Microsoft revealed its plans to supercharge the beloved Paint with a new user interface and dark mode more than one year ago (in August 2021, to be precise). The new UI is already available to all Windows 11 customers, but the promised dark mode support is still nowhere to be found. Time for third-party developers and enthusiasts to help the small software company: a mod for the Windhawk app lets you enable dark mode in Paint with a single click (via Deskmodder).
The first version of the mod arrived at the end of 2021, and it then featured a not-so-user-friendly installation process and worked only on Windows 11 preview builds. Now you can install the mod with a single click and use it on the stable Windows 11 release.
Caution: Windhawk and the Dark Paint mod are third-party mods, albeit open-source. Always mind the risks of using such tweaks, and remember that only you are responsible for your computer and the safety of the data stored on it.
- Download and install Windhawk from its official website.
- Run the app and click Explore or Browse for Mods.
- Type Dark Paint in the search box and click Details. Alternatively, use a direct link. You can also click the Source Code tab to see how the mod operates and what code it uses to create its software magic.
- Click Install.
- Confirm installation by clicking Accept Risk and Install.
- Open Paint.
Another thing worth noting is that the implementation still needs some improvements. For example, the mod enforces the dark mode regardless of your current system theme, and the only way to toggle on light mode is to disable Dark Paint in the Windhawk app. To do so, open Windhawk and turn off Dark Paint on the Home page. You can uninstall the mod by clicking Remove.
If you are into drawing, check out a recently discovered feature that lets you draw stickers directly on the desktop in Windows 11 preview builds.
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