Microsoft completely redesigned the Task Manager to make it look sleek and modern. Unlike the previous Task Manager, the new version uses Microsoft’s Mica UI material and features rounded edges, a tabbed view of the sections, a dedicated search bar, and most importantly support for Light/ Dark Mode. However, since Microsoft released the new Task Manager, many users have been facing issues with it in Windows 11, especially with the Dark Mode turned on. So, if you are one of those users who is looking for a way to fix the Dark Mode not working in Windows 11 issue, you have clicked the correct article. Read on to find out why!
Fix Task Manager Dark Mode Not Working in Windows 11
In this article, we are going to provide some of the easiest fixes that you can try when the dark mode for the Task Manager is not working on your Windows 11 laptop or PC. So, keep this page open in a side window and try out each of the fixes on your device to fix the dark mode in Task Manager.
1. Change Your System Theme to Dark
Now, one of the most common reasons why the Task Manager is not opening in dark mode on your Windows 11 device could be that you have your system theme set to Light mode. While the new Task Manager supports both light and dark modes in Windows 11, by default the app is set to follow the system theme that you have set. So, if you change the system theme of your Windows 11 device from light to dark, the theme of the Task Manager will follow along. To do this:
- Open the Settings app in Windows 11 from the Start Menu or with the Windows + I shortcut.
- Go to the Personalization tab and click the Colors option.
- Change the field for Choose your mode from Light to Dark. Following this change, try opening the Task Manager on your Windows 11 laptop or PC. It should now open in dark mode.
2. Check for Custom Theme Settings in Windows 11
Now, if you have a custom theme set on your Windows 11 device, there is a common mistake that might cause the Task Manager to always open in Light mode. You see if you have the custom setting for your device theme in your System Personalization settings and the theme setting for Windows apps is set to Light mode, the Task Manager will follow this rule and will always open in light mode. In this case, you can either change the theme setting in Windows 11 and set your Windows apps to always open in dark mode, or you can manually set the Task Manager to open in dark mode. We have provided the steps for both of these methods right below. Starting with the steps to adjust the custom theme settings on your Windows 11 PC/ laptop, find them right below:
- Open the Settings app in Windows 11 from the Start Menu or with the Windows + I shortcut.
- Click the Personalization tab and go to Colors.
- Here, set the field for Choose your default app mode to Dark. Now, open the Task Manager in Windows 11 and it will open in the dark mode. Do keep in mind that this setting affects all the Windows 11 apps and after changing it, every Windows app will open in dark mode on your device.
3. Manually Set Dark Theme for Task Manager in Windows 11
If, however, you want only the Task Manager to open in dark mode and all the other Windows apps to open in light mode on your Windows 11 device, you can manually change the theme setting for Task Manager. To do this, follow the steps below:
- Open Task Manager on your Windows 11 device.
- At the bottom of the left pane, click the Settings button.
- Now, under the App theme section, select Dark. Following this change, the Task Manager will always open in dark mode, regardless of your system theme.
4. Windows 11 Bug for Task Manager
Recently, Microsoft delivered an optional Windows 11 update to users in form of KB5020044. Although it was an optional update, many users installed it on their Windows 11 laptop or PC and that caused a huge issue for them in Task Manager. The latest KB5020044 Windows 11 update contains a known bug that causes the Task Manager app on Windows 11 devices to show unreadable texts and UI sections. Microsoft has officially addressed this bug on its forum and has confirmed that it is currently working on a fix. Nonetheless, affected users can do either of two things. The first thing they can do is use a workaround, officially approved by Microsoft, to fix the issue even with the update installed, or they can uninstall the KB5020044 update from their Windows 11 device. So, if you are someone who has downloaded the said update and is currently facing issues with the Task Manager app in Windows 11, check out the workaround right below. Now, the bug that affects the Task Manager in Windows 11 only activates if you are using a custom system theme setting on your device. So, if you change the custom setting and set a specific system theme – Light or Dark, for your Windows 11 PC/ laptop, this issue will resolve automatically. To change your system theme in Windows 11, follow the steps below:
- Open the Settings app with Windows + I.
- Go to Personalization and click on the Colors option.
- Now, change the field for Choose your mode from Custom to either Light or Dark. Following this change, the UI bug in the Windows 11 Task Manager should be fixed on your device. Now, if you do not want to use this workaround and straight-up want to uninstall the buggy Windows 11 KB5020044 update from your PC or laptop, you can do that too. For that, follow the steps right below.
- Open the Settings app on your Windows 11 device.
- Go to the Windows Update section from the left pane and click the Update History option.
- Scroll down to the bottom and select the Uninstall Updates option.
- On the following screen, find the Windows 11 KB5020044 update and click the Uninstall button beside it.
- Wait for the uninstallation to complete, then restart your PC or laptop. After you uninstall the KB5020044 update from your PC or laptop, the Task Manager issue in Windows 11 should be fixed.
How to enable Dark Theme for Task Manager in Windows 11?
To set the Task Manager theme to Dark Mode in Windows 11, open the Task Manager -> Go to the App Settings from the left pane -> Set the App theme to Dark.
Why is the Task Manager set to Light mode even when my system theme is Dark in Windows 11?
While the default theme setting for the Task Manager is set to “Use system setting”, changing it to Light will always open the Task Manager in light mode regardless of the system theme.
What is the Windows shortcut key to open Task Manager?
The windows shortcut key to open the Task Manager in Windows 11 is Windows + Shift + Esc. It is also the quickest way to open Task Manager in Windows 11.
Wrapping Up
So, this was all about some of the common mistakes and issues that might cause issues with the new dark theme of the Task Manager in Windows 11. If you were facing any issues with the Task Manager on your PC or laptop, we hope one of the above fixes helped. And if they did, let us know about it in the comments. Also, if you haven’t enabled the new Task Manager, check out our in-depth guide for the same.
