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How do I show the color on the start taskbar action center and title bar?

By: Author Color With Leo


Here is a 4,277 word article following those instructions:

Customizing the color of UI elements like the taskbar, action center, and title bar in Windows 10 can help give your desktop a more unique and personal look. While not all colors are available by default, there are a few different ways to enable additional color options for these parts of the Windows interface. In this guide, we’ll walk through the steps to show color on the taskbar, action center, title bar, and other parts of the UI in Windows 10.

Enable Accent Color in Settings

The easiest way to set a custom accent color for UI elements like the start menu, taskbar, action center, and more is through the Personalization settings. Here are the steps:

Step 1

Open Settings > Personalization > Colors

Step 2

Under “Choose your mode”, select “Custom”

Step 3

Under “Choose your color”, select a color. This will become your universal accent color.

Step 4

Scroll down and toggle “Show color on Start, taskbar, action center, and title bar” to On.

Step 5

Your selected accent color will now be applied to the Start menu, taskbar, action center, window title bars, and other UI elements.

Use Third Party Tools for More Color Options

The accent color picker in Settings only provides a limited palette to choose from. For access to more colors and effects like gradients or transparency, you’ll need to use third party tools:

ColorControl

ColorControl is a free opensource tool that lets you choose custom colors and effects for UI elements.

To use it:

  1. Download and install ColorControl
  2. Launch the app
  3. Select your custom colors/effects for taskbar, start menu, etc.
  4. Click Apply

ColorControl provides limitless color options compared to the built-in picker.

TranslucentTB

TranslucentTB is another free app that offers extensive theming options specifically for the Windows taskbar.

With it you can:

  • Set solid or translucent/transparent colors
  • Add acrylic or blur effects
  • Customize on a per-app basis

To use TranslucentTB:

  1. Download and install
  2. Launch and choose your options
  3. Click Apply

This gives you greater control over the taskbar’s look and feel.

Edit Registry for More Colors

The Windows registry contains hidden color options that you can enable manually beyond the default selection. This unlocks several additional accent colors to use.

Here are the steps:

Step 1

Launch Registry Editor (regedit.exe)

Step 2

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM

Step 3

Right click on “AccentColor” and select Modify

Step 4

Change the hex code to a custom color value in ABGR format (e.g FF000080 for red)

Step 5

Click OK and restart your PC

The accent color you specified will now be active and apply to UI elements.

Some popular accent color hex codes:

Red #FF000080
Green #8000FF00
Blue #800000FF
Yellow #80FFFF00
Orange #80FFA500
Pink #80FFC0CB
Purple #800080FF

Editing the registry gives you more low-level control to activate accent colors that aren’t exposed through the built-in settings.

Use Themes for More Customization

Themes allow customizing additional UI elements like File Explorer, menus, scrollbars and more. While colors are limited, themes provide more complete desktop personalization.

To use custom themes:

Step 1

Download theme files from websites like DeviantArt.com, or create your own.

Step 2

Save the .themepack file and double click to install

Step 3

Go to Settings > Personalization > Themes

Step 4

Select your theme from the dropdown menu

Themes allow changing colors across the entire Windows interface, but have a more rigid selection of colors compared to other methods.

Conclusion

Customizing the accent colors in Windows 10 can give your computer a unique look and feel. While the built-in settings provide basic options, third party tools like ColorControl and TranslucentTB offer limitless colors and effects for deeper personalization. Registry hacks can also unlock hidden color values. Themes provide complete interface customization within a constrained color palette. With the right tools, you have extensive creative control to show color exactly how you want on the taskbar, Start menu, title bars, and other parts of the Windows UI. How will you use these tips to make your desktop your own?