How to Change the Start Menu Color in Windows 10 and 11

To change the Start menu’s color, open Settings > Personalization > Colors, choose an accent color, and enable the option to show it on Start and the taskbar. Windows must use a compatible dark color mode for that option to be available.

Windows 11

1. Press Windows + I, then open Personalization > Colors.
2. Set Choose your mode to Dark. Alternatively, choose Custom and set the default Windows mode to Dark while keeping apps Light.
3. Under Accent color, choose Manual and select a color. Use View colors for a custom shade.
4. Enable Show accent color on Start and taskbar.
5. Open Start to inspect the result.

Windows 10

1. Open Settings > Personalization > Colors.
2. Choose Dark, or use Custom with the default Windows mode set to Dark.
3. Select an accent color from the palette or the custom color control.
4. Under Show accent color on the following surfaces, select Start, taskbar, and action center.

These settings apply the accent across the listed surfaces; they do not provide a separate Start-only color. Microsoft’s color personalization guide explains the supported modes.

If the option is grayed out

Check the Windows mode, not just the app mode. Light Windows mode disables this accent-color option. In Custom mode, switching Windows to Dark can make it available while leaving app backgrounds light.

If a contrast theme is enabled, its accessibility colors may control the appearance instead. Keep the theme if it helps readability rather than changing it solely for decoration.

Match the wallpaper or undo the change

Choose the automatic accent option if you want Windows to pick a color from the background. The Bing wallpaper guide covers a related desktop setup.

To return to the standard Start appearance, turn off the accent-on-Start option. For other desktop settings, see Windows personalization options for a new computer.