prefer, including Google Chrome. But you might not have as much of a reason to switch now.

Edge even has some cool unique features, like Copilot integration and Workspaces, which let you share a set of tabs with others to collaborate on something.

Copilot in Edge

One thing worth highlighting with Edge is that it also has integration with Microsoft Copilot. In fact, Edge got it before Windows itself, and now that we have COpilot in Windows, this may seem a little less compelling. But there are still some cool things about Copilot in Edge.

The main tab is just like Copilot on the web or in Windows, minus the integration with Windows 11 features. However, there are also some unique features here. Most notably, the Compose tab lets you give Copilot a prompt and choose a few options to have it generate a text for you, whether that's an email, social media post, or something else. It's a quick way to write up a post based on a simple concept. There's also the Insights tab, which tells you more about the website you're visiting.

The Microsoft Store

There are two main ways you can install apps in Windows 11. You can use the Microsoft Store, where apps are verified by Microsoft, or you can download them using a browser just as you have in the past.

Most of the space in the Microsoft Store home page is taken up by the spotlight section, which highlights popular or recent additions to the Store. You'll find different categories on the side menu for apps, games, and movies. You can also access your library to find apps you've installed before.

To get the apps you want, you can use the search bar at the top to search for them, or just browse the store until you find what you're looking for. The most important changes to the Store aren't visual, though. You can now find a lot more apps here, because Microsoft made it easier to publish apps on the Microsoft Store, and they don't even have to be hosted there. You can find apps like Visual Studio or the Vivaldi browser on the Microsoft Store, but they're actually downloaded from their respective servers, so the Microsoft Store is more of a hub than just its own platform.

Tweak your PC's settings

If you want to change something about your Windows 11 PC, the Settings app is probably the place to do it. The most important settings you might want to change are here, and in Windows 11, the app has a brand-new design. We have a very in-depth guide for the Settings app already, but here's a quick breakdown of what you can find in it:

  • System : Change settings related to the display, sound, notifications, power, and recovery, among others.
  • Bluetooth & devices : Manage settings for connected devices, including Bluetooth. You can also change settings for your printer or your webcam here.
  • Network & i nternet : Configure your network connections (including Wi-Fi and cellular), along with IP and DNS settings, data usage limits, and more.
  • Personalization : Change the look and feel of your PC. This includes themes, backgrounds, colors, the position of your taskbar, and more.
  • Apps : Change settings related to apps and optional features you have installed include setting apps as the default for specific actions.
  • Accounts : Change settings related to accounts you've added on your PC. This includes backing up your apps and settings.
  • Time & Language : Settings related to your preferred language, region, and time zones.
  • Gaming : Manage settings for Xbox Game Bar, including video recording settings, plus enable or disable game mode.
  • Accessibility : Tools for users with special accessibility needs. You can change text size, visual effects, use color filters, captions, and so on.
  • Privacy & security : See which apps can access specific information about the user and how data is used. Settings related to security are also here.
  • Windows Update : Check for updates for your PC or sign up for the Windows Insider program.

Windows 11 comes with a bunch of apps that help you get things done out of the box. These apps include all the basic functionality you'd expect from a PC. These are all the apps that come pre-installed:

  • Calculator : Includes standard, scientific, and graphing calculator modes, plus it also lets you calculate the difference between two dates. It also includes unit conversion for things like volume, length, weight, temperature, energy, and currency.
  • Calendar: See a calendar along with events synced using your Microsoft account. You can also add other accounts, like Google, to sync those events. It's part of the Mail & Calendar app. This app will soon be replaced by the new Outlook web-based app.
  • Camera : Take pictures and record video using the camera on your device.
  • Clipchamp : Microsoft's recently-acquired video editing software is far more advanced than what the company offers with the Photos app (see below). It allows for multiple audio and video tracks and exports in up to Full HD. Paid plans offer more features.
  • Clock (previously Alarms & Clock): See clocks for different regions, create alarms and timers, and use a stopwatch.
  • Feedback Hub : An app where users can send feedback to Microsoft about Windows.
  • Family : Manage your Microsoft family settings, such as seeing screen time for you and your children, tweaking parental controls, and locating family members.
  • File Explorer : Navigate the files on your local drive or OneDrive.
  • Get Help : Find help with common issues in Windows 11
  • Get Started : Set up OneDrive backups, change your default browser to Edge, and link your Android phone.
  • Journal: A journaling app that lets you create multiple journals with notebook-style pages, with options for inking, adding images, and more.
  • Mail : Lets you send and receive emails from your Microsoft account and other accounts you want to add to the app. It's part of the Mail & Calendar app, and accounts you add here will also be added to the Calendar. Just like the Calendar app, this will soon be replaced by the web-based Outlook app.
  • Maps : Standard mapping app, including the ability to get directions, turn-by-turn navigation, and a satellite view of the world. Some cities may also have 3D aerial views.
  • Media Player : This modern media player replaces the old Groove Music app, as well as the Movies & TV app for playing locally-stored videos if you want it to.
  • Microsoft 365 (Office) : Shortcuts to web versions of the major Microsoft 365 apps, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Files are stored on OneDrive and easily accessible from the home page, too.
  • Microsoft Edge : Microsoft's new web browser. It's based on the same foundation as Google Chrome, so it shares the same basic capabilities, including support for Chrome extensions.
  • Microsoft News : Gets news on topics you're interested in and sources you select.
  • Microsoft Solitaire Collection : A collection of card games you can play by yourself.
  • Microsoft Store : You can go here to download and install new apps like TikTok. It also has sections for games and movies.
  • Microsoft To Do : Create to-do lists, which can be shared with other users. Lists are synced with your Microsoft account and can be accessed on other devices with the app installed.
  • Microsoft Whiteboard : A collaboration app where you can work by yourself or with others to create large boards with whatever content you want, including sticky notes, images, to-do lists, and more.
  • Movies & TV : A basic video player that lets you watch videos on your PC, as well as movies and shows purchased from the Microsoft Store.
  • Notepad : A basic text editor for taking quick notes
  • OneDrive : Lets you manage your files on OneDrive and sync them to your PC. You can sync your entire OneDrive or only download files as you need them.
  • OneNote: A note-taking app allowing you to create various notebooks and sort them into sections to organize all your notes.
  • Paint : A basic app for drawing and image editing.
  • Photos : A photo and video viewer with basic editing capabilities. You can crop, rotate, and adjust photos, as well as add effects to them.
  • Phone Link : Connect to an Android phone to see notifications, messages, and photos from it. You can also make calls using the app, and with some phones, you can even project your screen to your PC. This requires the Your Phone Companion/Link to Windows app on your phone
  • Settings : Change settings on your PC, including display, sound, power, Bluetooth, and more.
  • Snipping Tool : Take screenshots of your screen, a single window, or a specific area of your screen, and edit them as needed. The screenshot tool can be launched with the Windows key + Shift + S. The app can also record videos of your screen.
  • Sound Recorder : Record voice clips using your microphone
  • Sticky Notes : Take notes on your desktop and keep them visible when you need them. Sticky notes can have different colors, and they sync across devices, too. You can see them on your phone with the OneNote app or Microsoft Launcher.
  • Tips : Includes tips for using different parts of Windows 11.
  • Weather : Access detailed weather information for your current location or other cities.
  • Windows Security : Security tools like Windows Firewall and other protection settings. Includes virus protection with Microsoft Defender.
  • Windows Terminal : A command-line tool that brings together things like Command prompt and Windows PowerShell in the same app.
  • Windows Tools : A set of tools for advanced users to manage their device. It also includes things like the Character Map, Power Automate, and older Windows apps.
  • Xbox : Buy games and manage your game library, including Xbox Game Pass .
  • Xbox game bar : An overlay that can be used in most games to start screen recordings, access Xbox chat, and more. It includes widgets for performance insights and even Spotify integration to listen to music.

Windows 11 has some great multi-tasking tools, and some of them are new even if you've already used Windows 10. There are a few key things that make Windows 11 good for multi-tasking.

Virtual desktops

Windows 10 introduced the concept of virtual desktops in Windows, and now Microsoft just calls them desktops. Desktops let you create separate spaces for different types of apps. For example, you may have a desktop for your games, and one for your work apps. In Windows 11, you can rename the desktops and order them in any way you'd like.

To access your virtual desktops, you can click the Task View button on the taskbar or press Windows key + Tab . Another thing that's new in Windows 11 is you can hover your mouse over the Task View icon to quickly see your different desktops or to create a new one. That way, you don't have to bring up the whole task switcher interface.

Snap layouts and groups

Windows 11 lets you easily snap apps next to each other, too. Like in Windows 10, you can drag windows to the sides of the screen to snap them to a specific position. But now, there's a new feature called Snap layouts. When you hover your mouse over the maximize/restore down button, you'll see a grid of possible layouts you can choose to automatically snap apps on your screen. This includes some new layouts like seeing three apps side-by-side. When you snap the first app, Windows will guide you to finish the layout with the apps you want.

Once you've set up a Snap layout, you can also get back to it quickly if you happen to open another app over it. Hover your mouse over any of the taskbar icons for the apps in your Snap layout, and you'll see the full Snap group as an option. Click it, and you'll be back to the layout you were using.

Using dual monitors

Many people like to use two or more monitors to help increase productivity. In the Settings app, you can change how the two displays are laid out relative to each other. Using multiple monitors is nothing new to Windows, but Windows 11 brings some improvements.

Now, when you unplug a monitor, the windows in that monitor are minimized automatically, and when you plug it back in, your windows are restored in the right monitor. It makes multi-tasking much easier.

It's much better now

If you have a tablet with Windows 11, there are some extra things you may want to know about using a touchscreen. The basic things are what you'd expect. Tapping something acts like a left mouse click, while tapping and holding is a right-mouse click. It's not too far off from using a modern smartphone. However, there are some gestures you might want to know about to make the most of your experience.

For starters, swiping in from the left side of the screen will bring up the Widgets panel, whereas in Windows 10, it opened the Task View. Swiping in from the right still brings up your notifications, but instead of Quick Settings, now you'll see your calendar. To access your Quick Settings, just tap the group including the Wi-Fi, sound, and battery icons.

Then there are the multi-finger touch gestures, which are brand-new in Windows 11. These gestures are like what you might find on laptops with a Precision touchpad. You can swipe left or right with three fingers to switch to your most recently used app, or swipe down to minimize all the windows. Swiping up with three fingers opens Task View, but if you swipe up after swiping down, you'll just restore the windows you minimized. Finally, you can swipe left or right with four fingers on the screen to switch between virtual desktops.

In Windows 11 version 22H2, Microsoft also added a few new touch gestures that make using a touchscreen even easier. You can now swipe up from the taskbar to open the Start menu, or swipe up from the notification area to access the Quick Settings panel. Swiping sideways with three fingers now makes it easier to switch between apps, too, and if you want to use Snap Layouts, you can now drag an app to the top of the screen to have various layouts appear to choose from. We have an extensive guide on using touch gestures in Windows 11 if you want to learn more about the latest gestures available.

That should cover most of the basics of how to use Windows 11. Whether you're a complete newbie to Windows or you've used a previous version, there's a bit of a learning curve. However, once you get the hang of it, it should feel just like Windows 10, and everything should work as expected.

Do you have any questions about using Windows 11? Let us know in the comments!

How do I use Windows 11? A guide to the OS

how to change windows taskbar color

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26052 (Canary and Dev Channels)

  • Amanda Langowski
  • Brandon LeBlanc

UPDATE 2/9: Added an important known issue for Dev Drive users. Please see the known issues below.

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26052 to the Canary and Dev Channels.

Insiders in the Canary Channel will receive Build 26052.1000 while Insiders in the Dev Channel will receive Build 26052 .1100 (KB5035384) as we test delivery of a full build and a servicing update at the same time. There is no difference between the two of these as Build 26052.1100 does not include any additional code. (Arm64 devices in the Dev Channel will not receive Build 26052.1100.)

Flighting updates for Windows Insiders in the Canary & Dev Channels

Starting today, Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel are being moved from receiving 23000 series builds to receiving 26000 series builds.

Insiders in the Dev Channel will gain a set of new features such as energy saver , scrollable quick settings , QR codes for Wi-Fi sharing , support for creating 7-zip and TAR archives in addition to ZIP in File Explorer , Windows protected print mode , voice clarity , along with recent Server Message Block (SMB) protocol changes and improvements to Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) , and improvements across Settings and improvements for Bluetooth and Graphics as well. Note that apps such as Tips and WordPad will be removed after upgrading to this build.

The Canary and Dev Channels receiving the same builds is only temporary. During the times in which the Canary and Dev Channels are on the same builds (e.g. Build 26052), the window is open for Insiders in the Canary Channel to switch to the Dev Channel. At some point in the future, the Canary Channel will jump to higher build numbers and the window will be closed.

If you are a gamer, please take note that some popular games may not work correctly or crash when launched on these builds . Over time, we expect this experience to improve as bugs get fixed.

NOTE: As part of this move, rollouts for some features in the Dev Channel may get reset which means in a small number of cases features might disappear. As we ramp up feature rollouts, these features should return over time. Some features may begin rolling out to the Canary Channel first before the Dev Channel even if the two channels have the same build.

What’s new in Build 26052

Sudo for windows .

Sudo for Windows provides a new, yet familiar way to elevate processes directly from the command-line.

The sudo command can be configured to run in three different modes:

  • In a new window: A new window will open in which the elevated command will run.
  • With input disabled: The elevated command will run inline with its stdin closed in the window from which you’ve triggered elevation. You will not be able to interact with the elevated process.
  • Inline: The elevated command will run inline in the window from which you’ve triggered elevation. This mode is most similar to the sudo experience on other platforms.

It is recommended that you review the security considerations for each mode here before enabling the sudo command on your machine.

Here is how you can enable the sudo command:  Just navigate to Settings > System > For developers and toggle on the sudo command. Configure how the sudo command behaves by selected one of the modes in the drop-down menu (In a new window, with input disabled, inline).

NOTE: The setting for enabling Sudo may incorrectly be showing on Windows Server Insider Preview builds – this feature will not be available on Windows Server and the setting will be disabled in a future Server Insider Preview build.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Developer platform > command line.

Enhancements in Hearing Aid Support  

As announced in October 2023 , Windows took a step forward in accessibility, allowing direct pairing, audio streaming, and smooth call handling for customers with Bluetooth® Low Energy Audio (LE Audio) supported hearing aids on LE Audio-compatible PCs. Now, we are thrilled to introduce a set of features that will take this support to the next level: We’re introducing new capabilities to control audio presets, ambient sounds, and experience enhancements to the Settings > Bluetooth & devices page.

Customers can now adjust the audio presets that they or their audiologist configured in their hearing aids, right from the Settings or Quick Settings UI in Windows. These controls allow customers to quickly adjust the behavior of their hearing aids to their preference for the environment they’re in. Preset options and availability will vary based on the model and configuration of hearing aids.

Control ambient sound for hearing aids in Settings.

We’re also introducing capabilities for customers to adjust the volume of ambient sound captured by their hearing aids. These controls adjust the balance between streamed audio and sound picked up from the surrounding environment, helping customers choose what they want to focus on. Ambient sound control availability will vary based on the model of hearing aids.

These features require both your Windows device and hearing aid to support Bluetooth LE Audio. Note that not all Windows 11 PCs or hearing aids, even ones that support Bluetooth LE, have support for LE Audio. To learn more about LE Audio compatibility on Windows, please visit this link: Check if your Windows 11 PC supports Bluetooth Low Energy Audio . To learn more about LE Audio compatibility with hearing aids, consult your manufacturer or audiologist.

We’ve also enhanced the Bluetooth & devices settings page to provide additional functionality. Customers will now be able to:

  • Monitor essential Bluetooth device details when available, such as battery life and connection status, through an expandable menu for each connected device.
  • For audio devices, effortlessly access the System > Sound > Properties page to control audio settings for that device.

These new enhancements are available for hearing aids and all other devices on this page. To try out this feature, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices .

Managing hearing aids in Settings.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Devices and Drivers > Bluetooth – Audio quality, glitches, choppiness, and stuttering.

Audio mic test utility to test audio in different processing modes

Windows now offers a convenient way to test the difference between Default and Communication mode audio. This new utility can be found under the microphone properties via Settings > System > Sound . You can select the mode and record/listen to audio in both modes, allowing you to easily compare audio processing modes for applications built for the Windows ecosystem. Some audio drivers come with special audio effects for communications, and the toggle lets users hear how audio captured in your microphone sounds when recorded by a communications application versus a non-communications application. It’s important to note that the utility is for testing purposes only and will not affect the actual mode of the audio. You can use this to try out the Voice Clarity feature in the last flight!

New mic test utility in Settings.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Devices and Drivers > Audio and sound.

Changes and Improvements

  • Starting with Build 26-xx today, Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels will see the versioning updated under Settings > System > About (and winver) to version 24H2. This denotes that Windows 11, version 24H2 will be this year’s annual feature update. As mentioned here , Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence that releases in the second half of the calendar year.
  • Plugging in to use a Windows Mixed Reality headset will not work starting with this build. Windows Mixed Reality  is no longer available to users as Windows Mixed Reality has been announced as deprecated . This includes the  Mixed Reality Portal app , and  Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and Steam VR Beta. Existing Windows Mixed Reality devices will continue to work with Steam through November 2026, if users remain on their current released version of Windows 11 (version 23H2) and do not upgrade to this year’s annual feature update for Windows 11 (version 24H2). This deprecation does not impact HoloLens.
  • Microsoft Defender Application Guard (MDAG) is no longer available as a feature on demand starting with this build. Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Office and Edge has been announced as deprecated .

[Copilot in Windows*]

  • We are trying out a new experience for Copilot in Windows that helps showcase the ways that Copilot can accelerate and enhance your work. This experience will show when you copy text – since Copilot supports helpful actions that you can take with text content. In this scenario, the Copilot icon will change appearance and animate to indicate that Copilot can help (there are several different treatments so you may notice a different visual effect). When you hover your mouse over the Copilot icon, it will provide a menu of actions that you can take, such as summarizing or explaining the copied text. If you select an action on the menu, it will launch Copilot with the action ready-to-go. We will also support the ability to launch Copilot if you start dragging an image – just drag the image file onto the Copilot icon in the taskbar, and Copilot will open. You can then drop the image into the text box in Copilot and type an action that you would like to take on the image content. UPDATE 2/16: We have stopped the rollout of the above Copilot in Windows feature. We will begin rolling it out again after fixing a few bugs. Thanks to Insiders for all the feedback on this!

Copilot actions you can take when you mouse over the Copilot icon on the taskbar after copying some text.

  • After temporarily disabling this experience to fix an issue, we are trying out opening Copilot automatically when Windows starts on widescreen devices again with some Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels. This can be managed via Settings > Personalization > Copilot. Note that this is rolling out so not all Insiders in the Canary or Dev Channels will see this right away. We’re trying this experience out on devices that have minimum diagonal screen size of 27” and pixel width of 1920 pixels and limited to primary display screens in multi-monitor scenarios. As a reminder, we regularly try out different experiences with Windows Insiders that may not ever ship, and others could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready.

New Copilot Settings page.

[Taskbar & System Tray]

  • We have updated the energy saver icon for desktop PCs (PCs without batteries). This icon is shown on the system tray when energy saver is enabled, under quick settings, and under Settings > System power & battery.

Different energy saver icons on the system tray for desktop PCs and laptops.

[File Explorer]

  • [ADDED 2/9] The preview thumbnail title in the taskbar, ALT + Tab and Task View for File Explorer windows will now indicate if that window includes multiple tabs.

[Bluetooth]

  • Today, when discovering available Bluetooth devices to connect to, Windows filters out device classes that are uncommon. Customers who wish to override this filter and see all nearby devices available to pair can do so by choosing “Advanced” for the “Bluetooth devices discovery” setting. Starting with this build, we are removing that option and introducing some changes to the add device workflow to streamline this experience. Now, discovery will always scan for all devices, but only show common device types by default. Whenever an “uncommon” device is found during the discovery process, an option to “Show all devices” will be displayed to the customer.
  • Windows Insiders who use the Color Management Control Panel to make changes to their color profiles can now use the all-new Color management settings page located under Settings > System > Display > Color management . This new settings page will allow users to add or remove color profiles, as well as set default color profiles for the connected displays. In addition, auto color management can now be found on the new Color management settings page.

Old Color Management Control Panel and new Color Management settings page.

[Registry Editor]

  • The Registry Editor now supports limiting a search to the currently selected key and its descendants.

New search in subtree option for searching in Registry Editor.

[Developer APIs]

  • Starting with this build, we are introducing the Power Grid Forecast API. This API empowers app developers to optimize app behavior, minimizing environmental impact by shifting background tasks to times when more renewable energy is available in the local electrical grid. The result is lower carbon emissions for app users. Please note that forecast quality varies by region and is not available globally. While the API is available in this build, we are still working on public documentation, sample code, and we have a couple of bug fixes checked in. All of this should make its way to Insiders in the coming weeks.
  • We are adding an energy saver notification callback setting GUID to represent the new energy saver experience introduced in Build 26002 . Apps can subscribe to the energy saver status by passing the appropriate GUID to the PowerSettingRegisterNotification API and can implement different behaviors to optimize energy or performance depending on the current energy saver status. More details can be found in here .
  • We are making a minor extension of the existing Effective Power Mode API to interpret the new energy saver levels when determining the returned effective power mode. Documentation will be updated shortly.
  • Developers can use the Cryptography API: Next Generation (CNG) framework to help secure Windows keys with virtualization-based security (VBS). See this blog post here for details .

[ Settings ]

  • You can go Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners to choose to setup Windows protected print mode but clicking the setup button under “Printer preferences”. This experience will continue to be refined in future flights.
  • We moved the option to show your Wi-Fi password to the top of the Wi-Fi properties page under Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.
  • [ADDED] We have updated the UI for Storage Spaces under Settings > System > Storage > Storage Spaces to more intuitively reflect Spaces. Some key changes include: remove confusing and/misleading status icons, replace links to Disk Management with links to Disks & Volumes, share drive labels and letter, when applicable, offering an explanation for a term when hovering over it, and adding upgrade and delete pool. This UI change should provide greater ease of storage management on Windows.  
  • We’ve adjusted the text in the notification when a PC detects a slow charger.

Updated notification when a PC detects a slow charger.

  • You can now use the Camera app to join a Wi-Fi network. Just scan a QR code with Wi-Fi details and a link will be provided that will open Settings to quickly get the new Wi-Fi profile added and connected. As a reminder, starting with Build 25977 in the Canary Channel you can create your own QR code for Wi-Fi and share it with others. This also works for mobile hotspots too.

Scan a QR code with Wi-Fi details in the Camera app to quickly connect to a Wi-Fi network.

Fixes for known issues

  • We fixed the issue where in some multi-monitor configurations, a display would appear as frozen in Build 26040.
  • Fixed a DWM issue in Build 26040 causing some rendering issues.
  • Fixed an issue causing Build 26040 flight to fail to install for some Insiders with error code 0x80188306.
  • Fixed an issue causing the print queue to not open in recent Canary Channel flights.
  • Did some more work to help improve the launch performance of File Explorer.
  • Fixed multiple crashes impacting system tray and its flyouts.
  • The volume slider in quick settings will now make a sound when adjusted again.
  • When using the save dialog, if you try to save a file to Gallery in File Explorer, it will now save to your Pictures library rather than showing an error.

Known issues

  • [IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GAMERS – UPDATED!] Some popular games may not work correctly and cause a bugcheck (green screen) when launched on the most recent Insider Preview builds in the Canary Channel. Please be sure to submit feedback in Feedback Hub on any issues you see with playing games on these builds.
  • Content in some video streaming apps from the Microsoft Store may not play. As a workaround, try streaming from a browser.
  • [ NEW ] We’re working on the fix for an issue causing an increase in Insiders experiencing black screens starting with Build 26040 (including when waking your PC from sleep). If you encounter this, pressing WIN + CTRL + Shift + B may resolve it.
  • [ADDED] A Display Connection section is incorrectly showing up under Settings > System > Display > Graphics that when clicked, will crash Settings. This section will be removed in a future flight. 
  • [ADDED 2/9] IMPORTANT NOTE FOR DEV DRIVE USERS: Insiders on Build 26052 who have Dev Drives and might need to rollback will need to back up their Dev Drives BEFORE rolling back as rolling back will cause Dev Drives to break and data on them to be lost.
  • Keyboard navigation from settings subpages back to the top-level Settings page is broken.

Microsoft Store Update

Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels running version 22401.xxxx.x of the Microsoft Store and higher will see the following improvement rolling out:

New and improved pages for Microsoft 365 : We’ve improved the Microsoft 365 pages to better describe all the benefits included in the subscription. You can compare between monthly and annual plans to determine what’s best for you, and you can browse the features in various apps included in Microsoft 365.

Example of improved Microsoft 365 page in the Microsoft Store.

FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Microsoft Store.

For developers

You can download the latest Windows Insider SDK at  aka.ms/windowsinsidersdk .

SDK NuGet packages are now also flighting at NuGet Gallery | WindowsSDK which include:

  • .NET TFM packages for use in .NET apps as described at aka.ms/windowsinsidersdk
  • C++ packages for Win32 headers and libs per architecture
  • BuildTools package when you just need tools like MakeAppx.exe, MakePri.exe, and SignTool.exe

These NuGet packages provide more granular access to the SDK and better integration in CI/CD pipelines.

SDK flights are now published for both the Canary and Dev Channels, so be sure to choose the right version for your Insider Channel.

Remember to use  adaptive code  when targeting new APIs to make sure your app runs on all customer machines, particularly when building against the Dev Channel SDK.  Feature detection  is recommended over OS version checks, as OS version checks are unreliable and will not work as expected in all cases.

Reminders for Windows Insiders

  • The Canary and Dev Channels receive builds with features and experiences that may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready .
  • Many features in the Canary and Dev Channel are rolled out using Controlled Feature Rollout technology , starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in these channels.
  • As the Canary and Dev Channels receive the same builds, some features may begin rolling out to the Canary Channel first before the Dev Channel.
  • While the Canary Channel is now on Windows 11, version 24H2, this is just temporary. At some point in the future, the Canary Channel will jump ahead to receiving new builds not matched to any specific release in a higher build series.
  • To get off the Canary or Dev Channel, a clean install of Windows 11 will be required . As a reminder – Insiders can’t switch to a channel that is receiving builds with lower build numbers without doing a clean installation of Windows 11 due to technical setup requirements.
  • The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for these pre-release builds.
  • Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel.
  • Copilot in Windows* in preview is being rolled out gradually to Windows Insiders in select global markets. The initial markets for the Copilot in Windows preview include North America, United Kingdom and parts of Asia and South America. It is our intention to add additional markets over time.

Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

IMAGES

  1. Taskbar color

    how to change windows taskbar color

  2. How To Change the Taskbar Color on Windows 11 (2021)

    how to change windows taskbar color

  3. How to Change Taskbar Color on Windows 10?

    how to change windows taskbar color

  4. How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows 10

    how to change windows taskbar color

  5. How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows 10

    how to change windows taskbar color

  6. How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows 10

    how to change windows taskbar color

VIDEO

  1. How to Change Window Color Windows 10

  2. How to Move Taskbar Icons to Left in Windows 11

  3. Make Start Menu and Taskbar Colorful Window 10

  4. How to Change Taskbar Color on Windows 11 (2024)?

  5. How to change Taskbar color on windows 10?

  6. #3 How to change taskbar color in Window 7,10?

COMMENTS

  1. How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows 10

    Click Start > Settings . Click Personalization . Click Colors . Click the Choose your color drop down, and select Custom . Switching from Light to Dark or the other way around will immediately change your taskbar color. Under Choose your default Windows mode, click Dark . Click Custom color .

  2. How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows 11

    First, open the Settings app by pressing Windows+i on your keyboard. Or you can right-click the taskbar and select "Settings" in the menu that appears. In Settings, click "Personalization" in the sidebar, then select "Colors." Under "Colors," locate the option labeled "Choose Your Mode" and select "Custom" from the drop-down list.

  3. How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows 10

    Learn how to customize the taskbar color in Windows 10 with a trip to Settings. Choose your accent color, theme color, and apply it to the taskbar, Start menu, action center, and window title bars. Follow the easy steps with screenshots and tips.

  4. Change colors in Windows

    Select Start > Settings . Select Personalization > Colors. Open Colors setting In the list for Choose your mode, select Custom. In the list for Choose your default Windows mode, select Light or Dark. In the list for Choose your default app mode, select Light or Dark. Expand the Accent color section, then:

  5. How To Change Taskbar Color In Windows 10

    Privacy Home Windows 10 With the default settings, Windows 10 uses black color for the Start menu, taskbar, and action center. While the default black color looks beautiful and goes well with the default wallpaper, after using Windows 10 for a while, you might want to change your taskbar color to your desired color.

  6. How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows

    The simplest way to change the taskbar color on your Windows PC is to go through the Settings app. Right-click the Start button and choose Settings from the WinX menu. Navigate to Personalization -> Colors. Click the drop-down menu for Choose your mode, and select Dark (or Custom ).

  7. How to use the taskbar in Windows

    You can personalize it in many ways—change the color, pin your favorite apps to it, and move or rearrange taskbar buttons. You can also check your battery status and minimize all open programs momentarily so that you can take a look at your desktop. Pin an app to the taskbar

  8. Personalize Windows colors

    Open Colors setting These settings allow you to: Change the colors that appear in Windows and the apps by choosing a mode that's Light, Dark, or Custom. Personalize the colors of the Start button and taskbar (this option is only available if you select Dark or Custom as your Windows color).

  9. How to Customize the Taskbar in Windows 10

    Personalize the taskbar by removing the search box, hiding system icons, moving the taskbar, changing its size, and adjusting its color and transparency in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.

  10. How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

    You can change the Task Bar colour on Windows 10 by simply changing the theme on your PC from Windows settings. To do this, click on the 'Settings' gear icon in the 'Start' menu. Click on Settings from the Start menu. Then, from the Windows settings screen, click on 'Personalization'. Select Personalization.

  11. How to Change the Windows 10 Taskbar Color

    Select "Personalization" > "Open Colors setting". Under "Choose your color", select the theme color. Windows 10 offers "Light", "Dark" and "Custom" color modes. "Light" mode is basically a...

  12. How to Change Taskbar Color on Windows 10

    To change the Taskbar color, right-click on the desktop and select 'Personalise'. On the Personalisation window, click on 'Colours', to the left of the screen. Select a color of your choice under 'Choose your accent colour' and then tick the checkbox 'Start, taskbar and action centre'. As soon as you select a color and tick the ...

  13. How to Customize the Taskbar in Windows 10

    To pin a folder to the taskbar, right-click it your desktop and select New > Shortcut. Then type explorer.exe, followed by the folder's file path. Next, right-click the shortcut you created and select Pin to taskbar. Right-click on your desktop and hover over Make sure to right-click an empty area of your desktop.

  14. How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 11

    Step 1: Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Settings, and click Open. Step 2: Navigate to Personalization and choose Colors from the right pane. Step 3: Click the Chevron (arrow) icon...

  15. How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

    After that, click on the "Colors" option from the left menu. Step 2. Select Custom or Dark Theme Mode. Windows 10 doesn't allow to change the taskbar color while using light theme mode. So, you need to select the custom or dark mode. For this, click on the "Choose your color" dropdown list.

  16. How to change Taskbar color on Windows 11

    To change the Taskbar color on Windows 11, open Settings > Personalization > Colors, select "Custom" for "Choose your mode," choose "Dark" for the Windows mode and "Light" for the app mode, turn on "Show accent color on Start and taskbar," and select the new color.

  17. How To Change Taskbar Color In Windows 10

    Step 1: To change taskbar color in Windows 10, press the Win key + R to open the Run dialog box. Then, type 'regedit' in the search box and click on Ok to open the registry editor. Open the registry editor. Step 2: Navigate to the following path given below.

  18. How To Change The Taskbar Color In Windows 11

    Step 1: Open the Settings app. Click on Personalization on the left pane and then click Colors on the right side. Step 2: In the Choose your mode drop-down menu, select the Custom option. Step 3: In the drop-down menu next to the Choose your default Windows mode, select Dark.

  19. How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 11

    You can change the taskbar color from the Settings app. First, head to the Start Menu and click on the 'Settings' tile to proceed. Alternatively, you can press the Windows + I keys together on your keyboard to open the app. Then, click on the 'Personalization' tab from the left sidebar to proceed.

  20. How to Change the Taskbar Color in Windows 10

    Change Windows 10 Start, action center, and taskbar color Still in the "Colors" tab, scroll down until you see the palette of colors and choose one. Bear in mind that certain colors won't make ...

  21. How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows?

    Step 4. Under "Choose your default Windows mode", choose "Dark" (You won't get an option to put the color in taskbar if you choose "Light"). Step 5. Now, you can select the color from "Windows color" or you can Click on "Custom color" and use the "color picker" to select your custom color. Step 6. Check the box ...

  22. How to Change Taskbar Color on Windows 11 [3 Ways]

    Selecting either the Dark or Light option will switch the taskbar's color from black to white. Yet, many users will prefer different colors for the taskbar. Fortunately, Windows 11 includes a good range of accent colors to choose from. You can select custom accent colors as well. How can I activate Windows 11? NOTE

  23. How to change the accent color only in the taskbar on Windows 10

    Open Settings. Click on Personalization. Click on Colors. Pick an accent color, which will be the color you want to use in the taskbar. Turn on the Show color on Start, taskbar, and...

  24. Use This App to Customize Your Windows Taskbar

    There's Normal, the default, which doesn't make any changes—you just get the default Windows 11 taskbar. Normal Credit: Justin Pot Next there's Opaque , which makes the taskbar a single color.

  25. Use This App to Customize Your Windows Taskbar

    There's Normal, the default, which doesn't make any changes—you just get the default Windows 11 taskbar. Normal Credit: Justin Pot. Next there's Opaque, which makes the taskbar a single color.

  26. How do I use Windows 11? A guide to the OS

    Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings.; Scroll down to Taskbar behaviors and expand the section if you haven't already.; Click the dropdown list next to Taskbar ...

  27. Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26052 (Canary and Dev

    UPDATE 2/9: Added an important known issue for Dev Drive users. Please see the known issues below. Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26052 to the Canary and Dev Channels.. Insiders in the Canary Channel will receive Build 26052.1000 while Insiders in the Dev Channel will receive Build 26052.1100 (KB5035384) as we test delivery of a full build and a ...

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