Commercial versions of Windows 11 will have Dark Mode on by default

Later this year, Microsoft plans to ship Windows 11, its latest operating system, to existing compatible machines. Although we do not know the exact launch day and the compatibility question remains open, there is some interesting information about upcoming changes in Windows 11. According to the Software giant, commercial versions of Windows 11 will ship with dark mode on by default.

Microsoft says it plans to release Windows 11 with dark mode by default to help users reduce eye strain. Whether remote or in offices, users spent a lot of time staring at bright white screens while reading or composing emails, working with documents, video conferencing, etc. Windows 11 will try to help you deal with that by forcing dark mode after installing the system or setting up a new device.

Unfortunately, if you are a regular user with a computer that runs Windows 10 Home (or buy one that runs Windows 11 Home), Microsoft could not care less about your eyesight. For some unknown reason, Windows 10 Home will ship with light mode by default. The change in policies applies just to Windows 10 Professional and Enterprise SKUs.

Of course, Microsoft does not try to force users to use dark or light mode exclusively. You are free to choose whatever theme you prefer or even use third-party tools that allow automatic switching. The latter remain relevant as Microsoft is yet to implement automatic theme switching in Windows 11. In fact, we have a dedicated article that tells you how to enable dark mode in Windows 11 and how to switch between light and dark themes.

New theme policies are already in place in the latest Windows 11 preview builds. Try to install Windows 11 on a PC with Windows 10 Professional/Enterprise, and the system will greet you with dark mode. On the other hand, Windows 11 Home installs with light mode. It is quite weird to see Microsoft claiming to care about Windows 11 commercial users and not applying such a simple change to regular customers.