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

3 tested ways to customize your taskbar’s color

5 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

The taskbar is an integral part of Windows 11. Its taskbar looks a little different from its predecessors because its icons are centered.

However, Windows 11’s taskbar color customization settings aren’t that much different from those in 10.

You can customize the taskbar’s colors via Settings much the same you used toset a custom color for the taskbar and the Start Menu in Windows 10.

Windows 11 retains the dark and light themes introduced in the previous OS. Selecting either theDarkorLightoption 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?

If you don’t happen to have a product key for Windows 11, forget about the above method! However, you can still activate that platform with a KMS client key instead. To do that, follow the steps below:

You’ll need to replacekmsclientkeyin the command specified for step four with your Windows 11 edition’s KMS client key code. These are KMS client keys for the Windows 11 Home, Enterprise, Pro, and Education editions:

You’ll also need to replace your server in theslmgr /skmscommand with a kms host address. These are some of the online kms host addresses you can include in that command:

Also, note that not all those host addresses will necessarily work. If you receive an error message for activating Windows 11 with this method, try entering a different online kms host address.

How can I change the taskbar’s color in Windows 11?

1. Switch between dark and light taskbar color themes

2. Select custom accent colors

Windows 11’s built-in Personalization settings allow you to fully customize the color of your taskbar. You can select a custom accent color or create one from scratch.

Press theWindows + Ikeys on your keyboard to open theSettingsmenu.
ChoosePersonalizationfrom the list of options.
Navigate toColors.
Go to theChoose your modedrop-down menu.
To select custom accent colors for the Windows 11 taskbar, you’ll need to select theDarkoption.
Toggle theShow accent color on Start and taskbaroptionOn. That option will be grayed out with theLightoption selected.
Now clickAccent colorto choose a color. Your taskbar will then change to your selected color.

8.To customize your selected color, click theView colorsbutton to bring up the tool that you can see below.

You can change your selected color by dragging the circle to different positions on the palette.
You can also drag theValuebar left and right to further adjust your taskbar’s color.
Click theMorebutton to bring up RGB and HSV color details. There you can enter color codes within the text box.
Press theDonebutton to close the color utility when you are finished.
As a bonus, you can also apply a snazzy transparency effect to your taskbar by clicking theTransparency effectstoggle button within the color settingsOn.

To find more details on this topic, don’t hesitate to check out thisarticle on how to make the taskbar transparent in Windows 11.

3. Use different themes

Are there any other useful color settings in Windows 11?

TheAccessibilitytab inSettingsincludes some general contrast theme options that will also change the taskbar’s color. Those color options are supposed to make apps and text clearer. Follow the steps below to tinker with those options:

Overall, it’s pretty straightforward to change the taskbar’s color in Windows 11. With the OS’s personalization settings, you can adjust your taskbar’s color to whatever takes your fancy.

You can alsochange the title bar colorandwindow borderto customize your desktop experience further; read this guide to learn the steps.

Changing your taskbar’s color is a great way to customize Windows 11. You can really liven up your PC’s desktop by selecting a more vibrant accent color for the taskbar and the Start menu as well.

Even more, you canchange the taskbar size in Windows 11by editing the registry or adjusting the scaling settings. If the result doesn’t match your expectations, there are a few simple tricks to apply in order tomake Windows 11 look like Windows 10 again.

Tell us in the comments if you managed to change the taskbar’s color and if our solutions helped you do that.

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

How can I activate Windows 11?#

How can I change the taskbar’s color in Windows 11?#

1. Switch between dark and light taskbar color themes#

2. Select custom accent colors#

3. Use different themes#

Are there any other useful color settings in Windows 11?#