Learn how to automatically switch between light and dark themes in Windows 11 on schedule in simple steps.
On Windows 11, activating the light or dark themes is pretty easy. Simply open the “Settings” app, go to the “Personalization” > “Themes” page, and choose the theme of your choice. In fact, to make things easier, you can even create a batch script or a desktop shortcut to switch between light and dark themes as and when needed. However, what if you want to automate this process? That is, automatically switch between light and dark themes on schedule. For example, maybe use the dark theme at night and automatically switch to the light theme during the daytime.
While the OS doesn’t have a built-in option, we can use a free and open-source app called Auto Dark Mode to schedule light and dark themes in Windows 11. The best thing is that the app is highly customizable and very easy to use. In this quick and straightforward guide, let me show you the steps to automatically switch between light and dark themes on schedule in Windows 11. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- Download Auto Dark mode from its official GitHub page.
- Download the x86.exe file if you are using an x86 or x64 CPU (Intel or AMD).
- Download the ARM64.exe file if you are using the newer ARM/Snapdragon CPU (Ex: Copilot+ PCs).
- After downloading, double-click the downloaded exe file and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
Steps to Schedule Light and Dark Themes in Windows 11
- Open the “Start menu” by clicking the “Windows” icon.
- Search for “Auto Dark Mode” and click “Open“.
- Go to the “Time” tab on the sidebar.
- Turn ON the “Enable automatic theme switching” toggle.
- Select the “Set custom hours” option.
- Set the time under the “Custom start time” section for the “Light” and “Dark” dropdown menus.
- Close the Auto Dark Mode app.
- With that, you’ve scheduled light and dark themes in Windows 11.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, open the Start menu by clicking the “Windows” key on your keyboard, search for “Auto Dark Mode” and click it to open the App.
Once the app opens, go to the “Time” tab on the left panel. Next, turn ON the “Enable automatic theme switching” toggle. After that, select the “Set custom hours” option. Under the “Custom start time” section, set the “Light” and “Dark” timings. For example, I set 7 AM for the Light theme and 8 PM for the Dark theme. That means the system switches to Light theme at 7 AM every morning and to the Dark theme at 8 PM every night.
If you don’t want to set a specific time, you can choose the following options.
- From sunset to sunrise (location service): Uses Windows 11 location service to automatically detect the sunrise and sunset timing depending on where you live.
- From sunset to sunrise (geographic coordinates): Same as the first option, but you can manually enter the geographic coordinates instead of enabling location services in Windows 11.
- Follow Windows night light: If you are already using Windows 11’s Night Light feature, the app uses its timings to switch themes.
With that, you are done setting up the application. You can close it by clicking the “X” icon on the title bar. From now on, the app automatically switches the theme in Windows 11 on schedule.
Optional Settings to Configure
Apart from scheduling, you can also customize the app to make it work as you want. For example, if you are using a laptop with an OLED screen, automatically switching to the dark theme when unplugged from the wall power improves the overall battery life. To do that, go to the “Switch Modes” tab on the left panel and select the “Switch to dark mode when device is unplugged” checkbox under the “Battery powered devices” section.
By default, the app is configured to automatically start with Windows. That way, it can switch themes as per schedule. However, if it is not starting, go to the “Settings” tab on the sidebar and turn ON the “Start Auto Dark Mode with Windows” toggle.
From the “Personalization” tab, you can pick specific wallpapers for specific themes. Do play with other options to configure the app as you want.
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That is all. It is that simple to schedule light and dark modes in Windows 11. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
Update: This tutorial has been updated to reflect the changes to the Auto Dark Mode app.
