| | Capabilities | Cost | Safety Note | |---------------|------------------|----------|------------------| | ExplorerPatcher | Restores Windows 10 taskbar with full color control | Free | Open source, generally safe | | StartAllBack | Full taskbar color, transparency, and texture | Paid (trial) | Widely trusted | | Start11 (by Stardock) | Taskbar color picker, transparency, blur | Paid | Commercial, very safe | | Windhawk (with "Taskbar Colorizer" mod) | Change taskbar color, opacity, gradients | Free | Open source, modular |
Windows 11 makes the taskbar slightly transparent by default. This can make your chosen color look "washed out" or darker than you intended. windows 11 task bar color
Unlike previous versions of Windows (such as Windows 10 and 7), Windows 11 removed the direct "Taskbar color" picker from the Settings app. You can no longer change the taskbar color independently without also changing the Start menu, Action Center, and window borders. | | Capabilities | Cost | Safety Note