Themes & Appearance
Customize CodeMantis with 6 built-in themes.
Built-in Themes
CodeMantis ships with six carefully designed themes — three dark and three light — so you can work in the visual environment that suits you best.
Dark Themes
- Midnight — A deep, true-dark theme with high contrast. Ideal for late-night coding sessions and OLED displays where pure blacks save energy and reduce eye strain.
- Ocean — A cool, blue-tinted dark theme. The subtle blue undertones provide a calm visual feel while maintaining strong readability for code and conversation text.
- Ember — A warm, amber-accented dark theme. The warm tones reduce the harshness of a fully neutral dark background and give the interface a distinctive, focused aesthetic.
Light Themes
- Dawn — A soft, warm-white theme with gentle contrast. Comfortable for extended daytime use without the starkness of a pure white background.
- Sand — The default theme. A neutral, warm-toned light theme that strikes a balance between approachability and professionalism. Sand was chosen as the default to give new users a welcoming first impression that feels polished without being distracting.
- Arctic — A clean, cool-white theme with crisp contrast. Best suited for well-lit environments where maximum clarity is preferred.
How to Switch Themes
- Open Settings by pressing Command + , or by clicking the gear icon.
- Navigate to the Appearance tab.
- Select your preferred theme from the list. The change applies immediately — no restart required.
Choosing the Right Theme
The best theme depends on your environment and personal preference:
| Condition | Recommended Theme |
|---|---|
| Working at night or in a dark room | Midnight or Ocean |
| Warm, low-light environment | Ember or Dawn |
| Bright office or daylight | Arctic or Sand |
| First time using CodeMantis | Sand (default) |
Each theme applies consistently across the entire interface — the chat panel, file explorer, terminal, settings, and all other components share the same color palette. This ensures a cohesive visual experience regardless of which theme you choose.
A Note on the Default
Sand is the default theme because it provides a neutral, inviting starting point. Many developer tools default to dark themes, but CodeMantis chose a warm light theme to feel approachable from the very first launch. You can switch to any other theme at any time — there is no functional difference between them.