---
title: Appearance
description: Pick a theme and light, dark or system mode, cycle them with ⌘⌥T and ⌘⌥L, zoom the whole app with ⌘= ⌘- ⌘0, and choose where the side panel opens.
sidebar:
  order: 4
---

Appearance sets how Carbon looks: its colours, light or dark, the main font, how large everything is drawn, and where the side panel sits.

## Where it is

Settings → Appearance. Open Settings with the gear in the sidebar or `⌘,`.

{/* screenshot: the Appearance tab with the theme swatches and the Mode control */}

## Theme

Pick a palette from the swatches under **Theme**:

| Theme | Light and dark |
|---|---|
| Carbon | Both. The default. |
| Catppuccin | Both |
| Cobalt2 | Dark only |
| One Dark Pro | Dark only |
| Gruvbox | Both |

Press `⌘⌥T` from anywhere to cycle to the next theme. The swatches also take the arrow keys.

## Light, dark or system

**Mode** has three choices:

- **System** follows macOS, and keeps following it when macOS switches.
- **Light** and **Dark** stay put.

Press `⌘⌥L` from anywhere to flip between light and dark.

On a dark-only theme the Mode control is replaced by "This theme is dark only." Your choice is kept, and comes back when you switch to a theme that has a light palette.

Carbon's mode also sets the window chrome around it — the traffic lights, menus and system dialogs follow it.

## Code colours

Code in the chat, diffs and the Files view follows the app theme. There is no separate code theme to pick.

## Main font

On macOS, **Main font** lists the font families installed on the Mac running the desktop app. Search by name and pick a font to change interface and chat text. Each name previews its font. Code blocks, diffs and terminal text keep Geist Mono.

Carbon remembers the choice between launches. Choose **Carbon default (Geist)** to reset it. If the font is removed, Carbon uses Geist and shows an explanation in Settings. The saved choice returns if the font is installed again.

## Zoom

Zoom makes text and everything else larger or smaller, across the whole app.

| Shortcut | Does |
|---|---|
| `⌘=` | Zoom in |
| `⌘-` | Zoom out |
| `⌘0` | Back to actual size |

Zoom steps run from 50% to 300%. Carbon remembers the level between launches.

## Side panel

- **Auto-hide side panel outside Chat** hides the right panel while you are on another view, such as Browser or Files, and brings it back when you return to Chat.
- **Panel side** opens the Changes and PR panel on the **Left** or the **Right** of the chat. `⌘⌥E` switches sides.

## Window transparency

In a window, the desktop shows faintly through on every theme except Carbon in dark mode. In fullscreen the window is solid. This follows the theme and has no switch.

## Limits

- Themes and code colours cannot be customised beyond the five palettes.
- Every shortcut on this page can be changed in Settings → Shortcuts.