Change your theme and create the perfect Windows 11 desktop in 2024

Windows 11 has a redesigned settings menu that makes personalizing your desktop a breeze. If you want to change your theme, colors, and icons on Windows 11, it’s as easy as it is to change your background. Let’s take a look at what you need to do.

Change your theme

If you want to change your theme, doing so on Windows 11 is an easy process. There are plenty of Windows themes available in the Microsoft Store to choose from. But did you know you can further personalize your theme and make it your own?

Here’s what you need to do to change your theme on Windows 11.

1. Go to Settings (Windows key + I).
2. Go to Personalization.
3. Go to Themes.

From here, you can choose and change specific settings of the theme you use. Here, I picked the Call of the Raven theme from the Microsoft Store. Interestingly, this theme comes as a light theme by default, but I went with a dark theme to follow a more sinister vibe. I like most of the settings that this theme has, but I want to change a few settings to add my own personal flair.

One of the good things is that I don’t have to dig deeper in the menu to change the theme’s settings. If I want to customize the theme, I can change some settings by choosing one of the icons as highlighted in the red box below. Here, I can change the background, accent color, sounds, and mouse cursor right from the theme menu.

While I won’t bore you with all the details of my theming choices, I chose a single picture as my background with a gray brown accent color, and kept the Windows sounds and mouse cursor settings on their default options. If you want to delve deeper, you can use your own custom sounds and icons.

Since I slightly edited the original Call of the Raven theme, I saved my personal settings for the theme to “Call of the Raven Remix.” Now, I can go back and pick this theme whenever I want and know that the settings are saved how I want.

Change your colors

Changing the colors on Windows 11 is another way you can stand out from the crowd. If you want to change how colors are shown, here’s how you get to the colors personalization menu.

1. Go to Settings(Windows key + I).
2. Go to Personalization.
3. Go to Colors.

If you want to change the color scheme on Windows 11, here you have three options:

1. Choose your color – Adjust how apps and Windows surfaces appear on your screen
2. Transparency effects – Toggle on/off Windows and surfaces appear translucent
3. Accent color – Adjust how apps and Windows surfaces appear on your screen

The Accent color section offers additional color settings, including a toggle to show the accent color on your Start menu and taskbar, as well as a toggle to show the accent color on the title bars and borders on your open windows.

Change your icons

For now, I am happy with the redesigned icons (and sounds) provided by Microsoft on Windows 11 by default. As Microsoft tests more Windows 11 builds on the Windows Insider program, this menu experience may change, but here’s what you need to do to change your icons on Windows 11.

The icon menu is located under Themes and related settings, under Desktop icon settings. Here’s how you get to the menu to change the icons on Windows 11.

1. Go to Settings (Windows key + I).
2. Go to Personalization.
3. Go to Themes.

From here, you can use the search box in settings to type in “Themes and related settings,” or scroll to the bottom of the Themes section to find the Desktop icons settings. Once you click on the Desktop icon settings, a dialog box will open, click Change Icon… to change the desktop icons. While I am perfectly happy with the icons on Windows 11, if you are interested in icon packs, DeviantArt and flaticon are great resources.

Change your font

The ability to change your font is present on Windows 10 and the experience remains largely the same. You can choose from a variety of fonts available already, or get a new one from the Microsoft Store. There are not many fonts currently available, but there are enough to get you started. Follow these steps to change your font.

1. Go to Settings (Windows key + I).
2. Go to Personalization.
3. Go to Fonts.

Change your sounds

Changing your sounds is a more complex affair. There is a mix of the new Windows 11 sound settings mixed in with some old remnants of older Windows sound menu options. As is the case with this Windows Insider build, these menu options may change. Follow these steps to change your sounds on Windows 11.

1. Go to Settings (Windows key + I)
2. Go to Personalization
3. Go to Themes
4. Go to Sounds (as shown)

Upon trying to find sounds to relive my favorite Windows Phone 7 notifications, I found this post that provides a link to folder for both Windows Phone 7 and Windows 10 Mobile sounds. Another invaluable sound resource is BBC Sound Effects, I was able to find enough sounds of ravens to provide some of my own interesting Windows 11 notifications.

Be sure to check out the rest of our Windows 11 coverage, and let me know what other Windows 11 features you need help with in the comments!

About The Author

Dave W. Shanahan

I’m Dave W. Shanahan, a Microsoft enthusiast with a passion for Windows, Xbox, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure, and more. I started MSFTNewsNow.com to keep the world updated on Microsoft news. Based in Massachusetts, you can email me at davewshanahan@gmail.com.

See author's posts