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Just like in Windows 10, you can change your accent color in Windows 11 for added flavor.
The windows accent color can transform how your OS looks, being subtle or front and center depending on the options and shades you choose.
What is accent color in Windows 11?
The windows accent color refers to the coloring of secondary or tertiary UI elements in your operating system. Windows applies the accent color to borders, buttons, notification icons, and (optionally) your Start menu, taskbar, or window title bars.
While Microsoft has several default accent color options as part of its themes, today we’ll be showing you how to change accent color in Windows 10 to whatever you like. We’ll cover the choice of preset swatches, as well creating your own custom accent.
There are two ways to activate manual accent color picking: through the Settings interface and via your Registry Editor. This guide will show both routes – though we recommend against the registry route unless you have a specific reason for it.
⚠️ Please note: The process described below is the same in Windows 11 as it is in Windows 10. However, bear in mind that we’ll be using screenshots from Windows 11, so your UI may look a little different. We’ll point out any changes you need to be aware of as they come up.
How to Change Accent Color in Windows 11 via Settings
Microsoft’s Settings app makes choosing an accent color a real joy. It offers a wide range of default colors while making applying a custom accent in Windows very hassle-free. Follow along below to learn how to use it:
- Press the Start button and click “Settings”
- Click “Personalization” in the sidebar, and “Colors” in the main pane
- Click the “Accent color” dropdown that says “Automatic”
- Change the dropdown to manual and choose a recent or Windows color
- OR: Press “View colors” to make your own accent
- Move your color picker icon to choose a color and press “Done” to save it
You can adjust the slider at the bottom to determine how light or dark the color is, or press “More” if you want to enter a specific HEX or RGB value.
Windows will automatically apply your color after you press “Done”.
You can switch the toggles to decide whether you want to apply the color to your Start menu, taskbar, and title bars.
How to Enable or Disable Manual Accent Colors in the Registry
If your accent color option is not available, it may be switched off in the Registry. This is easy enough to fix if you have administrator permissions.
- Press the search icon and type “Regedit”, then click the top result
- Go to the Desktop key and double-click the “AutoColorization” DWORD
You can find the desktop key by pasting the following into your Registry Editor address bar:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
If you don’t see the “AutoColorization” DWORD immediately, click on any DWORD once and press “A” on your keyboard until it comes up.
- Change the “Value data” to “1” or “0” and press “OK”
A value data of 1 makes the accent color automatic, while 0 turns it manual.
Extra: How to Use a Custom Mouse Cursor in Windows
Now that you know how to change the Windows color scheme, you might be wondering if you can extend the color to your mouse cursor. While there’s no direct option, you can follow our guide on how to use a custom cursor in Windows to find one that better fits with your OS.
Extra: How to Make the Taskbar Transparent or Solid in Windows 11
To better show off your taskbar accent color in Windows 11, you can turn your taskbar solid instead of transparent. To learn how to do so, follow our dedicated guide on the matter.
