How to adjust your Chromebook’s color scheme

Over the last year, you’ve probably heard us talk about Material You and how it brings a new level of personalization to ChromeOS. Since the introduction of ChromeOS 117, we’ve seen Material You take over most facets of the general user interface, changing your Chromebook’s color scheme to match your wallpaper. It’s a nice touch but what if the color scheme that is automatically applied isn’t exactly your style? If this is the case for you (as it has been several times for me) you will be happy to know there is a simple way to change those UI colors. It’s a setting in the Personalization Hub called ‘Accent Colors’ and will give you a few options to choose from so you can find the perfect palette for your Chromebook. So, let’s dive into how you can adjust the accent colors on your Chromebook.

How to change the accent colors on your Chromebook

The first step is to right-click on your desktop and then select ‘Set wallpaper & style’. This will open the Personalization Hub window.

You then need to make sure ‘Accent Colors’ are enabled. To change the accent color, just click through the 4 options that have been generated based on your wallpaper. As you click through the options, the ChromeOS UI will dynamically change, so you can see which one you like best.

When you enable these settings you are going to see the colors reflected in areas like as quick settings, menu colors, and window head bars. But what about the browswer? Well, Material You has recently made it to the Chrome browser, too. With the rollout of ChromeOS 119, we saw the Chrome broswer get a full Material You overhaull, as well, giving users a cohesive and personal feel throughout the entire ChromeOS experience. You can read more about adjusting the Chrome browser Material You settings in this artcle from Robby.

If you are not a fan of the accent colors in general, you can always just disable this feature. While this feature has been a hit on Android phones, it might not align with everyone’s taste, especially if your wallpaper has a complex color scheme. This flexibility ensures that users who prefer more traditional or less vibrant themes can simply turn off Accent Color and still enjoy a clean, simple version of ChromeOS.

Whether you’re a fan of vibrant themes or prefer a more subdued look, I like that ChromeOS gives you the ability to create an environment that’s uniquely yours. It’s a simple setting but is one that I have used frequently and I appreciate that ChromeOS allows for this subtle control over the Material You design.