Windows 11 has introduced a comprehensive dark theme that has generally received positive feedback. However, certain legacy pop-ups, such as the Properties tab, have not yet embraced this modern aesthetic. Recent insights from Windows Latest reveal that Microsoft is actively working on a dark-themed Properties tab, a development confirmed by senior executive Marcus Ash, who oversees Design and Research for Windows and Devices.
In a dialogue with developer Albacore and Microsoft observer Zac, Ash shared that the company is dedicated to enhancing the dark mode experience across Windows 11. He emphasized that Microsoft is developing tools aimed at extending dark mode to more areas within the operating system, while also focusing on achieving greater consistency. Although no specific timelines have been established, Ash hinted at potential updates for legacy tools, including the Registry Editor.
“We are pushing to get our tools and techniques to the point where we can implement dark theme in more areas across Windows. No timelines to commit to yet for Regedit. As we make progress in various legacy system panels and dialogs, we will continue to improve consistency,” Ash stated in a post on X.
While Microsoft is poised to enhance dark mode across system-level dialogs and pages, it faces limitations with third-party applications. The company cannot mandate that these external apps adopt dark mode, as doing so could disrupt their interfaces. Consequently, third-party tabs that have yet to embrace dark theme will continue to display in light mode. Nevertheless, Microsoft is keen to encourage third-party developers to better align with Windows 11’s theming capabilities.
“Third-party tabs that haven’t adopted dark theme support will render in light. We’re focused on improving platform support to make dark mode easier for developers to adopt across their tabs,” Ash noted in another post on X.
What’s wrong with Windows 11’s dark mode?
Currently, users who activate dark mode in Windows 11 may find inconsistencies when navigating various sections of the operating system. For instance, accessing the Properties tab in File Explorer reveals a light background, despite the overall dark mode setting. This discrepancy arises from the architecture of Windows itself, which does not utilize a unified theme pipeline for all interface elements. As a result, dark mode does not uniformly apply across all components.
This inconsistency means that many legacy features in Windows remain untouched by dark mode. For example, if users navigate to Bluetooth & devices settings and attempt to send or receive files, they will encounter a legacy dialog that still sports a light background. Similarly, when updating drivers in Device Manager, users will be met with light-themed pop-ups.
These examples are just a glimpse into the hundreds of pop-ups within Windows that still reflect a light background, some even harking back to design elements from Windows 3.1.
Dark mode has gotten better in the last few years
In December 2025, the Patch Tuesday update marked a significant improvement by rolling out dark mode across most operational dialogs. This included dialogs that appear when users attempt to delete large folders or copy-paste duplicate files. Additionally, error dialogs that arise when attempting to delete restricted folders, such as the Windows folder, also received the dark mode treatment.
Microsoft has also implemented dark mode for the progress window that appears during large file transfers. This enhancement is available for all PCs running Windows 11 25H2/24H2 with recent cumulative updates. For those who have yet to explore these updates, dark mode is now visible across various pop-ups, including:
- A dialog that appears when a file is in use.
- A notification indicating insufficient disk space.
- The confirmation dialog when emptying the Recycle Bin.
- The conflict dialog that appears when a file with the same name already exists.
Other dialogs benefiting from dark mode support include zip pop-ups and security warnings. As Microsoft continues to refine this feature, users can anticipate further enhancements, with the company confirming ongoing tests for dark mode in Windows Run (legacy).
