To change your folder background color in Windows, go to Settings > Personalization > Colors, then change Choose your default app mode to Dark. Windows settings only allow you to change between light and dark mode, while QTTabBar allows for more customization. The best ways to change a folder background color in Windows 10/11 are through Windows settings and QTTabBar.
(To know more amazing programs like QTTabBar check my list of must-have software for Windows.) If for folder background color does not change after you click apply, reboot your PC and it will work correctly. On the left-menu select Compatible Folder View, and under the General tab, check the Compatible list view style and Selected column, then choose a color and click Apply.
Now click on the Navigation pane tab, check the Back color box, then choose a color for the left navigation pane of Windows explorer folders.(It is also important to choose an Inactive color, or else the new color will only apply when you are clicking on folders and files.) Check the Base background color box and choose an Active and Inactive color for your folder background, then click Apply.In the left menu, click on Appearance, then go to the Folder View tab.After that, you can turn it off if you prefer not to have it on Windows Explorer.) ( You will only need this toolbar temporarily to change the background color of your folders. Click on the gear icon on QT Command Bar to open QTTabBar Options:.Open any folder, click on options, then enable QT Command Bar and QTTabBar:.
(To know how to install QTTabBar on Windows 11, check my article on how to have tabs on your Windows Explorer.) Download QTTabBar and install it on your PC:.It also allows you to customize the background colors of your folders beyond the Windows default Light and Dark modes as showin in the picture below:Īs you can see, QTTabBar allows you to choose your own colors for the folder background, left navigation pane, and detail columns. This includes adding Chrome-like tabbed browsing to your folders. QTTabBar is one of the best apps for Windows, as it allows you to customize your folders in many ways. How to change your folder background color with QTTabBar. If you want a more customized look, you will need to use a third-party app called QTTabBar. (If your Windows Photo Viewer applies a yellow tint to pictures, I have an article about how to fix that in seconds.)
Since this is the only current way to change the background color in Windows 10 or 11, it basically means that you have only two options for your folder’s background: the standard white (Light) and dark gray (Dark.) This will change the background color of your folders to dark gray like this: (In older versions of Windows 10 you might see this setting named as Choose your color.)