Windows · Personalization
Manage Windows Themes
Themes bundle a desktop background, color scheme, sound scheme, and mouse cursor set into a single saved combination you can switch between instantly. Windows includes several built-in themes, and you can download more or save your own custom combination.
How to open Themes
- Open Settings → Personalization → Themes.
- Click a built-in theme to preview and apply it instantly.
- Adjust background, color, sound, or cursor individually if you want to customize further.
- Click 'Save theme' to store your current combination under a custom name.
What you should know
- Apply a built-in theme (like Glow, Captured Motion, or Sunrise) with one click.
- Save your current background, color, and sound setup as a new custom theme.
- Download additional themes from the Microsoft Store's theme collection.
- Delete custom themes you no longer want from the theme list.
Deleting a theme removes it from your list permanently, but any background images or sounds it used remain on your PC unless you delete those files separately.
Why it matters
Themes save you from manually reconfiguring background, colors, and sounds every time you want to switch your PC's look for a season, mood, or shared-device profile. They're especially useful on shared family PCs where each person wants a distinctly different look without creating separate custom settings from scratch each time. Because a theme also includes a sound scheme, applying one changes not just how your PC looks but how it sounds during common interactions like errors and notifications.
Best practices
- Save your preferred combination as a named custom theme before experimenting with a downloaded one, so you can always revert.
- Check a downloaded theme's included background slideshow for very large image sets if you're on a metered connection, since it may download several images at once.
- Turn off the sound scheme in a theme individually if you like the visuals but find its notification sounds distracting.
- Clean up unused custom themes periodically to keep the theme list easy to scan.
Common problems and fixes
- A downloaded theme won't fully apply, missing sounds or cursors.
- Confirm the theme pack finished downloading completely from the Microsoft Store before applying it, since a partial download can silently skip some components.
- Applying a new theme unexpectedly changes your accent color.
- Switch the accent color mode from 'Automatic' back to 'Manual' under Colors after applying the theme if you want to keep your own chosen color.
- A custom theme disappeared from the list.
- Custom themes are tied to your user profile, so this typically only happens after a profile reset or reinstall — recreate it by reapplying your preferred background, color, and sound combination and saving it again.
Tips and tricks
- Search 'themes' directly in the Microsoft Store app to browse seasonal and photography-based theme packs Microsoft doesn't always surface in Settings.
- Pair a dark-toned theme with dark mode enabled under Colors for a fully consistent dark appearance across backgrounds and UI.
Frequently asked questions
Do themes affect app appearance, or just Windows itself?
Themes primarily control the desktop, window borders, and system sounds; most third-party apps use their own light/dark setting independent of your Windows theme.
Can I share a custom theme with someone else?
Yes, Windows lets you export a .deskthemepack file for a custom theme that another person can open on their own PC to apply the same combination.
Are Microsoft Store themes free?
The vast majority of official Microsoft theme packs are free downloads, though some third-party curated collections may be paid.
Related settings
- PersonalizationPersonalization is the hub for changing how Windows looks and feels — desktop background, accent colors, themes, lock screen, Start menu layout, and taskbar behavior all live under this one settings category. It's the starting point for making a shared or new PC feel like your own.
- Lock ScreenLock Screen settings control the image, slideshow, or Windows Spotlight photo shown before you sign in, plus which apps can show quick status glances like unread email count or your next calendar event. It's the first thing you and anyone walking by sees on a locked PC.
- Sound SettingsSound Settings allow you to select input and output devices, adjust volume levels per app, and troubleshoot audio issues such as no sound or distorted playback.
More Personalization guides for Windows
- TaskbarTaskbar settings control which icons appear, how they're aligned, and which system tray items show by default. This is where you manage pinned apps, the search box, widgets, and corner icons like clock, network, and volume.
- Start MenuStart menu settings let you control which folders appear next to the power button, how many pinned app rows and recommended file rows show, and whether recently added or most-used apps surface automatically. It's where you shape the layout you see every time you click Start.
- FontsFonts settings let you preview every typeface installed on your PC, download additional fonts from the Microsoft Store, and install new ones by dragging a font file directly onto the page. Every font installed here becomes available system-wide, appearing in the font list of every app that lets you choose one, from word processors to design software.
- Colors & Accent ColorControls the accent color used across Start, taskbar, title bars, and other UI elements, and lets you choose whether Windows should surface a color automatically from your background.
- Background & Windows SpotlightControls your desktop background, including static pictures, slideshows, solid colors, and Windows Spotlight, which automatically rotates curated images and can show fun facts on your desktop.
- Touch Keyboard PersonalizationLets you personalize the appearance and behavior of the on-screen touch keyboard used on tablets, touchscreens, and 2-in-1 devices, including theme, key sound, and text suggestions.