Microsoft turns on the lights with a new white theme in Windows 10 update

By Arif Bacchus Published November 15, 2018

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft is introducing a new light theme in the upcoming version of Windows 10 and is currently beta testing the change with Windows Insiders. The clean-looking theme brings a much-needed facelift to Windows and was officially unveiled Wednesday, November 14, in a blog post.

Currently, anyone can preview the new light theme by enrolling in the Windows Insider program and then downloading the latest Fast Ring 18282 build of Windows 10 19H1. Though this is a preview version of Windows 10 that is still unstable, it puts a fresh coat of paint on the now three-year-old operating system. Once the new theme is selected by heading to “settings,” “personalization,” “colors,” and then choosing the “light” option it makes the Windows 10 Start Menu and Taskbar whiter and more visually appealing.

Recommended Videos

“Ever since we introduced the ability to choose between light and dark in Windows 10, we’ve heard feedback asking for a truer separation between the two options. … Now, all system UI will now be light. This includes the taskbar, Start menu, Action Center, touch keyboard, and more,” Microsoft said.

The new light theme is still a work in progress and Microsoft is awaiting feedback on the experience to further tweak it. Other pieces of the operating system are also still subject to more design changes later on, including the OneDrive icon, and various areas of the system tray.

These changes will likely debut to non-beta testers in the next major update to Windows 10, currently codenamed 19H1. Since Microsoft usually releases Windows 10 updates twice a year, in October and April, it could likely become official in the spring. It also can be removed entirely as other beta features like Windows Sets have been added and then removed, in the past.

This is just the latest set of Windows 10 changes as prior previews have introduced other new features. Microsoft has previously changed the Windows search experience and introduced the ability for consumers to remove more of the pre-installed apps on their PC. Fast Ring 18282 build also introduces improvements to the Snipping tool, updates to the printing app, and changes that make it easier to pause Windows Updates so it doesn’t impede on workflows.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…

Computing

Another annoying bug is spoiling the fun in Windows 11 24H2

The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

The latest big update to Windows 11 has already caused its fair share of headaches. This time the trouble is with File Explorer. A new bug makes it difficult to open the File Explorer app as it makes the menu appear outside the screen, Windows Latest reports.

The latest bug impacts the "See more" menu, making it practically impossible to access when you select the ellipses. Instead, it only shows you a few of the available options. This error usually appears when you use File Explorer in full screen. When you're able to see all the options in the "See more" menu, you'll see options such as:

Computing

Gamers are finally flocking to Windows 11 after 3 years

Spider-man running on the Asus ROG PG42UQG.

Windows 11 is getting a lot more popular lately. In the latest Steam hardware survey, Valve clocked that 51.97% of its user base is now using Windows 11, which is a 4.28% increase compared to last month and the highest share the operating system has ever seen, despite being readily available for over three years.

Windows 10, the second-most popular operating system on Steam, fell by 2.71%, and now makes up 45.95% of the users Valve surveyed. Just a couple of months ago, when Valve released its August survey results, Windows 11 overtook Windows 10 for the first time in the hardware survey. The gap is only widening now, with the share lost by Windows 10 going almost directly to Windows 11. Earlier this year, Windows 11 adoption was actually down on the Steam hardware survey, with some claiming that Windows 10 offered better gaming performance.

Computing

You have one year to safely use Windows 10 before you’ll need to pay

Microsoft will be allowing consumers to join its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for the first time next year, and it announced the program pricing today in a blog post. The official end-of-service date for Windows 10 is October 14, 2025, but by paying $30 to join the ESU program, you can receive an extra year of security updates. This will allow you to continue safely using Windows 10 until around October 2026, a full two years from now.

By the time support for Windows 10 ends, it will be almost exactly four years since Windows 11 launched and a decade since Windows 10 launched. It takes a lot of work to keep an operating system secure and running smoothly, which is why a company like Microsoft can't just endlessly support every version of Windows it's ever shipped. It would end up costing a lot more money than it made -- and that's not how businesses function.