Visual Studio Theme Guide: Switch to Dark or Light in Seconds

If you spend long hours coding, the right Visual Studio theme can make your workspace more comfortable and visually appealing.

How to Change Theme in Visual Studio?

1. Open Visual Studio Settings

Start by accessing the main settings area to adjust your environment options.

1. Launch Visual Studio on your PC.
2. Go to the menu bar and click Tools.
3. From the dropdown, select Options.
   

For more customization tips, see how to run code in Visual Studio.

2. Navigate to Theme Settings

You will now find the section where all appearance controls are located.

1. In the Options window, expand the Environment section on the left sidebar.
2. Select General.
   
3. Locate the Color theme dropdown on the right.

If you often adjust your coding style, learn how to format code in Visual Studio.

To see how your selected theme affects the interface, learn how to open Solution Explorer in Visual Studio and check the updated appearance.

3. Select a Theme

Once you locate the color theme menu, pick the look that fits your workflow.

1. Choose a built-in theme such as Blue, Dark, Light, or Blue (Extra Contrast).
   

   

2. Click OK to apply your selected theme immediately.

After updating your theme, you can compile your project in Visual Studio to ensure everything looks and performs properly with your new setup.

4. Download Additional Themes (Optional)

Explore the Visual Studio marketplace for even more theme options.

1. Open Extensions from the top menu bar.
2. Select Manage Extensions.
3. In Online, search for Visual Studio Themes.
4. Pick a theme such as One Dark Pro, Dracula Official, or Material Theme and click Download.
5. Restart Visual Studio when prompted to install the theme.

To speed up editing, check how to comment multiple lines in Visual Studio.

5. Sync Theme with Windows (Optional)

Let Visual Studio follow your system’s light or dark mode automatically.

1. Go to Tools > Options > Environment > General.
2. Under Color theme, choose Use system setting.
   

Working in a different region or language? Learn how to change the display language in Visual Studio to align your IDE with your preferred locale and improve usability.

Why Change Your Visual Studio Theme?

Switching themes can reduce eye fatigue and improve focus during long sessions; dark themes suit low light, while light themes help in bright offices.

FAQs

Conclusion

Changing your Visual Studio theme is a fast way to personalize your IDE and make coding more enjoyable, and you can do it easily by following the steps in this guide.