Microsoft Turns on the Lights with a New Theme in Windows 10 Update

Microsoft is introducing a new light theme in the upcoming version of Windows 10 and is currently beta testing the change with Windows Insiders. The clean-looking theme brings a much-needed facelift to Windows and was officially unveiled Wednesday, November 14, in a blog post.

Currently, anyone can preview the new light theme by enrolling in the Windows Insider program and then downloading the latest Fast Ring 18282 build of Windows 10 19H1. Though this is a preview version of Windows 10 that is still unstable, it puts a fresh coat of paint on the now three-year-old operating system. Once the new theme is selected by heading to “settings,” “personalization,” “colors,” and then choosing the “light” option it makes the Windows 10 Start Menu and Taskbar whiter and more visually appealing.

“Ever since we introduced the ability to choose between light and dark in Windows 10, we’ve heard feedback asking for a truer separation between the two options. … Now, all system UI will now be light. This includes the taskbar, Start menu, Action Center, touch keyboard, and more,” Microsoft said.

The new light theme is still a work in progress and Microsoft is awaiting feedback on the experience to further tweak it. Other pieces of the operating system are also still subject to more design changes later on, including the OneDrive icon, and various areas of the system tray.

These changes will likely debut to non-beta testers in the next major update to Windows 10, currently codenamed 19H1. Since Microsoft usually releases Windows 10 updates twice a year, in October and April, it could likely become official in the spring. It also can be removed entirely as other beta features like Windows Sets have been added and then removed, in the past.

This is just the latest set of Windows 10 changes as prior previews have introduced other new features. Microsoft has previously changed the Windows search experience and introduced the ability for consumers to remove more of the pre-installed apps on their PC. Fast Ring 18282 build also introduces improvements to the Snipping tool, updates to the printing app, and changes that make it easier to pause Windows Updates so it doesn’t impede on workflows.