microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys

Disable the Acrylic effect for the Command Palette shortcut bar in Energy Saver mode

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Needs-Triage Product-Command Palette
Dominant language
C
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139k
Forks
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PR merge metrics
PR metrics pending

Description

### Description of the new feature / enhancement

It would be great if the Command Palette shortcut bar could automatically disable the Acrylic backdrop effect when Windows Energy Saver mode is enabled, matching the behavior of the Windows taskbar.
This would provide a more consistent experience with the rest of Windows while respecting the system's power-saving behavior. It may also help reduce unnecessary GPU rendering when Energy Saver is active.
When Energy Saver is turned off, the Acrylic effect could be restored automatically.

### Scenario when this would be used?

This would be useful when using a laptop on battery power with Windows Energy Saver mode enabled.
In this scenario, users may expect applications to reduce visual effects consistently across the system, just like the Windows taskbar does. Disabling the Acrylic effect in the Command Palette shortcut bar would help maintain a consistent experience and avoid unnecessary GPU usage during power-saving situations.

### Supporting information

The screenshots below show the difference between Energy Saver being disabled and enabled.
Currently, the Windows taskbar disables the Acrylic effect in Energy Saver mode, while the Command Palette shortcut bar continues to use Acrylic.

Energy saver mode off
Image
Energy saver mode on
Image

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Locate the Command Palette shortcut bar's Acrylic handling and the existing Windows Energy Saver or taskbar behavior; the issue provides no file or test path. Verify that the bar disables Acrylic while Energy Saver is enabled and restores it when disabled, matching the screenshots.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
c
Domain
design, desktop, operating-systems
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
52/100

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