How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

One of the reasons why users like Windows 10 is its customizability to suit their needs and aesthetics. From changing wallpaper to selecting accent colors, Windows OS offers plenty of options. Start Menu and Taskbar, two of the most accessed elements of the UI, can also be customized as desired. Whether you prefer vibrant hues or muted tones, changing the taskbar color is a straightforward process that can breathe new life into your desktop. Read below to learn how to change Taskbar color in Windows 10.

How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

Pre-requisites to customize taskbar

1. If you are using an older version of Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and install any available updates as you need to have the Windows 10 1903 feature update or newer.

Navigate to the Windows Update tab and click on Check for updates on the right.

2. You need to make sure you set Choose Your Color > Custom and set Windows Mode > Dark.

The start menu, taskbar, and action center are all tied together as one giant UI element in Windows, and all three bear the same color. The option to set different colors for each of them is not yet available. With that being said, here is how to change Windows taskbar color:

1. Press the Windows key to activate the Start menu and then click on the cogwheel icon to launch Settings.

Windows Start menu.

2. Click on Personalization.

Personalization option in Settings. How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

3. Move to Colors tab using the menu present on the left.

4. Expand the Choose your color selection menu on the right panel and select Dark.

Note: For some reasons, the Light theme does not permit custom colors for the taskbar, start menu, and other UI elements and therefore, you will need to switch to the Dark theme.

Colors option in Personalization.

5. Before selecting an accent color, scroll down the panel and check the box for Start, taskbar, and action center under Show accent color on the following surfaces to preview your selection.

Colors option in Personalization. How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

6. Finally, choose an accent color of your preference and taskbar will automatically change to that color.

7. You will find many color options in the Recent Colors and Window colors sections. Go ahead and play around with them until you find the one that fits with your aesthetic.

Colors option in Personalization.

8. If you aren’t pleased with any of the existing color options, click on the + Custom Color button and choose your accent color.

Colors option in Personalization. How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

9. In the Choose a custom accent color dialog box, click on More option to switch between RGB and HSV color models, enter precise values for Red, Green, and Blue channels or directly enter a custom hex code.

10. Once you have fine-tuned your color selection, click on Done to set the accent color.

Note 1: If your selected accent color isn’t being applied properly, disable Color Filters within Ease of Access settings by going to Settings > Ease of Access > Vision > Color filters.

Choose a custom accent color popup.

Note 2: You can also let Windows automatically choose a color based on your wallpaper. For this, check the box next to Automatically pick an accent color from my background. Now every time you change your wallpaper, Windows will automatically change Taskbar color.

Colors option in Personalization.

Now you know how you can change Taskbar color in Windows 10.

Also Read: Fix Windows 10 Taskbar Icons Missing

Pro Tip: Change Taskbar Color if Windows is Not Activated

All the above-discussed customization options are only available to users with an activated version of Windows. However, even if your Windows isn’t activated, you can still perform taskbar color change using the Registry Editor. Follow these steps to do the same.

Note: Be careful when modifying the Registry as any mishaps can prompt undesirable issues.

1. Open the Run dialog box by hitting Windows + R keys together.

2. Type regedit and click OK to open the Registry Editor.

Run dialog box.

3. Manually navigate down the following path or simply copy-paste the path in the address bar and hit Enter key.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize

Registry Editor window. How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

4. Double click on ColorPrevalence key on the right panel and change its Value data to 1. Click OK to save.

Registry Editor window. ColorPrevalence key is highlighted.

5. Next, head down HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop and double-click on AutoColorization. Change Value Data to 1 and click OK.

Registry Editor window. AutoColorization key is highlighted.

5. Close the Registry Editor now and Restart Windows Explorer process from Task Manager to bring the customization into effect. That is it, you can now change taskbar color windows 10 as per your choice.

Task Manager Window, Windows Explorer is highlighted. How to Change Taskbar Color in Windows 10

Additional Ways to Customize Taskbar

There are several ways to customize the taskbar on Windows 10, for example,

We hope that this guide was helpful and you were able to change taskbar color windows 10.. Let us know if you would like to read more Windows 10/Windows 11 customization how-tos on our website.

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