Sick and bored of default Windows 8 themes? we are here to showcase some super cool third-party Windows 8 themes to transform your Desktop. Windows always offer tons of customization options. In Windows 8 like previous versions, you can change icons, apply wallpapers & themes, gadgets and widgets and much more.
Why third-party Windows 8 theme?
When it comes to Windows 8 Microsoft has changed so many appearance tweaks and color options. But most of the users are not happy with the Windows 8 default appearance.
If you are one of those and looking for a best Windows 8 theme for your desktop, here we selected 20 best third-party Windows 8 themes.
Windows 8 Theme Installation Procedure
Before getting started, first you need to know how to install and apply themes. Unlike Windows 7 easy theme installation, Windows 8 has different theme installation procedure. You need to modify system files in order to install a third-party Windows 8 theme. You can modify these system files easily with UltraUXThemePatcher. It is one of the best theme patchers with features like non-problematic installation, backup feature, fast easy and free.
UltraUXThemePatcher is a very lightweight program, it sizes only 156kb. Installation takes less than a minute time. After the successful installation, the program asks for a system reboot. After reboot, your system files will successfully modify and ready to accept a third-party Windows 8 theme files.
Best Windows 8 Themes List To Transform Your Desktop
1. Base for Windows 8 and 8.1
This is an awesome theme which is made by linkk6155, with this theme your Windows 8 gets an overhaul where your appearance can get totally different. The base theme comes with Windows 8.1 compatibility along with Windows 8, after applying the theme you can easily notice the window frames and taskbars to become black. There is a large selection of wallpapers available in the theme which you can apply as per your selection. The theme is around 51.5 MB in size and is available for free.
2. Elune by neiio
This theme is made by neiio, and it comes with a host of changes on the traditional windows look. This theme comes with the same color of the theme which used to come with Windows XP as Olive. The theme stylizes the process bar and many other sections of Windows which also includes certain icons, but do note that you are not going to find many changes apart from the huge selection of wallpapers which are accompanied with the theme and the different way of certain icons, certain process bars. Even the mouse pointers on this theme remain more or less the same.
3. Gray8 New Red
This theme provides a dark theme to the Windows 8, wherein we do get a number of different features. This application has an overall red theme which is further complemented by Red accents at many places. The theme gets the CPU, and RAM utilization pointer on the taskbar and the temperature indicator at the side of these two. This theme also has an assorted collection of wallpapers which further complements the whole black and red combination. The theme also comes with its own selection of icons and even there are a few icons missing which makes the windows to display a blank icon.
4. Win 8 Thrives
This theme is also made by Neiio, the makers of Elune. Just like Elune this theme is also supported by both Windows 8 & Windows 10. The theme supports a number of different icons inside it and comes with an elegant theme. The basic color scheme of the windows is changed to grey, white, and black which is a nice combination in order to soothe your eyes. The theme does get some of the interesting wallpapers which have the best of quotes written which changes at a duration of 1 day which means at least for 20 – 25 days you are having a new quote daily.
5. Mild 8
Another theme which gives an elegant look to your computer. The theme makes your PC a soft and cute looking PC where the theme will work to make changes to your icons, some of the menus where they will look totally different. As always with every theme, it is not possible to change the whole look, but on most of the common places such as the Windows Explorer, Start Menu, and the Right Click menu is changed which gives your PC a complete overhaul. Do note that this theme will change some of the icons hence at the start you might have to search for different icons as you might get confused.
6. Vanilla
If you are looking to give your PC an overhaul then this is going to be the best choice for you. This theme is inspired by MacOS and most of the icons comes just like a copy of the Mac OS theme. All the different menus, taskbar, and the status bar are changed, most of the menus in the theme are changed. With a different look with its assorted set of wallpapers, the theme makes out the most for you. Even the dock at the bottom is replicating the Mac OS and hence you will surely be getting the feel of using a Mac, do note that this will not give you the stability of Mac. Also, the whole theme is set upon a white base.
7. Snowy
The theme gives us a feel of the old Windows 7 by the aero style of theme. There are a lot of transparent features in the theme. The Windows Start Menu I have given a whole new look especially for the Windows 8 & 8.1 but is not new for the Windows history. The icons are not much changed, and same goes for the wallpapers, hence here you are not getting any assorted wallpapers list. Also, do note that the processing bar color is changed to yellow hence whenever you are copying don’t get confused that the process is paused.
8. Work
Again a theme from neiio, this theme will make you have a better workflow and will eventually increase your productivity. The theme gives your PC an overhaul with White, Dark Grey and Grey theme. The start menu is tweaked, and there comes a number of different tweaks to the close, minimize and other buttons. Icons on Windows are more or less the same, with minimal customizations towards the icons. The theme also helps you to make your overall work area look bigger. Hence your old small screen will become bigger by using this theme. There is a simple selection of wallpapers.
9. Minmal
As the name suggests you are getting the same from the Theme. There was a version prior to this release, and hence commonly this theme is known as Minimal 2.0. We get an overall white look to the whole PC, even the start menu, windows explorer, and other components get a white overhaul. The menus and other components are shrunk a bit, with a new set of icons which are exclusive to the theme. Even the wallpapers embedded in the theme gives the PC an overall great look.
10. WhiteDior
Another theme which is going to mimic the white and black contrast. Here we get a new set of icons which is again unique for the theme, there is also a number of different icons and settings for the taskbar which gives the taskbar a unique and eye-catching look. Even the different wallpapers we get with the theme are based upon the white color scheme, this makes most of the components of the Theme stand out. Each and every browser open in the windows comes with a black border on the bottom which gives the PC an overall plush look.
11. 8Look
This theme comes from Carborunda who is the best of the theme designer for Windows 8 themes. The theme supports Uxstyle Core and UltraUXThemePatcher, this makes it the widely supported theme. There are a different f aero style visuals on Windows 8. The caption buttons on the window are quite good, there is even a new scrollbar and a new navigation button set. The theme is made with PE Explorer & Gimp 2.8. Another great feature of the theme is the icons which we get with the theme, all the icons are customized a bit at least.
12. White Update
Most of the themes included here come with a white accent, and the same goes with this theme. Here we have White and Blue ascents which make the theme appear bright and standouts. The taskbar comes with an overall white background and the icons are showcased with a blue layout. The icons in the theme are customized and mostly all the icons have their own set of a theme. Mostly the icons are embedded in blue with white space to display the icon. Most of the menus in the theme are the same as it is, hence there are many elements which still contains the original windows feel, even after applying the theme.
13. Metro Luna
It is a mixture of two different themes which are Metro and Luna, both the themes are created by Giro54 who is a renowned custom theme makers. This theme embeds the old Windows XP elements and with a Windows 7 garnish on the top with Metro. The color scheme of the theme is the same old Blue and Green theme with the wallpaper mimicking the old Windows XP patented wallpaper. Most of the icons on Windows 8 are shifted back to Windows 7 or Windows XP, although at places you will find some icons out of place due to obvious issues. Do note that the theme will have a few issues with the modern software is working to use this theme only if you are using the PC for normal media task.
14. Nite Smooth
With this theme, you are again going to get a Black and White ascent combination. With the theme are some of the wallpapers which are carried on Windows 8 & even Windows 10. The overall look of each and every explorer is changed and you can find many different types of menus and process bars which were not present in the original Windows 8. The Start Menu on the theme looks out of place and is something which is not merging well with the theme. Also, note that there are many missing icons and you will have to custom place the icons from the standard Windows setup.
15. Exon
The theme is the best customization available for Windows, you are going to have a Linux type of experience with this theme, and here you will get the same combination of features as you got with Linux at least in terms of visual things. There are a few different types of taskbars which are available with the theme and hence you can really customize the inside of the theme as well, which is not available with other themes. This particular theme is made by Nadir1 who have been the best custom theme maker in the recent past, also do note that many icons on this theme might not load and you have to custom select the icons.
16. Soft Glass 8
As the name suggests you are going to make most of the icons, the wallpaper, the windows explorer made up of soft translucent glass. There are a set of assorted wallpapers which mimics the feel of glass especially on the taskbar and the status bar, and the menu bar. There is a color theme which you can set to blue, red, yellow, green, or any other color. The theme mimics most of the icons and menus with the Windows 7 set of icons and menus which makes you feel that you are using an older version of windows. Many icons are unchanged and hence this theme is not for you if you are done with the Windows 8 icons and looking for something unique.
17. Ambient
If you are a Windows XP fan then this is another theme for you after the Metro Luna. Unlike Metro Luna which combines some factors with Windows 7, the ambient theme takes all the features of Windows XP and uses the Windows 8 charm to make it look up to date. The taskbar has the Windows XP theme but in a Windows 8 style. The start menu looks ditto like the one we saw on the Windows XP and hence it makes it look classic. Even the Explorer have the same Windows XP theme of Green and Blue but the icons here comes with the Windows 8 charm.
18. Gnomnit VS
This theme will enable you to have a large verity of customizations on your PC. The minimize, maximize, and close buttons on the theme look quite great and we have a good amount of customization on the Media Player, the Media Player on this theme looks quite great. Even the My Computer is customized to a whole different level. The theme comes with 4 different substyles to customize your computer, and also have an assorted list of Wallpapers. The icons on the theme come straight from Windows 10 which again gives the system a classy yet meaningful look.
19. Gray8
As the name suggests you are going to get a whole grey setup on your PC, from the wallpaper to the background of explorer you are having all the things in grey, with a couple of places where the White partition are left, rest all the places have the Black and Grey combination. The taskbar looks great in the theme if the icons found on the PC can even be converted to grey and black combo then the theme would have given the PC a great look. Still, the PC looks quite awesome and you can use the theme without any issue. The start menu is given an overhaul and even the system icons are converted to grey
20. Abisso 2014 (dark theme Windows 8 and 8.1)
If you were waiting for something which will give your PC a dark feel, then this theme is for you, as this is the only theme with a dark background. The theme comes with an assorted set of wallpapers which are going to give your PC a nice and elegant look. But the theme has quite overdone on the black theme as even the blue used on most of the places are dark blue, and the white is not pitched white but a shade of grey, hence you are surely going to look at a dominant grey theme. Most of the icons are unchanged and you are going to have the same icons as you would find before installing the theme.
These are the best 20 themes for Windows 8. If you have any suggestions and feedback please comment in the below comment box.