Windows 11 has added a lot of customization and new features that were unavailable on previous Windows versions. If you are using Windows 11 then you can take advantage of these options to make Windows look and work as you want it to. The most asked questions in the Windows community are about changing the color of the taskbar and start menu in Windows 11 and how to increase Windows 11 performance. If you are among them who like using Windows in a different accent color than the default one, then you are on the right page. We have tried several methods to change Windows 11 taskbar and start menu colors and listed the best on this page so you can follow them.
Before moving ahead to the actual methods make sure you read this post till the end as there are some settings and options you might have to look at before changing the Windows color. It is not only about changing color but more about making Windows look personalized. You can always use third-party apps and tools available out there to make Windows work according to you but some of them might not be safe. You might end up corrupting necessary Windows files and your PC won’t work properly. Before making any changes to your system, keep a backup or recovery drive ready so you can roll back the changes at any point in time.
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How To Check If Windows 11 Is Activated or Not?
There are many settings and tools on Windows 11 that are not available for trial users. If your Windows 11 edition is not activated with a license key, then you will have to activate it before you can follow the methods mentioned here. It is a necessary step because the personalization feature will be unavailable if your copy of Windows 11 is not activated. Here’s how you can check your Windows 11 activation status:
- Click on the Start Button and type “Activation” (without quotes).
- Open the Activation Settings app and a new page will appear.
- Check your Activation State. If it shows “ACTIVE”, then you can change Windows 11 taskbar and start menu color.
How To Change Taskbar Color In Windows 11 [3 Methods]
Method #1. Using Windows Settings App
The first method to change Windows 11 taskbar or start menu color is by using the default Windows Settings app. Only Windows 10 and Windows 11 versions have a Settings app in them that replaces the use of the Control Panel. You can also use the Settings app to know your Windows 11 version if you don’t know how to check Windows 11 version by other ways. You can use the Settings app on Windows 11 to change almost anything on your Windows device. Here’s how you can use it to change the color scheme of your taskbar and start menu.
- Right-click on the taskbar and click on the Settings option.
- The Windows Settings app will open.
- Click on the Personalization option on the left-sidebar.
- Now, click on the Colors option on the right-side.
- In the Choose Your Mode option, you can select between Light, Dark, or Custom.
- Scroll down a little on the same page and click on Accent Color.
- Based on your preferences you can select a color.
- Scroll down, and enable the option:
Show Accent Color On Start and Taskbar.
- Your selected color will start appearing in the taskbar and start menu.
Method #2. Using OpenShell App
Another quick way to change the Windows color scheme is by using the OpenShell app. The app is different from the PowerShell app which comes pre-installed on every Windows version. OpenShell is an advanced version of the ClassicShell app that allows you to change the Windows start menu and taskbar. The app is available for free on GitHub and you can read more about it if you want before following the steps mentioned below:
- First of all, open the link mentioned above and download OpenShell on your Windows device.
- Once downloaded, install the app and open it.
- Click on the Basic Settings tab and change the options as per the image shared below:
- Next, click on the Taskbar tab and make the changes you want to see on your Taskbar.
- You can click on the Taskbar Color option and select a custom color from the list.
- Once you’ve configured everything, click on OK to save changes.
- Also Read About: How To Fix Windows Taskbar Not Hiding
Method #3. Using TaskbarX App
TaskbarX is another great customization app for Windows that comes with a variety of options. Not only this app can be used to change the color of the Windows 11 taskbar and start menu but you can use this to customize animation speed, segments, performance, position, and many more things. TaskbarX is a personal project of a developer named Chris Andriessen but the source code is available on GitHub so it is trustable.
- Use the link mentioned above to download the latest version of the TaskbarX app.
- Once downloaded, extract the file and double-click on the TaskbarX Configurator.exe file.
- Use the Style tab to make changes to your Taskbar and adjust the settings according to your needs.
- When you are done changing everything, click on the Apply button to save changes.
- Click on the Startup tab and then click on the Restart TaskbarX button to see live changes to your Taskbar.
Final Words:
We have shared only the working methods to change Windows 11 start menu and taskbar color on this page. There are numerous Windows customization tools available out there and you can use them too. Though the official Windows customization feature has got a lot of options and colors so you won’t need a third-party tool at all.
The steps to change Windows 11 taskbar color are clearly mentioned in this post and we hope you are able to follow them. We will keep adding more ways to change Windows 11 start menu color in this post, so keep visiting Inframatics to know about them. If you need more help with the methods mentioned here, then ask us for help.
