An In-Depth Look at Windows 10’s New Light Theme

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A new visual style coming to Windows 10 users with 19H1

Windows 10 October 2018 Update is finally here for the second time, so now Microsoft can work at full speed on the next feature update due in the spring.

Codenamed 19H1, this Windows 10 update is already in preview stage, and users in the Fast ring can download the very first builds released by Microsoft.

One of the biggest changes that are already in the preview stage and projected to become available for everyone when the 19H1 update is finalized is a new light theme for PCs.

As you may recall, Microsoft was very keen on updating Windows 10 with a dark theme, and the previous feature updates for the operating system brought many improvements to make it a more consistent UI approach. The October update itself also continued this trend and included a dark mode for File Explorer, the default file manager available in Windows.

Most likely, with the dark mode in Windows close to completion, it makes sense for Microsoft to focus more on other visual improvements, and the light theme has become a priority now.

Available in build 18282, this light theme without a doubt looks fresh and modern. And there’s a chance most users are going to like it, as the design seems to be mostly based on concepts that made the rounds lately.

The light theme isn’t enabled by default, and you need to turn it from Settings > Personalization > Colors. This could change by the time the 19H1 update gets the green light, though.

The light theme uses a shade of gray pretty much in all parts of the operating system where it’s available, like the Start menu, the Action Center, and the taskbar. Fluent Design plays a key role in all these areas, and the acrylic effect is mostly visible here.

This is actually living proof that Microsoft’s visual overhaul for Windows 10 is coming together quite nicely. The Redmond-based software giant started refreshing the look of the operating system Fluent Design a couple of updates ago, and now that work in this regard has advanced significantly, the light theme can benefit from all the previous improvements.

What is very important to know is that the light theme for Windows 10 is still in work in progress and some elements may not look exactly as expected or might come with a UI that doesn’t align with the visual style. One such example is the OneDrive flyout, which uses a dark mode and is projected to be updated very soon.

However, most of the desktop has already been overhauled for the light theme. The taskbar comes with new icons which look fabulous, the context menus on the taskbar and the Start menu also feature a gray look, and the jumplist also adopted the same color and boasted acrylic too.

Flyouts like the network and volume controllers too have been updated for the light mode, and the same thing for the Action Center, which to be honest, looks much more modern now. The acrylic background is something that makes a lot more sense in the light theme, and notifications sport a more modern design that aligns with the overall push in Windows 10.

All in all, the light theme shows that Windows 10 is on the right path, at least in terms of looks, and at some level, it proves that Microsoft is listening to users. Many people have been calling for a major overhaul of the desktop, and the plethora of concepts that made the rounds lately are just living proof that such refinements are needed.

Windows 10 19H1 is projected to be finalized in March and then released to production devices in April 2019.

 

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