Need way to switch between Dark and Light Mode regardless of System Mode

[ObedPM]

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qBittorrent & operating system versions

qBittorrent: 5.0.0 x64 Operating system: Windows 10 Pro

What is the problem?

How can i change the dark theme? Is set up by default!

Steps to reproduce

No response

Additional context

No response

Log(s) & preferences file(s)

No response

[vivadavid]

Hi,

I have the same problem. I've just updated to version 5.0.0 and, out of the blue, dark mode is enabled by default and I can't find a way to switch back to light mode.

My Windows 11 has always been in dark mode, but, generally speaking, I prefer to have my programmes in light mode.

Is there a way to tell QbitTorrent 5.0.0 that, despite having dark mode in Windows 11, I prefer the programme in light mode?

Thanks!

[Pentaphon]

@ObedPM you should change the title of this issue to something like "Need way to switch between Dark and Light Mode regardless of System Mode".

[qBittUser]

@ObedPM

Is set up by default!

Yes, that's not a bug, qBittorrent v5+ changes theme based on your OS settings. It was made so to resolve Windows qBit users old feature request to have qBittorrent automatically support native Windows theme.

How can I change the dark theme?

1. Open qBittorrent > Tools > Options
2. Choose if you want to use a custom theme file or select Customizing UI Theme...

List of custom UI theme files are here: https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/wiki/List-of-known-qBittorrent-themes

If you dislike using custom UI theme files to switch between Light or Dark, then change your OS settings and qBittorrent v5+ will automatically switch to be similar to native system theme.

To customize Windows 10 & 11 theme:

1. Select Start > Settings or Right-click on your Desktop empty area.
2. Select Personalization > Colors.
3. In the list for Choose your mode, select it to be Custom, Light or Dark.

If you or anyone else wants more settings and theme related options to be built-in to qBittorrent, then you should create a new feature request.

Alternatively if you want to discuss and share ideas or wish to get more complex workarounds to make qBittorrent look how you want, then please use the Discussions page.

[xavier2k6]

For those that don't want qBittorrent v5 to automatically switch to Dark "App" mode, here are some choices:

1. Personalisation->Colours->Choose your color->Custom->Choose your default app mode->Light

2. Modify qt.conf file with WindowsArguments = darkmode=0 (this will disable qBittorrent's dark "app" mode support.)

[sledgehammer999]

If you want the native style (used in v4.6.x) Launch qbittorrent.exe like this: <path-to-qbt>/qbittorrent.exe -style WindowsVista The WindowsVista has limited supported for dark mode, if any at all.

The darkmode possible values are explained here: https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/qguiapplication.html#platform-specific-arguments

[sledgehammer999]

I wonder if we should provide an UI setting "Use native UI style (may disable dark mode)".

[xavier2k6]

I wonder if we should provide an UI setting "Use native UI style (may disable dark mode)".

and hinder HiDPI support as previously discussed

[sledgehammer999]

and hinder HiDPI support as previously discussed

Citation? I run HiDPI with fractional scaling and native style since qt5 and I haven't had issues. Can you point me to them?

[xavier2k6]

Revisit PR https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/pull/19051

[electrifying]

If you want the native style (used in v4.6.x) Launch qbittorrent.exe like this: <path-to-qbt>/qbittorrent.exe -style WindowsVista The WindowsVista has limited supported for dark mode, if any at all.

The darkmode possible values are explained here: https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/qguiapplication.html#platform-specific-arguments

now we will always have to do this to get a non-broken interface?

[sledgehammer999]

Revisit PR #19051

AFAICT, you mentioned HiDPI here and I answered here. Aka Qt6 doesn't have a recommendation for Fusion+hidpi anymore.

[qBittUser]

@electrifying

now we will always have to do this to get a non-broken interface?

If something is broken, then a proper new issue report needs to be made.

[xavier2k6]

@electrifying

now we will always have to do this to get a non-broken interface?

If something is broken, then a proper new issue report needs to be made.

they came here from #21423

[xavier2k6]

Revisit PR #19051

AFAICT, you mentioned HiDPI here and I answered here. Aka Qt6 doesn't have a recommendation for Fusion+hidpi anymore.

ok, but Qt still prefer it (fusion style) in Qt 6 for Windows 11 (although....since then they now also have introduces a windows11 style) https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/pull/19051#issuecomment-1572041773

[xavier2k6]

Also, see my other https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/pull/19051#issuecomment-1572158500

[sledgehammer999]

Revisit PR #19051

AFAICT, you mentioned HiDPI here and I answered here. Aka Qt6 doesn't have a recommendation for Fusion+hidpi anymore.

ok, but Qt still prefer it (fusion style) in Qt 6 for Windows 11 (although....since then they now also have introduces a windows11 style) #19051 (comment)

Sure. They recommend it for dark mode, regardless of hidpi.

[xavier2k6]

Qt 6 is Per-Monitor DPI Aware V2

https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/highdpi.html

Qt 5 was not.

[sledgehammer999]

Qt 6 is Per-Monitor DPI Aware V2

https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/highdpi.html

Qt 5 was not.

We have officially dropped qt5 support.

[sledgehammer999]

Of relevance to this issue:

It seems that 6.8 introduces a setter for the colorscheme to hint to the system the color mode an application wants. The system may not respect that. And it isn't clear from the docs if Windows will follow it. Link: https://doc-snapshots.qt.io/qt6-6.8/qstylehints.html#colorScheme-prop

[xavier2k6]

Qt are always changing what they are doing/don't fully document changed behaviour etc...

look at what was happening to qBittorrent in earlier Qt 6.5 dark "app" mode support with accent color & I believe, it's changed again now.......talking about Windows here.

[vivadavid]

Thanks, @xavier2k6 : editing the config file worked for me. If light mode can be forced this way, is there a chance the feature can be accessed via the settings of the programme in a future release?

[xavier2k6]

is there a chance the feature can be accessed via the settings of the programme in a future release?

I'm not sure the config file can be edited during runtime but no doubt there'll be another solution provided in near future.

[vivadavid]

is there a chance the feature can be accessed via the settings of the programme in a future release?

I'm not sure the config file can be edited during runtime but no doubt there'll be another solution provided in near future.

I keep my fingers crossed! :-)

[SkiFire13]

Launch qbittorrent.exe like this: <path-to-qbt>/qbittorrent.exe -style WindowsVista

Is there a way to set this on autostart (hopefully in a way that's persistent after upgrades) and that doesn't require to set a global environment variable (i.e. QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE) that affects all Qt programs?

[masterrite]

I'm aghast at how arrogant the reply for this request is. Users have the right to choose which mode to use without going through hoops/changing system settings/requesting new "features" to switch.

[qBittUser]

@masterrite

This project is supported by volunteers, do not expect "customer support"-style interaction.

Be patient. The development team is small and resource limited. Developers and contributors take from their free time to analyze the problem and fix the issue.

Harsh words or threats won't help your situation. Your complaint will (very likely) be ignored.

Copied it from here: https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md#bug-reporting-etiquette

Users have the right to choose which mode to use...

Users have the right to reinstall old version and postpone updating if they are happy with whatever they previously had installed, yet many still request getting automatic updates.

...without going through hoops/changing system settings/requesting new "features" to switch.

Contributors aren't mind readers. Volunteers and team members have the right to choose how to spend their free time and in what order they try to get bugfixes, extra features and options added.

Many users constantly requested dark mode to GUI and webUI.

Users had plenty of time to help test unstable v5.0.0 builds, to request more options and to give feedback or share a very good reason to postpone next release, yet complaints before where more about when exactly will v5 stable with dark mode be released.

So have to be patient and hope someone figures out how to add more built-in options, if that's what you want.

[zwei7]

This thread exists because whoever implemented dark mode does not know how to do it well and assumed turning white into black was all they needed to do. It is more nuanced than that in UX design.

I got a 49" TV/monitor (Sony XBR49X900F) that has 100% sRGB color space and a SDR brightness of 577-962 nits so it is pretty capable and enlarges the text to be quite large and readable. and I sit 2 feet away from it. I find dark mode very hard to use. However many people have laptops with 72-75% sRGB color spaces with only 300 nits brightness and on a 13" screen. They must be suffering. Whoever chose the the text colors in the torrent list did not make any, or too few, adjustments for a good dark mode.

If you want to build a dark mode app you generally make the dark areas really dark, not grey, and the text pretty damn bright. Think High contrast. Then you got to make the text slightly thicker typeface/font and ensure the text colors do not "vibrate" with the dark background. There are websites to find clashing vibrating colors where they are too similar in hue and brightness and melt into each other. The green, blue, and purple text of the torrent list is too dark and blends in with the dark background. As a person who took a typography course from Lynda.com this is what I learned. I don't know everything, but I know that.

One reason everyone wants light/dark mode switching is because the text contrast is too low in dark mode.

Thank you for volunteering to make qbittorrent great for free.

[grimson73]

Just chiming in but I really wanted to try or get used to the 'new' interface but went defeated for ' -style WindowsVista' after searching for in application options. Of course very thankful for the development of this program and i do feel no entitlement at all but I hope there will be a 'better' or native choice of several interfaces. Thanks! :)

[vivadavid]

Just chiming in but I really wanted to try or get used to the 'new' interface but went defeated for ' -style WindowsVista' after searching for in application options. Of course very thankful for the development of this program and i do feel no entitlement at all but I hope there will be a 'better' or native choice of several interfaces. Thanks! :)

Hi, could you please explain where and how to add the parameter?

[grimson73]

Just chiming in but I really wanted to try or get used to the 'new' interface but went defeated for ' -style WindowsVista' after searching for in application options. Of course very thankful for the development of this program and i do feel no entitlement at all but I hope there will be a 'better' or native choice of several interfaces. Thanks! :)

Hi, could you please explain where and how to add the parameter?

You can change the properties of the shortcut to qBittorrent. Add the line next to the executable. Shutdown qBittorrent and start again with this shortcut.