While I use a variety of devices every day — whether it’s an iPhone, Pixel, MacBook, or Windows 11 PC — the one feature I rely on across all of them, and honestly would struggle to use them without, is dark mode. And I think it’s fair to say a lot of people probably relate to that.

Of course, having to use a device in light mode isn’t the end of the world, but I find dark mode much easier on my eyes, especially on my Windows 11 PC, which I use for work all day.

However, one of my main complaints about Microsoft’s dark mode in Windows 11 is that it’s tucked away in the Settings menu rather than being easily accessible in Quick Settings via the taskbar. This would help users who frequently switch between light and dark modes, as well as new users. Fortunately, it seems like Microsoft is finally making this change.

Recently, PhantomOfEarth on X, a user who explores the latest Windows features, discovered in one of the newest Windows 11 insider builds that Microsoft is adding a new dark mode toggle to the Quick Settings menu (via WindowsLatest). This means that if you want to toggle dark mode on for the first time or quickly switch it on and off, it will soon be much easier to do that right in the taskbar.

A good start, but it could be better

Microsoft said it wants to focus on “meaningful” improvements to Windows 11 this year

While it’s nice to see Microsoft adding a dark mode toggle to the Quick Settings menu, my only complaint is that you have to click Energy Savings to find it, rather than it having its own dedicated button, which I would have preferred. However, it is important to note again that this was spotted in an insider build of Windows 11, so it could change before Microsoft begins rolling it out widely.

Currently, to toggle on dark mode in Windows 11, you have to go to Settings > Personalization > Colors, and then change the “Choose your mode” setting to “dark” to enable it. So, at least with it being added to Quick Settings now, it will be slightly faster to turn on and off, and just easier to find in general.

It’s worth noting that by doing this for Windows 11, Microsoft is following what both Android and iOS have done, as both allow you to toggle dark mode on and off through the Quick Settings menu when you swipe down from the top of your phone.

It’s no secret that Windows 11 has faced a rough patch lately, with buggy updates and Microsoft stuffing a lot of AI features into the OS that users aren’t really demanding. Speaking to The Verge earlier this year, Microsoft said its focus in 2026 is to “improve Windows in ways that are meaningful for people,” so hopefully this new dark mode toggle is just one of many quality-of-life features coming to Windows 11. It’s unclear when this new dark mode toggle will be released since it’s still in development as part of a Windows 11 insider build.