Windows 11 has several built-in themes with different wallpapers and colors. This allows you to quickly switch the look and feel of your desktop. However, if you are bored of these built-in themes, you can create your own themes for Windows 11 complete with custom sounds, wallpapers, colors, and cursors. All this you can do using the Settings app with just a few clicks. No need for any third-party application. In this tutorial, I’ll guide you step-by-step on how to create, save, and apply a custom theme in Windows 11. Let’s get started!
Steps To Create a Custom Theme in Windows 11
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Go to the Personalization tab.
- Click the Themes option.
- Select a base theme of your choice under the “Current Theme” section.
- Click the Background option and set a wallpaper, spotlight, or slideshow.
- Go back to the “Themes” page and click on Color.
- Choose the accent color, color mode, and transparency effects.
- Go back to the “Themes” page and click on the Sounds option.
- Select a specific “Program Event” and choose a sound of your choice from the “Sounds” dropdown. Click OK to save changes.
- Go back to the “Themes” page and click on the Mouse cursor option.
- Choose the cursor scheme of your choice from the “Scheme” dropdown and click OK.
- On the “Themes” page, click the Save button.
- Enter a name of your choice and click Save.
- Select the newly created custom theme under the “Current Theme” section to apply it.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, open the Settings app. You can do that by pressing the Windows key + I shortcut or by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting the Settings option. Once it opens, navigate to the Personalization tab and click the Themes option.
On the “Themes” page, choose a base theme of your choice under the “Current Theme” section. Next, click the Background option.
On the “Background” page, choose a wallpaper by selecting the Picture option from the “Personalize your background” dropdown. Alternatively, select Windows Spotlight or set up a wallpaper slideshow for dynamic wallpapers.
Once done, click the back arrow icon on the top left corner to go back to the Themes page.
Here, click the Color option.
On this page, choose the color mode (Light or Dark), enable or disable transparency effects, and choose an accent color. If you want to show the accent color on the taskbar, Start menu, and title bars, enable the Show accent color on Start and Taskbar and Show accent color on title bars and window borders options.
Once done, click the back arrow icon on the top left corner to go back to the Themes page. Next, click the Sounds option.
Under the Sounds tab, select each Program Event and choose a sound of your choice from the “Sounds” dropdown menu at the bottom. For example, to change the sound of notifications, select the “System Notification” event and choose a sound from the dropdown menu. Once done, click OK.
As before, click the back arrow icon on the top left corner to go back to the Themes page. Next, click the Mouse cursor option.
Now, choose a cursor style from the “Schemes” dropdown menu. If you want, you can install custom mouse cursors too. Once done, click the OK button.
Go back to the “Themes” page. Here, click the Save button.
Enter a name of your choice in the blank field and click Save.
That’s it. You’ve created a new custom theme on Windows 11. You can select it under the “Current Themes” section to apply it.
Wrapping Up — Creating a Custom Theme in Windows 11
As you can see, thanks to the Settings app and built-in options, it is pretty easy to create your own custom theme in Windows 11. By following the steps I’ve shown above, you can create as many custom themes as you want, each with specific sounds, colors, and backgrounds. This makes it easy to switch themes as needed. For example, you can create a specific theme for work or presentation needs and switch to it with just a single click.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
