How to Change the Windows 11 Command Prompt Text Color to Green

By default, the Windows 11 Command Prompt is incredibly boring: stark white text plastered against an absolute black background. While this is highly functional and easy to read, it lacks the iconic “hacker” aesthetic popularized by 1990s movies like The Matrix.

If you spend a lot of time typing commands, you can easily customize the appearance of the terminal, changing the text color to neon green to make your workspace feel significantly more interesting.

How to Change the Text Color in the Windows Terminal

In Windows 11, the old Command Prompt is now hosted inside a modern wrapper called the “Windows Terminal,” which features a robust, tab-based settings menu.

1. Click the Windows Start menu.
2. Type cmd into the search bar and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
3. Look at the very top of the window, on the title bar containing your active tabs. Click the small downward-pointing arrow (the drop-down menu) located to the right of your open tab.
4. Select Settings from the drop-down menu. (This will open a new tab containing the configuration dashboard).
5. In the left-hand navigation pane, under the “Profiles” section, click on Command Prompt.
6. Scroll down the main right-hand menu and click on Appearance.

Selecting the Matrix Theme

You are now in the primary appearance configuration menu.

7. Look for the section labeled Color scheme.
8. Click the drop-down menu (which is likely set to “Campbell” or “Windows Console”).
9. Select Vintage from the list. (Alternatively, you can select “Retro” if you prefer an older, CRT-style green).
10. Click the blue Save button in the bottom-right corner of the window.

Close the Settings tab and return to your active Command Prompt tab. The text will instantly change to a bright, retro neon green.

Because you changed this setting inside the specific “Command Prompt” profile, this change is permanent. Every time you open the Command Prompt in the future, it will remember your preference and boot up in green, but other command-line tools like PowerShell will retain their own independent color schemes.