In their journey towards a significant software redesign for Windows 11, Microsoft announced a revamp of the beloved MS Paint application, including the highly anticipated addition of dark mode support. However, upon the release of Windows 11 in October 2021, the updated version of the app lacked this feature. Thankfully, Windows Insiders in the Dev and Canary channels can now celebrate as they finally have the chance to test the new, darker version of the Paint app.

Microsoft recently shared the exciting news on the Windows Insider blog, detailing not only the inclusion of dark mode but also several noteworthy enhancements. These include more precise zoom settings, a convenient zoom slider, a revamped Settings page, new keyboard shortcuts, and various improvements for enhanced accessibility and usability throughout the app’s dialogs.

While features introduced in the Windows Insider channels may not always make their way to the regular Windows 11 builds, app updates like the one for Paint typically become available to everyone within a few weeks or months.

Dark mode for Paint is just one of several features Microsoft is currently experimenting with, as announced at their Build developer conference. These features include Bluetooth Low-Energy Audio support, improved compatibility with compressed archive files, the introduction of the developer-oriented app “Dev Home,” and the gradual rollout of the Copilot feature powered by ChatGPT throughout the summer. Moreover, the taskbar will regain a highly requested functionality from previous Windows versions with the inclusion of a “never-combine” option.