Dark mode on Windows has always felt a little unfinished, with some menus glowing dark while others stubbornly stayed bright. That’s slowly changing. In the most recent Windows 11 preview build, Microsoft has extended dark theme support to file operation dialogs — the pop-ups you see when copying, moving, or deleting files.
These dialogs previously stuck out in light mode, breaking the visual flow for anyone using dark mode. Windows enthusiast Phantomofearth spotted the change, though it’s not complete yet. The dialogs themselves are dark, but buttons still appear in the older light style, hinting that Microsoft is still polishing the feature.
Microsoft Hasn’t Said a Word — But the Timing Hints at 25H2
So far, Microsoft hasn’t formally talked about the change. But since it’s already appearing in test builds, the expansion of dark mode could be part of the Windows 11 25H2 update, which is expected later this year.
Even with this progress, plenty of older Windows components remain visually inconsistent. The Control Panel, Run dialog, and file properties windows still ignore dark mode entirely, a problem dating back to the feature’s first introduction in Windows 10 back in 2016. Adoption since then has been uneven, with File Explorer only getting dark mode years later.
By comparison, Apple rolled out a system-wide dark mode with macOS Mojave in 2018, offering a far more uniform experience from day one. Windows users are still waiting for that same level of consistency.
Beyond Dark Mode: A New Look on the Horizon
Dark mode updates aren’t the only visual tweaks in the pipeline. Microsoft is also working on a “Liquid Glass” UI refresh, designed to emphasize translucent layers and depth effects. If rolled out widely, it could bring Windows 11 closer to a more modern, cohesive look — something many users feel the operating system still lacks.
