Customize Ubuntu Desktop Themes Easily

This post describes how to change the desktop themes and style in Ubuntu Linux.

A desktop theme is a collection of fonts and colors, styles of icons, shapes, and colors of the borders of each window, all packaged together to create a complete experience.

Unlike previous versions, the current version of Ubuntu Linux doesn’t come with packaged desktop themes that one can use to change the look of their computer. But then, there were themes for different seasons, styles, and designs from the most creative people.

Ubuntu Linux, however, comes with styles that one can use to change the color or a light or dark theme.

There’s also a high contrast theme for the visually impaired under accessibility that one can use if they can’t see color.

Below is how to change desktop themes and styles in Ubuntu Linux.

How to switch themes in Ubuntu Linux

As mentioned above, a desktop theme is a collection of a set of fonts and colors, styles of icons, shapes, and colors of the borders of each window, all packaged together to create a complete experience.

But Ubuntu Linux doesn’t have a packaged theme by default. So you may be able to change individual settings to get the same results.

Below is how to change the theme and style in Ubuntu Linux.

Ubuntu Linux has a centralized location for the majority of its settings. From system configurations to creating new users and updating, all can be done from the System Settings panel.

Alternatively, click on the System menu at the top-right corner of the top bar on your desktop.

On the System menu, select Settings, as highlighted below.

Click on the Appearance tile to open the panel in the Settings app.

On the System -> Appearance settings pane, choose a different color that you want to associate with objects.

When you select a color, the color will apply to objects and styles immediately.

The mouse cursor and background are not changed when you change the style color.

For additional desktop changes, including mouse cursor color, window, and others, you may want to use GNOME Tweaks.

To do that, use the steps below:

Press the CTRL + ALT + T on your keyboard to open the terminal console. Then run the commands below to install Gnome Tweaks.

sudo apt install gnome-tweaks

After installing the app, go to the Activities overview and search for Tweaks.

In the app, under Appearance, you can choose changes you want users to change to your desktop look and feel.

You may also download GTK3/4 Themes from the link below and use them to change your desktop look.

Once downloaded, extract the themes, and copy the theme’s folder to the path below:

/usr/share/themes

You can open nautilus as an administrator to copy the theme to that location.

Then use GNOME Tweaks to change the theme once the folders have been copied.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Personalizing your desktop theme and style in Ubuntu Linux allows you to create a unique computing experience tailored to your preferences.
• Although Ubuntu Linux doesn’t offer packaged desktop themes by default, you can easily customize colors and styles through the System Settings panel.
• In addition to changing the color and style, GNOME Tweaks provides further options for modifying your desktop’s appearance, including cursor color and window styles.
• Downloading GTK3/4 Themes from external sources and integrating them with your system allows for even more diverse customization possibilities.
• By following these steps, you can transform the look and feel of your Ubuntu Linux desktop to suit your taste and needs.