How to Automatically Switch Windows 11 Dark Mode Like macOS

Windows 10 and 11 lets you switch between both light and dark modes. But unlike macOS, Windows does not have the option to automatically switch between light and dark modes in the sunrise and sunset. If you have been looking for a solution, we have found some quick workarounds for Windows 11 to work like macOS in dark mode switching.

Let’s see how to automate dark mode in Windows 11 using workarounds and some other tools.

Schedule Windows 11 Dark Mode with Task Scheduler

While Microsoft has forgotten to implement a dark mode schedule, power users will realize there’s a nifty tool called Task Scheduler on Windows. Task scheduler allows you to schedule certain tasks on your computer so that they run automatically. We can use the Task scheduler to schedule Windows 11 dark mode.

1. Click on the search button or the Start button and type Task scheduler.
2. Right-click on the Task Scheduler Library folder.
3. Select New Folder.
4. Type a name for the folder, and click on the OK button. We’ll name it Mashtips.
   
   • This new folder will help you easily find your manually scheduled tasks, and also make sure you don’t accidentally mess up your system tasks.
5. Right-click on your newly created folder and select Create Task.
6. Next to the Name field, give a name to the task, such as Windows 11 dark mode schedule.
7. Select Run whether user is logged on or not, and Do not store password.
8. Next, head over to the Triggers tab and click on the New button to add a trigger.
9. From the drop-down menu at the top, select On a schedule, if not already selected.
10. From the Settings column, select Daily.
11. Select a time, preferably after sunset, if that’s when you want the Windows 11 dark mode to turn on.
12. Click OK when done.
13. Similarly now, head over to the Actions tab and click New.
14. Select Start a program from the Action drop-down menu.
15. Copy and paste the following in the Program script input field.
    

    %SystemRoot%system32WindowsPowerShellv1.0powershell.exe

16. Next, copy and paste the following in the Add arguments input field.

    New-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:SOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionThemesPersonalize -Name SystemUsesLightTheme -Value 0 -Type Dword -Force; New-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:SOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionThemesPersonalize -Name AppsUseLightTheme -Value 0 -Type Dword -Force

17. Click on the Settings tab now and select the Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed option.
    • This makes sure that the task is run even if your computer misses the schedule, due to being shutdown or in sleep.
18. Check If the task fails, restart every and select 1 minute from the drop-down.
19. In the Attempt to restart up to input field, enter 3.
20. Click OK.

And that’s all you have to do to schedule Windows 11 dark mode. Once you set the same, your Windows PC will start to switch to dark mode automatically every day at the time you scheduled.

Related: Windows 11 Looks Boring? Customize Windows 11 Theme Now

Schedule Windows 11 Light Mode

While you have created a schedule for Windows 11 auto dark mode, you probably still want it to switch to light mode as well at a certain time. Otherwise, you would have to manually turn it on every morning. To schedule a light mode, you simply have to repeat the steps above with minor but important changes.

1. Open Task scheduler.
2. Right-click on your created folder and select Create Task.
3. Name it Windows 11 light mode schedule, or something you prefer.
4. Select Daily from the Settings column and select a preferred time for the light mode to turn on.
5. Select Run whether user is logged on or not, and Do not store password
6. Under the Actions tab now, click New.
7. From the Action drop-down menu, select Start a program.
8. Copy and paste the following in the Program script input field.

   %SystemRoot%system32WindowsPowerShellv1.0powershell.exe

9. As before, copy and paste the following in the Add arguments input field.

   New-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:SOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionThemesPersonalize -Name SystemUsesLightTheme -Value 1 -Type Dword -Force; New-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:SOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionThemesPersonalize -Name AppsUseLightTheme -Value 1 -Type Dword -Force

10. Again, in the Settings tab, select the Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed option.
11. Check If the task fails, restart every and set 1 minute as the interval.
12. Enter 3 in the Attempt to restart up to input field.
13. Click OK.

Now you’ve scheduled the light mode to turn on automatically as well. At your scheduled times, Windows 11 dark mode will be turned on, as well as off. You can focus on other things now.

Related: How to Turn Off Windows 11 Transparency Effects

Get Auto Dark Mode for Windows 11 with Third-Party Apps

All these workarounds need time to set them up. If you do not want to struggle to try to set up dark mode automation in Windows using Task Scheduler, you will love this third-party app called Auto Dark Mode.

The Auto Dark Mode is a free app that is also available on the Microsoft Store.

Instead of simply switching between the default light and dark themes, the app also lets you switch between any two themes of your choice as well. You can also set hotkeys to force switch anytime you want.

Since we’re mainly focusing on having a macOS like automatic dark mode in Windows 11, we’ll try to skip all the extra stuff.

1. Launch Auto Dark Mode app on your Windows 11 PC.
2. Select Time from the left column.
3. Set your preferred times for dark and light mode.

That’s all you have to do. However, you might want to take a look at some of the additional features which can be very convenient. Auto Dark Mode for Windows 11 offers quite a lot of extra functionality. You can pick your favorite wallpapers for light and dark modes. Nobody really wants to be stuck with dark wallpaper on a light theme, or a light wallpaper on a dark theme. 

Another example would be Switch Modes. Switching to dark mode while you’re playing a resource-intensive game is perhaps not a good idea. Using the Task scheduling method above, you can’t really avoid that. With this app, it’s just a simple click.

Related: How to Hide Taskbar in Windows 10 and Use Apps in Full Screen

The whole push for dark mode was because the bright white themes were too taxing on the eyes of users in the darkness of the night. It makes sense to turn it on in the night, but keep it off in the day, since the light theme offers more contrast. The above workarounds can help you schedule and automate switching between the dark and light modes.