Microsoft finally woke up! Dark mode in Windows 11 will no longer be half-broken

It’s like your neighbor promising to fix a broken fence for six years, and suddenly you see them with tools in hand. Microsoft is finally starting to complete dark mode in Windows 11. The first signs of life have appeared in the latest preview builds – dark-tinted dialogs in File Explorer.

User PhantomOfEarth, known for uncovering hidden features, found inactive dark versions of dialogs for file copying, deletion, and permission settings in build 26100.5061. After years of glaring white windows in the middle of a dark interface, it seems Microsoft has finally decided to act.

What exactly is changing? File Explorer gets a darker coat

The new dark dialogs cover three key areas of File Explorer. The file copy dialog will no longer be glaring when moving large data, the deletion confirmation window will finally get a dark background, and the file permissions window will also go to the dark side. The windows themselves and the buttons will get a dark gray tint that matches the rest of the interface.

Windows 11's file operation (copy, access denied, etc.) dialogs are FINALLY getting support for dark mode! Here's how the dialogs look in dark mode at this point, hidden in build 26100.5061.

Also notice the light buttons in the top right, still a work in progress of course. pic.twitter.com/3D00lWIJcn

— phantomofearth 🌳 (@phantomofearth) August 15, 2025

It’s a small step, but after six years of stagnation, any progress is a cause for celebration. Especially when you realize that Windows is the only modern operating system that still doesn’t have a complete dark mode. What Apple managed to do with macOS all at once and completely, Microsoft is patching piece by piece.

Registry Editor, Group Policy, and more – what else is waiting for a fix

The list of interfaces that still ignore dark mode is as long as a shopping list before Christmas. The Run dialog (Win+R) is still glaring, the Registry Editor looks like it’s from Windows XP, the Group Policy Editor pretends dark mode doesn’t exist. And these are just the most visible examples – there are dozens of legacy UI elements that need a dark coat.

Microsoft finally woke up! Dark mode in Windows 11 will no longer be half-broken Jakub Kárník News Jakub Kárník News

For comparison – when macOS received dark mode, it was complete from day one. All system applications, all dialogs, all interfaces. The same applies to ChromeOS or iPadOS. Only Windows dares to offer a “dark” mode that is only half dark.

Why is it taking Microsoft so long?

The answer is both simple and complex. Windows carries decades of old code, dating back to times when developers’ biggest concerns included 256 colors on a monitor.

Furthermore, Microsoft evidently did not consider completing dark mode a priority. It preferred adding new features, AI assistants, and widgets rather than finishing basic things. Only now, perhaps under pressure from criticism and competition, is it returning to it. The new dark dialogs could be part of the 25H2 update planned for the second half of the year.

What do you think about the fixed dark mode in Windows 11?

Source: XDA