With the advent of Windows 11, Microsoft has continued to enhance the user experience by incorporating modern design elements, one of the most prominent being the Dark Mode or Dark Color Theme. This mode, which can be enabled from the system settings, offers a visually soothing dark theme that reduces eye strain and can help conserve battery life on laptops and other portable devices.
The Dark Mode is particularly beneficial in low-light environments, where the reduced brightness helps to mitigate eye fatigue. Despite these advantages, not all applications natively support the Dark Mode. Many third-party applications, as well as some older software, may not automatically adopt the system-wide dark theme, leaving users with a jarring mixture of dark and light interfaces.
The inconsistency in theme adoption can be frustrating for users who prefer a uniform appearance across their operating system and applications. This is especially important for individuals who spend extended periods in front of their screens, as the abrupt contrast between a dark-themed environment and a bright, unthemed application can be quite disruptive. For these users, having all applications follow the Dark Mode setting can significantly improve the overall computing experience. This is where MakeDark, an open-source tool, becomes incredibly useful.
MakeDark is a simple yet powerful utility designed to force any Windows application to appear in dark mode, regardless of whether the application natively supports it. The tool works by modifying the application’s launch command to include MakeDark, which then applies the dark theme when the application is opened. Setting up MakeDark is straightforward and user-friendly. Users can either drag and drop the application’s shortcut onto the MakeDark executable, or they can manually enter a command, for example, C:\downloads\makedark.exe C:\Windows\notepad.exe will force Notepad window to appear in the dark theme.
The ability to enforce a dark theme across all applications can be particularly useful for professionals who work late hours, developers, designers, and anyone who prefers a darker interface for health or aesthetic reasons. MakeDark not only enhances visual consistency but also contributes to reducing eye strain, especially when working in dimly lit environments. Additionally, for users who frequently switch between multiple applications, having a consistent dark theme can help maintain focus and reduce cognitive load.
Moreover, MakeDark is especially valuable for users of older or legacy software that was developed before Dark Mode became a standard feature in modern operating systems. These applications may never receive updates to support dark themes, leaving users with no option but to tolerate bright interfaces. MakeDark provides a workaround, allowing users to extend the benefits of Dark Mode to these outdated programs without requiring any modifications to the original software.
In conclusion, MakeDark is an essential tool for any Windows user who values the benefits of Dark Mode and wishes to extend these benefits to all their applications. By offering a simple method to enforce dark themes across the board, MakeDark ensures a more consistent, comfortable, and visually pleasing computing experience. Whether for reducing eye strain, conserving battery life, or simply maintaining a uniform aesthetic, MakeDark is a must-have utility in the modern Windows environment.
You can download MakeDark from https://github.com/lemutec/MakeDark.
only for windows 11, is it?
You can use it on older versions of Windows too 🙂