Windows 11 may not have a proper dark mode, but it’s finally getting a new feature that allows you to automatically rotate between light and dark themes. Right now, you need to manually select your preferred theme from Settings > Personalisation > Colours, but thanks to a new PowerToys module, you can soon change the theme based on the time.
Microsoft quietly confirmed that it’s testing a PowerToys utility to change themes based on your schedule, but it will not launch until October 2025.
Changing themes based on time or schedule in Windows 11 isn’t exactly a groundbreaking addition, but it’s still one of the most requested features. It’s also something that you could already do on other platforms. For example, macOS allows you to change the theme based on the time.
If it’s evening, you’ll be automatically switched to dark mode. Likewise, it reverts to light mode when it’s morning next time. I haven’t gotten the chance to test Microsoft’s integration, but I wouldn’t be surprised if PowerToys allows you to set custom hours or use location service to detect when it’s sunset or sunrise.
Or it can also use geographic coordinates.
Now, some of you might not prefer using PowerToys, but the fact that this feature is being added to PowerToys suggests it could eventually become a native feature in Windows 11, as has happened with other tools in the past.
For example, Microsoft is working on a native text extractor (OCR) for the Win + Shift + S shortcut in Windows 11.
This feature previously debuted with PowerToys. I wouldn’t be surprised if PowerToys’ automatic theme switcher also makes its way to Windows 11’s native Settings app.
Only time will tell when Microsoft will integrate the feature directly into Windows.
Meanwhile, there are a couple of third-party apps that allow you to achieve this behaviour. My personal favourite is “Auto Dark Mode,” which is available on the Microsoft Store. It was also selected as the best Microsoft Store app in 2022.
