Microsoft has finally started rolling out Windows 11’s Paint app dark mode to everyone outside the tech giant’s testing program. You no longer need to join the Windows Insider Program to try Pant’s dark side.

Microsoft has been working on dark mode for Paint for over a year, and we reported about hidden dark mode in January 2023. Microsoft never really discussed what caused the delay, but the company is finally giving its iconic canvas app a visual redesign for Windows 11 and new features.

In a statement, Microsoft confirmed it’s seeking user feedback to improve the Paint app experience. You can drop your feedback via the Microsoft Store. However, if you do not see the update, which seems to be rolling out gradually, you can follow the steps highlighted below to install the dark mode version of Paint manually:

• Head to the Microsoft Store, click “Library”, and select “Get updates.”
• If you do not see the update, download Paint version 11.2304.17.0 from our cloud storage.
• Right-click the .msixbundle (make sure the file extension is .msixbundle) and install the app.
• Click on the update or install button when asked.

  

• Open Paint, and you will have dark mode irrespective of the Windows 11 version installed on the system.

By default, Paint will adapt to the system theme preference, but you can modify the theme by opening Paint’s new settings page. Currently, the settings page in Paint lets you toggle between light, dark or “respect system” theme preferences.

Microsoft is also working on new zoom controls for Paint. This makes the editing experience in Paint more flexible, so you can easily control the view of the content in the app. You can always access the classic presets, but the new zoom-in and out experience should offer greater precision. You can even set a custom zoom value.

Another new option, “fit to screen”, optimizes the canvas to fit the screen or window size.

Microsoft is also rolling out a new design and dark mode support for “Image Properties” dialogs. The updated dialogs should match the style of the latest Windows 11 design and maintain the familiar experience. You will notice more modern controls and touch-friendly buttons throughout the app.

This is part of the company’s efforts to improve accessibility and usability. As a result, keyboard shortcut support has been improved, and the access key now works better.

As mentioned at the outset, Microsoft’s redesigned Paint app is currently heading to all users in the production channel. It will likely become available widely in the next few days, but you can always manually install the app from msixbundle.

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