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To change the Windows 11 taskbar color, open Settings > Personalization > Colors, switch Choose your mode to Dark or Custom, and turn on Show accent color on Start and taskbar. Then choose an accent color. The same accent can also appear on Start and action center.
Change the taskbar color in Windows 11
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Open Settings, then select Personalization > Colors.
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Under Choose your mode, select Dark or Custom. The taskbar accent-color control is available in these modes, not Light mode.
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Choose how Windows should set the accent color: select Automatic to use a color from your background, or Manual to choose one yourself. Manual options include recent colors, Windows colors, and View colors for a more detailed selection.
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Turn on Show accent color on Start and taskbar. Windows applies the accent to Start, the taskbar, and action center.
Microsoft describes taskbar color customization as changing the Windows color mode or configuring accent colors. See Microsoft’s taskbar customization guide and its Windows color personalization instructions.
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Which mode and accent-color choice should you use?
| Setting | What it does | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Dark mode | Makes the taskbar accent-color option available. | You want the dark Windows interface treatment. |
| Custom mode | Makes the taskbar accent-color option available while allowing a choice between light and dark treatments. | You want to combine a light or dark app treatment with the taskbar color option. |
| Automatic accent color | Windows picks an accent color from the background. | You want Windows to choose the accent. |
| Manual accent color | Lets you choose a recent color, a Windows color, or use View colors for a more detailed selection. | You want to select a particular accent. |
Why is the taskbar color option unavailable?
Check Choose your mode first. In Light mode, Windows does not offer this control for personalizing the color of Start, the taskbar, and action center. Switch to Dark or Custom mode in Settings > Personalization > Colors, then look for Show accent color on Start and taskbar.
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What the accent-color setting changes
This setting is not taskbar-only: the selected accent is applied to Start and action center as well. It changes the interface’s accent color; it is separate from taskbar position settings and from the appearance of notification badges.
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Microsoft’s August 27, 2026 preview notes for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 described a gradual rollout of a taskbar-position option, with availability varying by device. Those notes concern position, not the color procedure above. Separate August 27, 2026 Windows 11 26H1 preview notes concern notification badges using the Windows accent color rather than appearing red; that badge behavior does not mean the taskbar surface-color setting has changed.
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