Dark Windows Explorer is the best thing ever

Easy on the eyes.
 By 
Stan Schroeder
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

A small but vocal portion of Windows users (myself included) has been pining for one feature for literally decades: A dark theme for one of the most-often used Windows apps, Windows Explorer.

Now, with Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17666, Microsoft has finally answered their prayers.

Windows had a dark theme before (available under Settings > Personalization > Colors, but only a small number of apps were supported, and Windows Explorer (which is officially called File Explorer in Windows 10) wasn't one of them.

While this has changed in the latest build, Microsoft warns the implementation is a bit glitchy at the moment, with certain elements of the UI going unexpectedly light at times.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Also note that the dark Explorer is really very dark, with the main window background being pitch black. In my personal opinion, a variety of dark grays is easier on the eyes than pure blackness; perhaps Microsoft will tweak this a little before final release.

Besides making your desktop look cool, there's an actual benefit to having apps with dark backgrounds: The screen consumes less power (and thus, draws less battery), and a darker look is easier on the eyes if you're working in low-light conditions.

Other new features and improvements in the latest Windows 10 build include a better clipboard experience, accessible via Win+V, Bing search option in Notepad, Search previews and more. Check out the full list here.

Topics Windows

Stan Schroeder
Stan Schroeder
Senior Editor

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.

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