7 Windows 10 dark themes you should try

By Gizbot Bureau

| Published: Wednesday, March 27, 2019, 18:20 [IST]

A darker screen or muted colors go a long way to reduce the strain on your eye and it also provides text that is much easier to read. And to top it all off, you difficult to go wrong with black. Windows 10 did not have a dark theme when it launched. The native dark theme for Windows after a couple of years since it’s launch.

But the waiting period saw the launch of a large variety of appealing third-party dark themes. Windows personalization options allow you to change the background, lock screen, color, sounds and the appearance of your device. You can do this by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting Personalize>Themes or head to Start>Settings>Personalization>Themes. You can either choose from one of Windows’ built-in themes or click on 'Get more themes in Microsoft Store’ to see more.

Windows 10 Dark Theme

Prior to the 2017 Anniversary Update, the only way you could get your hands on a Windows 10 dark theme was through a registry hack. If you're running a recent version of Windows 10, head over to Settings (Windows key+I) > Personalization > Colors, scroll down and set the default app mode to Dark. The theme will change the Windows system apps and Microsoft's store apps.

GreyEve

This theme is available for download from DeviantArt. Unlike other themes on the list, these can be installed without the use of third-party tools or editing any system files.

Penumbra 10

This theme has been designed to use neutral dark colors, so there will not be any jarring contrasts or unpleasant colors anywhere on your screen. However, the installation process is a little more complicated and you will need the UXThemePatcher, OldNewExplorer (to remove the window's ribbon) and the theme itself.

Nocturnal W10

This theme is available for Windows 10 and despite sharing the same name as its Windows 8 counterpart, it will not work on older versions of the operating system. This is the most complex one to install and you will need four third-party apps before installing the main theme, OldNewExplorer, Classic Shell and UXThemePatcher.

Ades Theme

The Ades theme uses various tones of gray to introduce some color. Although it requires a third-party tool, it's easier than both Nocturnal and Penumbra to use. All you will need is UXThemePatcher.

Hover Dark Aero

Hover Dark Aero uses translucent blacks and grays to create a sleek and visually impressive user interface. There are six different versions to choose from, each has a slightly different feel. In order to make the theme work, you will need to make sure you have UXThemePatcher.

Hastpy

The developer behind the theme is Cleodesktop, the same developer behind Hover Dark Aero. Unlike Hover Dark Aero, Hastpy does not have a translucent ribbon. It has a contrasting light grey color. There are six different versions of this theme available as well. In order to install Hastpy, you need to be running UXThemePatcher.

Note: Some of these themes make significant changes to your system files. Because of this, it is wise to create a system restore point and backup your work before attempting to install them.