How to Customize Theme and Appearance in Edge on Computer

Edge looking too bright, too cramped, or nothing like the rest of your computer? Most of that lives on one settings page. You can change the color mode, toolbar layout, fonts, favorites bar, and zoom without reinstalling anything.

Type edge://settings/appearance in the address bar, or open Settings and pick Appearance. Change the mode, review the layout options, and use Reset at the bottom if the result is not what you wanted.

In this guide, I have covered:

Where to find Edge’s appearance settings

Edge looks too bright, too plain, or nothing like your desktop? Nearly every control for that sits on a single page. Color mode, toolbar layout, fonts, and page zoom are grouped together there.

The address bar route is the fastest. It opens exactly the same page as the menu.

1. Open Microsoft Edge on your computer.
2. Select the address bar.
3. Type edge://settings/appearance.
4. Press Enter.

You’ll know it worked when the Appearance page loads and Appearance is highlighted in the left sidebar.

Reach the same page from the Edge menu

If you would rather click than type, the menu gets you there in three steps.

1. Select the menu in the top-right corner.
2. Choose Settings.
3. Select Appearance in the left sidebar.

Switch between light, dark, and system modes

Too bright at night, or Edge ignoring the dark mode you set in Windows? The Overall appearance control handles that. Newer Edge versions use that label instead of Theme.

1. Find the Overall appearance section on the Appearance page.
2. Pick Light, Dark, or System.

You’ll know it worked when the toolbar and tab colors change right away. System follows your computer’s light or dark setting, so Edge flips along with Windows.

On an older Edge release, the same group may still be labeled Theme.

Adjust the toolbar, fonts, favorites bar, and zoom

Once the color mode is settled, the rest of the page decides how much sits around the page and how big the text gets. Each control applies on its own, so a dark theme can stay while you raise the font size or show the favorites bar.

• Show home button: adds a Home button next to the address bar. To choose where it opens, see how to change the home page URL in Edge on a computer.
• Show favorites bar: shows a row of favorite links below the address bar. The favorite bar guide covers adding and managing those links.
• Font size and family: sets Edge’s default text family and size.
• Zoom: changes the default page scale. For a stronger zoom control, see how to enable force zoom in Edge on any computer.

For a one-site fix, use the zoom control in Edge’s main menu. Reach for the Appearance zoom setting only when you want the same scale everywhere.

Reset the appearance to defaults

Changed enough that Edge feels unfamiliar? Reset everything at once instead of undoing each toggle.

1. Scroll to the bottom of the Appearance page.
2. Select the Reset button.
3. Confirm the reset if Edge asks.

You’ll know it worked when the controls on the page return to their default values.

Install a ready-made Edge theme

Light, Dark, and System are only color modes. If you want artwork and real colors behind the toolbar, install a theme from the Microsoft Edge themes catalog. It is a separate site from the Edge Add-ons store you use for extensions.

1. Open the Microsoft Edge themes catalog.
2. Select a theme you want to try.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts to install it.
4. Return to Edge.
5. Confirm that the toolbar and tabs use the new theme.

Not the look you expected? Open Appearance again and switch back to your previous mode. To compare options before installing anything, see our list of the best Microsoft Edge themes.

These steps cover Edge on a computer. On Android the settings sit in a different place, so follow Change the Theme and Appearance in Edge on Android instead.

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