How to use Xbox One Scheduled Themes

By Matt Brown
last updated

You can automatically shift between light and dark themes using the "Scheduled Themes" feature on Xbox One. Here's how.

In late 2017, Microsoft debuted a "light theme" for its Xbox One console, giving users the option to shift the OS color scheme away from its formerly darker tone. Reworking the entire Xbox One OS, the light theme favors whites and lighter colors, which makes for improved visibility in brighter environments. Alternatively, the dark theme still utilizes blacks and dark grays, which can be easier on the eyes once the sun sets.

Microsoft has followed this up with a complementary feature, known as "Scheduled Themes." When enabled, the Xbox One can automatically shift between the two themes at certain times of the day. Here's how to enable Scheduled Themes on Xbox One and calibrate the feature to your liking.

How to use Scheduled Themes on Xbox One

To use Scheduled Themes on Xbox One, the feature must first be enabled on your console. This can be done using the Settings app, where you can tune the timing to your personal preferences. In its current state, scheduling must be done manually and cannot be mapped to sunrise and sunset in your region. Here's how to use the feature:

  1. Open the Settings app on your Xbox One.
  2. Navigate to the Personalization tab.
  3. Select Theme & motion.
  4. Navigate to the System theme drop-down menu.
  5. Select Scheduled.
  6. Set the start time for the light theme, using the field that appears.
  7. Set the end time for the light theme.

After following these simple steps, Scheduled Themes will be enabled on your console. Going forward, the light theme will be enabled at the start time, while the console will revert to a dark theme once the set period passes.

What do you think of the new feature? Let us know in the comments section.

Updated April 24, 2018: Refreshed this article following the feature's public rollout.

Matt Brown
Matt Brown

Matt Brown is Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.

15 Comments
  • That's cool, the more options the better!
  • Hopefully all PWAs will run on Xbox too and will make Xbox way useful than PS4
  • The light burns my eyes. Come...to the Dark Side!
  • Nooooooo XD
  • It would be great to be able to schedule this to sunrise and sunset like you can with Night Light ...
  • It'd be great if Microsoft took the concept of themes from it's Windows 10 lock screen, Microsoft Launcher, Next Lock Screen and Bing homepage and had the Bing daily image wallpaper as the theme. That way I'd have new lovely photos as my wallpaper with the correct colour and transparency to compliment it daily as a theme.
    It would also make my Xbox feel more in sync with my phone and PC (and Bing I guess) and appear more dynamic as not make my theme seem stagnant and boring after a month of the same image.
  • Plus, it's would be easy to implement like the Bing Search page and W10 lock screen for the landscape 1080p image unlike my phone's portrait picture as the Xbox will be using pictures from the cloud through an always stable connection, no need for the "only download new images on WiFi" worry.
  • Completely agree!! I love 'automatic' design choice options, with UI's (auto wallpapers/ accent colors/etc.)
  • Agree, I use the bing daily wallpaper on all my devices that support it, the Xbox background would be a great place for it. I wonder if there is a user voice suggestion logged for this. 
  • Good!
  • I just updated my console however this option not avilable, only Dark and Light only!!!!
  • Same. I haven't received it in any of my preview builds either.
  • Is anyone else NOT seeing this option after the update? I'm still just getting light or dark theme. =/
  • Me too
  • Can we please get this feature on PC?