How to change Color Scheme for a Profile in Windows Terminal

Windows Terminal provides a built-in feature to change the appearance of a profile (Command Prompt, PowerShell profile, etc.) using different options. For example, there are options available to change font size and font weight for a profile, change background image, turn on retro terminal effects, and more. The option to change the color scheme for a profile is also available in Windows Terminal. So, if you want to use Windows Terminal with a different color scheme for a profile on a Windows 11/10 computer, then this post is helpful.

There are a total of 9 color schemes to choose from that include One Half Dark, Solarized Dark, Campbell, Tango Dark, Vintage, Campbell Powershell, Tango Light, Solarized Light, and One Half Light. You can select the same or different color scheme for Windows Terminal profiles. Apart from that, you can also create and set a custom color scheme for a profile. This post has covered all these options separately with step-by-step instructions.

How to change Color Scheme for a Profile in Windows Terminal

There are two ways to change the color scheme for a Windows Terminal profile on a Windows 11/10 computer:

Using Windows Terminal Settings
Using Command Palette.

1] Using Windows Terminal Settings

Follow these steps:

Type windows terminal in Windows Search box
Press the Enter key to open Windows Terminal
Click on the drop-down icon
Click on the Settings option
In the Settings tab, select a profile (available under the Profiles section) from the left side
On the right-hand part, access the Appearance section. It is available under Additional settings for that profile
Open the drop-down menu available for the Color scheme
Select a color scheme
Press the Save button.

Now, whenever you open that particular profile, the selected color scheme will be visible there. Repeat the steps above to change the color scheme for another profile in Windows Terminal.

2] Using Command Palette

The Command Palette feature in Windows Terminal also helps you change the color scheme for a profile. However, the change will remain temporary. As soon as you close the tab or Windows Terminal, the color scheme will be gone. This is useful when you want a different color scheme for a while while working in a Windows Terminal profile. Here are the steps:

Launch Windows Terminal application
Open a profile
Open Command Palette using Ctrl+Shift+P hotkey
Type color scheme in the text box of Command Palette
Press the Enter key
All available color schemes will now appear in the Command Palette panel. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to preview a color scheme
Press the Enter key to apply the selected color scheme for that profile.

Create and set a Custom Color Scheme for a Windows Terminal Profile

You can create a color scheme with the custom foreground color, background, cursor color, and selection background color. After that, you can set that color scheme for any profile you want. The steps are as follows:

Open Windows Terminal application
Use Ctrl+, hotkey to open Settings
Access the Color schemes section from the left side
Click on the Add new button available in the top right section. This will add a new color scheme with a default name. You can rename that color scheme using the available option
There is a separate color bar available for Foreground, Cursor color, Background, and Selection background. Click a color bar to open the color palette. Use it to select your preferred color. Do this for all the available options to create a color scheme
Press the Save button
Select a profile from the Profiles section present in Windows Terminal settings
Access the Appearance section for the selected profile
Open the drop-down menu for the Color scheme option
Select the color scheme created by you
Hit the Save button.

Apply a Color Scheme to all Profiles in Windows Terminal

This option lets you set a specific color scheme (pre-added or custom) for all profiles you create in Windows Terminal. As mentioned above, you can also change the color scheme for a profile at any time. Also, if you have already applied a different color scheme to a profile, it won’t apply to that profile.

For applying a color scheme to all profiles, use these steps:

Launch Windows Terminal
Press Ctrl+, hotkey to open Windows Terminal Settings
Access the Defaults section from the left side
Click on the Appearance option available for that section
Under the Text section, open the drop-down menu available for the Color scheme option
Select a color scheme
Click on the Save button.

Hope this is helpful.

Do read: How to set a Custom Theme in Windows Terminal

How do I change the default color in Terminal?

You can easily change the default color scheme in Windows Terminal using its Settings. Access the Color schemes section present in the Settings and select any of the available color schemes. You can also create a custom color scheme with a custom name and apply it to Windows Terminal or a specific profile.

How do I change the default profile in Windows Terminal?

If you want to change the default profile in Windows Terminal, then you can do that by accessing Settings of Windows Terminal. Access the Startup section present in its Settings and then use the drop-down menu for the Default profile option to select a profile. Finally, click Save to change the default profile.