Windows 11 finally gets automatic switching between light and dark modes - sort of

Fed up with having to manually switch between light and dark modes in Windows 11? It seems there'll soon be a way to have your PC do this automatically based on the time.

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That said, this isn't something Microsoft is bringing directly to Windows 11, but the functionality will arrive via PowerToys.

Windows Latest noticed that Microsoft posted about its plans for the next version of PowerToys, which is v0.95 - v0.94 has just been released - revealing that one of the features in the pot is a "new utility that can automatically switch between light and dark mode based on your schedule".

So, when evening arrives, or whenever the darkness begins to descend (the afternoon in winter for me), you can get Windows 11 to automatically switch to dark mode without having to mess around in settings yourself.

That's a useful convenience, of course, but you have to wonder why Microsoft hasn't brought in this ability before - it's playing catch up with macOS here, of course - as well as why it isn't natively integrated into Windows 11.

Still, at least Windows 11 users are now getting the benefit, if in a slightly roundabout way.

Microsoft is also planning another introduction with the next version of PowerToys, namely a revamped interface for the Keyboard Manager.

In other recent news pertaining to Microsoft's desktop operating system, Windows 11 has somehow managed to become less popular, despite Windows 10 effectively being on its deathbed. How does that work? Well, there are some telltale signs that we should take the new stats showing this with more than just a little salt.