🌓 PowerToys Light Switch Bug: Theme Switching Issue in Windows 11
The PowerToys 0.95 update caused unexpected theme switching issues for Windows 11 users when the new Light Switch feature was accidentally enabled by default.
💡 What Happened
After installing the PowerToys 0.95 update on October 16, 2025, many Windows 11 users noticed their systems automatically switching between light and dark modes without permission.
The culprit: Light Switch, a new PowerToys utility that manages theme changes based on time of day, accidentally turned itself on by default. This caused Windows to ignore users’ manual theme preferences.
Users described the system flipping back to light mode just seconds after switching to dark mode — even when trying to change it through Settings → Personalization → Colors.
🧩 Microsoft Confirms It’s a Bug
Microsoft’s PowerToys team confirmed this was unintended behavior.
On GitHub, a developer stated:
“We never intended to have Light Switch be turned on by default – this is actually a bug, and we are working on a fix rolling out ASAP.”
The issue confused many users, who initially thought the problem came from malware or a Windows update before discovering the link to PowerToys.
🛠️ How to Fix It Now
Quick Fix:
- Open PowerToys
- Go to System Tools → Light Switch
- Turn the Light Switch feature Off
- Open Settings → Personalization → Colors and manually select your preferred theme
If the issue continues:
- Restart Windows Explorer using Task Manager
- Disable other theme automation tools (like Auto Dark Mode)
- Check Task Scheduler for theme-related triggers
🕓 About Light Switch
Light Switch is a new utility in PowerToys 0.95 that lets Windows automatically toggle between themes.
Features:
- Schedule theme changes (custom times or sunrise/sunset)
- Separate control for system and apps
- Keyboard shortcut for manual switching
- Uses the same registry keys that control Windows themes:
AppsUseLightThemeSystemUsesLightTheme
When working properly, it’s meant to be a convenient automation — not a forced override.
⚠️ Additional Issues
Some users report that even with Light Switch disabled, manual theme changes still revert automatically within seconds.
This bug is currently under investigation on the PowerToys GitHub tracker.
🔧 Microsoft’s Hotfix Status
Microsoft is preparing a hotfix to prevent Light Switch from enabling automatically after installation.
Until then:
- Keep Light Switch turned off, or
- Set a fixed schedule that matches your preferred mode
This incident highlights the importance of safe defaults — especially when new automation features are introduced.
