CLion 2023.3 Help

User interface themes

The interface theme defines the appearance of windows, dialogs, buttons, and all visual elements of the user interface. By default, CLion uses the Darcula theme, unless you changed it during the first run.

Change the UI theme

  1. In the Settings dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S) , select Appearance & Behavior | Appearance.

  2. Select the UI theme from the Theme list:

    • IntelliJ Light: Traditional light theme for IntelliJ-based IDEs

    • macOS Light or Windows 10 Light: OS-specific light theme available as a bundled plugin

    • Darcula: Default dark theme

    • High contrast: Theme designed for users with color vision deficiency

Settings | Appearance & Behavior | Appearance

Select Sync with OS to let CLion detect the current system settings and use the default dark or light theme accordingly. If your OS is set up to auto-switch between day and night modes, the IDE will automatically toggle between light and dark themes too.

It is also possible to create your own UI themes for CLion and customize the built-in themes. For more information, refer to IntelliJ Platform SDK Documentation.

Productivity tips

Use the quick switcher

  1. Press Ctrl+` or select View | Quick Switch Scheme from the main menu.

  2. In the Switch popup, select Theme, and then select the desired interface theme.

Create shortcuts

Last modified: 15 March 2024