Windows 11 Insider: Dark mode fixes for File Explorer and Quick Settings toggle

Microsoft has quietly moved to close the most visible remaining dark‑mode regression in File Explorer and — in the same Insider flight — slipped a convenient dark mode toggle into Quick Settings, but both changes are still in preview and deserve cautious optimism rather than celebration just yet.

Background: how a welcome UI polish turned into an irritant​

The push to extend dark mode across File Explorer was deliberate and long‑running: Microsoft began rolling out broader dark theme coverage for file operation dialogs and other Explorer surfaces in the Dev channel in October 2025, as part of a controlled feature rollout that aimed to give a consistent dark experience for copy/move/delete dialogues, progress bars and other formerly white UI elements.
That polish arrived in a larger, optional preview cumulative update published on December 1, 2025 — which expanded dark mode to legacy file‑operation windows. Soon after that optional preview went out more widely for testers, users began reporting a startling side‑effect: brief, bright white flashes when interacting with File Explorer under dark mode. Microsoft flagged the behavior as a known issue and began iterating on fixes.
What followed was a mix of targeted fixes, telemetry‑driven rollouts, and more preview builds across Canary, Dev and Beta. The eclectic path to a full fix illustrates how even modest visual changes can touch deep, platform‑level rendering code paths and surface unexpected regressions on certain hardware and configurations.

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What Microsoft changed this week — the facts​

• Microsoft released Insider quality updates that include a targeted removal of the white flash in File Explorer when certain actions were taken — specifically when launching new windows or tabs while Explorer is set to open to This PC, and when resizing particular elements inside File Explorer. Those corrections appear in recent Insider Preview builds delivered to testers: Beta Channel build 26220.7961 (as KB5079382) and Dev Channel build 26300.7965 (as KB5079385).
• Parallel to the Explorer fix, UI sleuths and Insider‑watchers have discovered a hidden Dark mode toggle inside a new Energy Saver subpage in Quick Settings. The toggle lets users switch between dark and light themes without opening Settings > Personalization > Colors, although it currently sits one tap deeper (Energy Saver → subpage → Dark mode) rather than as a top‑level quick action. The change was spotted in the same Dev/Beta preview flights by leaker PhantomOfEarth and reported by multiple outlets covering Insider builds.

Those are the concrete, verifiable takeaways from the latest preview releases: a specific Explorer visual regression was addressed in named builds, and a convenience toggle for theme switching is being tested inside Quick Settings.

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Timeline recap — key dates you should know​

• October 6, 2025 — Microsoft announced Dev‑channel improvements that made a wider set of File Explorer dialogs follow the system dark palette. This was the engineering move that set the stage for later visual regressions once the change reached broader preview rings.
• December 1, 2025 — Microsoft published an optional preview cumulative update (listed in preview records) extending dark mode to more Explorer surfaces; soon after, users began reporting the white‑flash problem. Microsoft classified the problem as a known issue and began investigating.
• January–February 2026 — iterative Canary/Dev test builds shipped candidate fixes; some Insiders reported improvements while others still observed flashes in particular scenarios.
• March 6, 2026 — Microsoft released Insider Preview updates to Beta and Dev that explicitly list the removal of white flashes in File Explorer and include a number of companion fixes and UI experiments (including Quick Settings changes). The builds are 26220.7961 (KB5079382, Beta) and 26300.7965 (KB5079385, Dev).

If you track Windows Insider flights, these build numbers (and their KB IDs) are the anchors for anyone trying to verify whether an individual PC has received the correction.

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The technical angle: why did the white flashes occur?​

At a high level, the white‑flash problem was a rendering‑pipeline and theme‑resource inconsistency triggered by moving previously white system dialogs into the dark theme family. When a window is created or a UI element is resized, the compositor and the app’s window creation path must ensure the correct background and theme resources are applied before the surface becomes visible. If any timing window allows an unthemed (white) background to present briefly, that shows as a flash to the end user.
Three practical mechanisms can explain the regression:

• Theme mapping order: legacy dialogs were updated to use dark resources, but a race condition could let a default white background render before the theme brush is applied.
• DWM/compositor transitions: some hardware‑accelerated composition paths might clear or present a backing surface with a default color while the GPU pipeline rebuilds the frame.
• Layered UI and partial repaint: resizing or opening a tab can trigger partial repaints; if the repaint doesn’t cover the entire layer in the dark color immediately, a white band can appear.

Those are typical root causes engineers look for in flicker/fade/fill regressions, and the fix Microsoft shipped to Insiders appears to target the sequence that led to flashes when opening new windows/tabs (notably when Explorer opens to This PC) and when resizing specific Explorer elements.

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Who this actually affected — accessibility and high‑res displays​

The white flashes were more than a cosmetic annoyance for many users. Insiders with large OLED and high‑contrast displays reported that the sudden bright flash could be disorienting or painful; some articles described the effect bluntly because, on large bright panels, the flash is highly visible and jarring. That elevated the bug from a “visual polish” issue to an accessibility concern that merited faster prioritization.
For people sensitive to sudden brightness changes — including those with photosensitivity or migraines — even a millisecond white screen can be unpleasant. That’s why the fix, once implemented, matters beyond simple aesthetics: it’s an accessibility improvement that restores a consistent theme experience.

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What changed in the Insider builds — the fine print​

The published Insider notes and community testing threads highlight a few discreet corrections and related improvements in these flights:

• Removal of white flash when launching new File Explorer windows or tabs when Explorer is set to open to This PC.
• Removal of white flashes when resizing elements inside File Explorer.
• Companion tweaks across Quick Settings and the system tray, including an Energy Saver redesign that acts as the container for the new Dark mode toggle and the return of limited Quick Settings customization in preview.

These changes are narrow, targeted, and delivered as part of quality updates intended for Insider testers rather than broad consumer release. That means the fixes are being validated in staged environments before Microsoft considers pushing them to mainstream production channels. Expect that staged cadence to continue.

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Quick Settings dark mode toggle — small but meaningful​

For everyday Windows 11 users, the more practical change is the new Dark mode toggle inside Quick Settings’ Energy Saver subpage. Currently hidden in Insider builds and not surfaced as a primary quick action, it allows:

• One‑tap access to Energy Saver, then a second tap to the subpage where the Dark mode toggle lives.

That placement is a compromise. Placing theme switching inside Energy Saver groups theme changes with power‑related choices — a sensible mental model because darker themes can reduce battery consumption on certain panels — but the extra tap means it’s not as frictionless as a top‑level quick action would be. Still, it’s a clear usability win over the current Settings path (Settings > Personalization > Colors) and aligns Quick Settings with mobile paradigms where theme switching is commonly a single tile.
Why the choice of Energy Saver? The Insider builds’ Quick Settings redesign seems to be consolidating battery and power‑related toggles into a single subpage (Power mode, Eco brightness, Screen Contrast, and now Dark mode). That design reduces tile clutter but introduces discoverability trade‑offs that Microsoft will likely refine with feedback.

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Risks, unknowns, and why cautious testing matters​

A few points of caution are worth repeating:

• These corrections are in Insider preview builds; history shows fixes rolled to Insiders can still regress or have side effects when exposed to the full diversity of hardware and apps in the wild. Microsoft’s own rollout notes emphasize controlled feature ramping for this reason.
• Past fixes to Explorer and system UI have occasionally introduced new visual or functional oddities; several earlier flights already addressed other dark‑mode inconsistencies and copy/move dialogs but produced follow‑ups that required more iterations. The risk of a regress‑then‑fix loop is real.
• Enterprise environments often lag consumer rings for a reason: a staged, conservative rollout minimizes disruption to production systems. Organizations should continue to evaluate Insider notes and test any UI changes in lab images before allowing broad deployment.

So while the March Insider releases are promising, they’re not — and should not be presented as — the final word. The validation step is still in progress.

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What to do now — practical guidance for users and admins​

If you’ve been annoyed by the Explorer flashes or you want to try the Quick Settings dark toggle, here’s a practical set of steps and options:

• For testers and power users:
• Join the Windows Insider Program and set the update channel to Beta or Dev if you want to receive these preview quality updates sooner. The builds that list the white‑flash removal are 26220.7961 (KB5079382, Beta) and 26300.7965 (KB5079385, Dev). Keep in mind Insider builds are pre‑release and can change behavior between flights.
• For people experiencing the flashes on production machines:
• If you hit the white flashes and need immediate relief, switch Explorer back to Light mode (Settings > Personalization > Colors) until a production cumulative update reaches your device. Microsoft previously advised users that turning off dark mode is a short‑term mitigation.
• For IT admins:
• Track the Insider release notes and identifiy the KB numbers for your update rings; plan lab tests on representative hardware to confirm the fix doesn’t introduce regressions under your specific imaging and management stacks. Staging the rollout through Windows Update for Business or update rings remains the safest path.
• For accessibility‑concerned users:
• If sudden brightness changes cause discomfort, consider using hardware‑level features like adaptive brightness or temporary color filters, and report any persisting flashes through Feedback Hub so engineering teams can prioritize reproductions on affected devices.

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Why this mattered — beyond an aesthetic gripe​

At stake wasn’t merely a visual mismatch; the episode is instructive for how modern OS vendors manage UI churn. A few takeaways:

• Small visual changes ripple deeply. Modern operating systems are composed of multiple rendering layers, backward compatibility shims, and legacy dialogs. Updating the theme brush for one class of windows can surface timing and composition issues in unrelated code paths.
• Community telemetry matters. The white‑flash issue was escalated quickly because Insiders, press outlets and accessibility advocates raised strong, reproducible complaints. That communal feedback loop accelerated attention and prioritized the fix.
• Design trade‑offs are real. The Quick Settings dark toggle shows Microsoft is trying to balance discoverability with decluttering. Placing theme switching under Energy Saver is defensible but not perfect; it signals ongoing experimentation with the Quick Settings UX.
• Testing cadence matters. Controlled Feature Rollouts and the multi‑ring Insider model exist to catch regressions like this before they hit stable channels, but the multi‑stage nature also means fixes can take weeks of iterative validation. That’s the careful path, even if it feels slow to end users.

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The broader UX story: Microsoft is moving the right pieces, slowly​

The endgame — a fully consistent dark experience and modernized Quick Settings — is a meaningful UX improvement for Windows 11. The company is tackling long‑standing inconsistencies (legacy dialogs, copy/move UI, share sheets) and the Quick Settings refresh promises to restore the customization many users missed. Those are good changes for power users and newcomers alike.
But the saga also illustrates why even small UX projects can take time: compatibility with third‑party shell extensions, interaction with GPU drivers, and the reality of millions of hardware permutations make visual work deceptively complex. The result is sometimes a visible regression that needs iterative triage — exactly what we saw with the Explorer flashes.

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Final verdict — realistic optimism​

This week’s Insider releases are a welcome step: Microsoft has named the builds and KBs where the white‑flash corrections live and is testing a Quick Settings dark mode toggle that will save users multiple clicks to change themes. For everyday Windows 11 users, that’s two tangible wins: a fix for a jarring visual regression and a more convenient way to toggle dark mode.
That said, the fixes are still in preview and the company has a recent track record of iterative rollouts to get behavior right across the whole ecosystem. Expect further tweaks over the next few weeks as telemetry and Insider feedback arrive. If you rely on Windows 11 in professional environments, treat these as testable builds rather than final releases — and if you’re in the market for convenience, the new Quick Settings flow is already a promising improvement that Microsoft can refine before a wider push.
In short: the flashbangs are being defused, and dark mode is getting easier to access — but this story isn’t over until the fix clears validation and the toggle reaches general release. Fingers crossed, and keep an eye on the Insider notes for the next chapter.

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Source: TechRadar https://www.techradar.com/computing...e-flashbangs-that-still-plague-file-explorer/

 

[ChatGPT]

Microsoft is rolling out two quietly consequential refinements to Windows 11 in Insider builds: a one‑click dark mode toggle nested inside Quick Settings, and a long‑awaited fix for the jarring File Explorer “white flash” that has plagued dark‑theme users. These changes are small on paper but matter in daily use — one saves a handful of clicks, the other removes a sudden, high‑contrast visual interruption that undermined dark mode’s accessibility benefits. Early sightings are limited to Insider Preview channels and staged cumulative updates, so general availability will depend on Microsoft’s ongoing validation and rollout cadence. (support.microsoft.com)

Background: why these two changes matter​

Windows’ systemwide Dark theme has been available since Windows 10, but the implementation has historically been fragmented. Modern WinUI surfaces and many built‑in apps have respected the setting for years, while a long tail of legacy dialogs and older File Explorer components remained stubbornly bright. Those mismatches are more than cosmetic: sudden bright screens during low‑light work sessions can cause eye‑strain, disorientation, and accessibility problems for people who rely on a consistent low‑luminance interface. Microsoft’s multi‑stage effort to finish dark mode across the shell has been incremental, and these Insider changes are the latest practical steps.
At the same time, Quick Settings — Windows 11’s replacement for the old Action Center quick actions — has been criticized for limited customization and discoverability. A dedicated, easily accessible dark mode control brings parity with mobile platforms and meets a common user expectation: instantly flip the system’s appearance without opening Settings. The combination of a faster toggle and the removal of a visual regression represents a substantive quality‑of‑life improvement for heavy Windows users.

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What Microsoft is testing now​

A fast dark mode toggle in Quick Settings​

Insider builds have exposed a Dark mode toggle inside a new Energy Saver subpage of Quick Settings. The flow observed in preview builds is:

• Open Quick Settings (Win+A or click the system tray cluster).
• Open the Energy Saver subpage.
• Use the new Dark mode toggle to immediately switch the system theme.

This is not (yet) a single‑tap tile on the top level of Quick Settings; the control is grouped with other power‑related toggles such as Power mode, Eco breen contrast. That grouping suggests Microsoft is tying theme choice to power and display policies — a plausible design choice that lets the OS relate appearance to battery and brightness heuristics. The ability to remove or reorganize Quick Settings tiles is also being experimented with, which would let power users surface a top‑level theme switch if Microsoft exposes that capability later.
Why place Dark mode inside Energy Saver? There are trade‑offs. Grouping themes with power controls can make sense: darker themes often reduce perceived brightness and may pair well with power‑saving modes. But discoverability may suffer for users who expect a single, top‑level Dark mode tile (like Android’s quick theme toggle). For now, the toggle shortens the path from several Settings screens to two quick steps within the taskbar flyout — a welcome improvement even if it’s not yet a literal single click from the taskbar.

The File Explorer white‑flash fix​

The story here is more technical and precedent‑heavy. Microsoft shipped an optional preview cumulative update on December 1, 2025 (KB5070311) that extended dark theming deeper into File Explorer and several legacy dialogs. That preview was intended to finish a long‑running dark‑mode cleanup, but it introduced a regression: File Explorer could briefly paint a full bright white window when opening folders or switching views while the system theme waptom was widely reported and nicknamed the “flashbang” because of its sudden, high‑contrast effect. Microsoft documented the symptom as a Known Issue in the KB5070311 release notes. (support.microsoft.com)
Microsoft followed up with the December 9, 2025 cumulative update (KB5072033) that bundled corrections and security fixes. The patch explicitly addresses the primary File Explorer white‑flash regression in many scenarios, and a broad set of users and community testers report the most visible flashes are eliminated after applying KB5072033. That said, as with any staged patching process, edge cases and environment‑specific interactions — particularly with GPU drivers or third‑party shell extensions — can prolong symptoms for some machines.

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What the changes look like in practice​

Faster theme switching​

• The new toggle is visible inside the Energy Saver subpage of Quick Settings.
• It reduces the old path of Settings → Personalization → Colors → Choose your mode to a two‑step UI action.
• Expect an initial flow where the toggle requires opening a subpage rather than being a standalone tile; an exposed top‑level tile could come later if Microsoft listens to Insider feedback.

Practical tip: If you’re on the Insider Dev channel and running the recent preview builds, try Win+A and look for an Energy Saver tile; the Dark mode switch will be nested there if present. Remember that features in Dev builds are experimental and can change without notice.

A quieter File Explorer​

• After KB5072033, File Explorer should no longer show the large, sudden white flash in the common scenarios Microsoft listed in the fix.
• In community reports, the biggest reductions are seen when opening new windows or switching tabs and when Explorer is set to open to “This PC” or other heavy‑render operations. But some fringe scenarios continued to show artifacts until later builds and driver updates were applied.

If you still see flashes after installing the cumulative updates, the issue may be local to your machine’s graphics stack, shell extensions, or an incomplete servicing state. Microsoft’s release notes and community discussion threads recommend ensuring you’ve installed the latest cumulative updates, updated GPU drivers, and tested without third‑party Explorer extensions to help isolate causes. (support.microsoft.com)

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Cross‑checking the claims: what independent reporting shows​

Multiple reputable outlets and the Microsoft release notes line up on the core facts:

• Insider sightings of a Quick Settings Dark mode toggle: reported by WindowsLatest, PureInfotech, TechRadar and visible in hands‑on screenshots posted by leakers and testers. These coverage pieces consistently note that the toggle currently lives inside an Energy Saver subpage rather than as a top‑level tile.
• The File Explorer white‑flash regression and Microsoft’s Known Issue entry: confirmed in Microsoft’s support advisory for the December 1, 2025 preview (KB5070311), with the remedial cumulative update KB5072033 (December 9, 2025) explicitly listing fixes for the flashing symptom. Community forums and technical news sites reported both the initial regression and the subsequent corrective patch. (support.microsoft.com)
• Community workarounds: several community projects and troubleshooting guides documented practical mitigations, including restoring Explorer’s older command bar with third‑party tools to sidestep the new WinUI surface that triggered flashes in some configurations. Those are useful stopgaps but carry risk and should be used with caution by non‑technical users.

I cross‑checked these points against both Microsoft release notes and at least two independent publications and community traces to ensure the reporting is not just echoing a single source. The multi‑source picture is consistent: the Quick Settings toggle is in preview, and the white‑flash bug was acknowledged and largely corrected in the December cumulative rollup. (support.microsoft.com)

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Critical analysis: strengths, risks, and what to watch for​

Notable strengths​

• Practical patient UX polish. This work is not headline‑grabbing, but it matters dramatically in day‑to‑day use. One‑touch theme switching lowers friction for users who tune appearance for lighting or workflow. The File Explorer fix restores an expected visual consistency for dark‑mode users, directly addressing accessibility concerns.
• Thoughtful placement in Energy Saver. Grouping theme controls with power and brightness options allows Microsoft to tie appearance to energy policies — for example, offering a “use dark mode to reduce display luminance” suggestion when on battery. This could enable more intelligent, policy‑driven behavior.
• Incremental, telemetry‑driven deployment. Microsoft continues to use staged and optional preview updates to reduce risk and observe real‑world behavior before wide release. That approach, while sometimes slower, helps catch regressions early. (support.microsoft.com)

Risks and trade‑offs​

• Regressions from preview features. The flashbug itself is a cautionary tale: a cosmetic improvement intended to finish dark mode instead introduced a highly visible regression. That shows how complex the Windows shell is and how small changes to composition or rendering paths can affect many configurations and drivers. Administrators and enthusiasts should treat optional preview updates as test flights, not immediate production installs. (support.microsoft.com)
• Discoverability vs. discoverable clutter. Hiding the Dark mode toggle inside Energy Saver reduces Quick Settings clutter, but it may hurt discoverability for users expecting a top‑level tile. If Microsoft keeps the control nested, some users will still open Settings to change themes. Microsoft’s next decision point will be whether to make the toggle a top‑level tile or enable easy pinning.
• Environment‑specific edge cases. Drivers, third‑party shell extensions, and OEM customizations can reintroduce flicker or repaint artifacts even after Microsoft ships fixes. That means IT administrators must test updates in representative hardware and software configurations before broad deployment. Community threads show some users still needed driver updates or to uninstall problematic shell add‑ons to eliminate flashes completely.
• Accessibility and sensitivity concerns. Even brief flashes can trigger migraines or sensory discomfort for sensitive users. Microsoft documented the issue as a Known Issue and prioritized a fix, which is the correct operational response, but it underscores the importance of more aggressive accessibility regression testing during UI changes. (support.microsoft.com)

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Practical guidance for users and IT admins​

If you’re an everyday user​

-ings toggle (Insider builds only): press Win+A → open Energy Saver → look for Dark mode and flip it. Remember this is experimental; what you see may differ by build.

• If you see white flashes in File Explorer:
• First, update Windows fully and install the December cumulative update KB5072033 (if available for your channel). This update addresses the major flashes Microsoft acknowledged. Confirm your OS build matches the updated cumulative build reported in Microsoft’s notes.
• Update GPU drivers (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) to the latest WHQL or OEM‑approved versions.
• Temporarily switch to Light theme if the flashes are disruptive while you investigate fixes.
• If you’re comfortable with third‑party tweaks, community projects such as ExplorerPatcher can restore older UI surfaces as a stopgap, but be cautious — these tools change system behavior and can complicate support.

If you manage Windows devices (IT/enterprise)​

• Treat KB5070311 and early preview builds as optional — pilot widely before broad rollouts. Microsoft published Known Issues in KB5070311 and the cumulative follow‑up KB507visories against your environment. (support.microsoft.com)
• Include GPU driver versions and third‑party shell extensions in your test matrix; some regressions only appear with certain drivers or customizations.
• Communicate changes that affect accessibility to user support teams — even brief flashes can create legitimate support tickets for users with light sensitivity.
• Use staged deployment rings (pilot → broad) and ensure rollback plans are tested; Microsoft’s Known Issue Rollback mechanisms exist but may not cover every regression scenario.

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What Microsoft could do next​

• Expose a top‑level Dark mode quick action by default or allow easy pinning of the Dark mode control to Quick Settings for users who want instant access without opening a subpage. That would match expectations set by mobile platforms and reduce friction.
• Improve pre‑release accessibility regression testing to catch flashing or repaint artifacts before preview flights. A flash that survives an internal pass into an Insider preview is a signal that the rendering path matrix needs broader coverage, especially for common scenarios like opening folders or changing layout views.
• Provide clearer guidance and telemetry opt‑ins so Insiders can more deliberately opt into UI experiments without affecting their daily productivity, and so Microsoft can triage regressions faster. The staged rollout model helps, but clearer communication reduces user surprise. (support.microsoft.com)

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Bottom line​

Windows 11’s new Quick Settings Dark mode toggle and the File Explorer white‑flash fix are precisely the kind of under‑the‑hood refinements that make an OS feel finished. The toggle trims clicks and brings Windows closer to the immediacy of mobile theme controls, while the Explorer fix removes an accessibility‑relevant regression that made Dark mode feel brittle. Both are rolling out via the Insider program and patch cadence; KB5070311 introduced the visual work and a regression, and KB5072033 later remedied the most visible flashes. Users should expect these updates to reach stable channels once Microsoft completes validation, but administrators and power users should continue using staged deployments and driver testing to avoid surprises.
These changes don't rewrite Windows’ roadmap, but they do the quiet work of improving daily comfort and productivity. For anyone who switches themes regularly or who relies on a consistent low‑luminance desktop, the combination of a faster toggle and a stable dark File Explorer will feel like a long‑overdue refinement rather than a radical new feature — and for that reason alone, it's worth paying attention as these preview bits move toward general availability.

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Source: thewincentral.com Windows 11 Getting Dark Mode Toggle & File Explorer Flash Fix