Automatically switch Visual Studio themes when the Windows app mode changes.
Auto Theme Switcher lets you assign any installed Visual Studio theme to Windows light mode and dark mode. This includes built-in themes, themes installed from Visual Studio Marketplace, and manually installed custom themes.
Unlike Visual Studio's built-in Use system setting option, you are not limited to a fixed pair of themes.
Features
- Automatically follows the Windows default app mode.
- Choose separate Visual Studio themes for light and dark mode.
- Supports built-in and third-party Visual Studio themes.
- Applies theme changes without restarting Visual Studio.
- Falls back to the built-in Light or Dark theme if a selected theme is unavailable.
- Stores theme selections by identifier, so localized or duplicate theme names do not cause conflicts.
- Runs entirely on your computer and does not require a network connection.
- Starts disabled, so installing the extension will not unexpectedly change your current theme.
How to Use
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Install the extension and restart Visual Studio if prompted.
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Open:
Tools > Options > Auto Theme Switcher > General
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Enable Enable automatic switching.
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Select the Visual Studio theme to use for Windows light mode.
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Select the Visual Studio theme to use for Windows dark mode.
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Click OK.
The selected theme will now be applied automatically whenever the Windows default app mode changes.
Changing the Windows App Mode
Windows 11
Open:
Settings > Personalization > Colors > Choose your mode
Select Light, Dark, or Custom.
When using Custom mode, the extension follows Choose your default app mode.
Windows 10
Open:
Settings > Personalization > Colors > Choose your color
Select Light, Dark, or Custom.
When using Custom mode, the extension follows Choose your default app mode.
Auto Theme Switcher follows the Windows app mode, not the separate system mode used by the taskbar, Start menu, and other Windows shell surfaces.
Using Custom Themes
Install the desired Visual Studio themes before configuring the extension. Installed and user-visible themes will appear automatically in both theme selection lists.
If a newly installed theme is not listed, restart Visual Studio and reopen the options page.
Compatibility
- Visual Studio 2022 Community, Professional, or Enterprise
- Visual Studio version 17.14 or later
- 64-bit Visual Studio
- Windows 10 or Windows 11
- .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later
Verified with Visual Studio 2022 version 17.14.37.
Troubleshooting
The theme does not change
Check that:
- Enable automatic switching is selected.
- The Windows default app mode has actually changed.
- Both light and dark themes are selected.
- The selected themes are still installed.
My custom theme is missing
Restart Visual Studio after installing the theme, then reopen:
Tools > Options > Auto Theme Switcher > General
Only installed and user-visible Visual Studio themes are shown.
What happens if a selected theme is removed?
The extension automatically falls back to the built-in Visual Studio Light or Dark theme.
Feedback and Support
Report bugs or request features on GitHub: