Solution: Can’t change the color of the taskbar in Windows 10

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Given how important computers have become to us, we often feel the need to customize them to our liking, whether by using our favorite programs or by changing the screen to the colors of our choice. Fortunately for Windows users, Microsoft offers many ways to do this. Today, I’m going to talk about how to change the color of the taskbar on your Windows 10 computer and the reasons why you can’t do it.

The procedure is very simple and doesn’t require you to install any third-party applications. All you need to do is to follow these steps.

What is the reason for the “Can’t change taskbar color” message in Windows 10

Usually, only Windows 10 version 1903 users complained about this problem. And the reason is simply the presence of a “light theme”. That’s because version 1903 comes with a light theme enabled by default. According to the design behavior of the light theme, you won’t be able to see the backlight color in the Start menu and related items such as the taskbar and action center.

If you’re using Windows 10 V1903 or later, you may have noticed that you can no longer change the color of the taskbar. In fact, if you go to Settings -> Settings -> Application Colors, you’ll notice that the option to Show Accent Color at Startup, the Taskbar, and Action Center are just grayed out. This is clearly visible in the screenshot below.

Here’s how to fix the “Can’t change taskbar color” problem in Windows 10

CHANGE COLOR SETTINGS

Microsoft offers three ways to customize the colors on your Windows 10 computer. You can use a pre-installed light or dark theme, which changes the theme of Windows items (Start menu, taskbar, etc.) and applications. The third option allows you to fully customize the colors to your liking.

You can set the Windows mode to use dark mode and the applications can be in a light theme or vice versa. Curiously, you cannot change the color of the taskbar when you select the Light in color option – it is grayed out. So, you must either use the Dark option or choose the custom mode. Even in custom mode, you must select the default Windows mode as Dark, not Light.

1.  Open PC settings in Windows 10 using the Start menu icon. You can also use the Windows key + I shortcut to open the settings.
2.  Go to personalization.
3. On the left sidebar, click the Colors button.
4. Now select Dark or Custom in the Select Colors section.
5. If you choose Dark, go to the next step. If you choose Custom, you will be presented with two options. Under Selecting the default Windows mode, select Dark. You can leave the application mode Dark or Light.
6.  In the same setting, scroll down and the Start, Taskbar, and Action Center options will now be available. Place a checkmark next to it. Then select a color from the color palette at the top.
7. Restart your computer.

CHANGE THEME

If you’re using a third-party theme, it may affect your taskbar color settings. You will need to change the default theme. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows key + I shortcut to open Settings on your Windows 10 computer.
2. Go to “Personalization” and then to “Themes”.
3. Scroll down and click on the Windows theme to apply.
4. Restart your computer. If the problem persists, go to Colors under Settings -> Personalization. Check the box next to the
5. Start, Taskbar, and Action Center options. Then select the color you want. You can also repeat the above method to change the color of the taskbar.

DISABLING AUTOMATIC SELECTION OF FOCUS COLOR

If Windows automatically applies color to the taskbar, you must disable the option in the “Colors” settings. To do this, go to Settings -> Personalization -> Colors as shown above. Then, under “Select Accent Color”, uncheck “Automatically select accent color from my background”.

DISABLE COLOR FILTERS

You can also try disabling the color filter setting on your computer. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings on your computer. Go to Accessibility.
2. Select Color Filters from the left sidebar. Then uncheck the Enable Color Filters checkbox.

Disable Transparency Effects

After setting the color of the taskbar backlight, you may notice that it’s a little dull. To get bright colors, you’ll need to turn off the transparency effects settings.

To do this, go to Settings -> Settings -> Colors. Uncheck the box next to Transparency Effects.

Using a third-party application

If you want to further customize your taskbar, you can use the third-party app TranslucentTB. With this application, you can adjust the color of the taskbar for normal mode, maximum window state, when the Start menu is open, etc.

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