Skip to content
Cressida

Appearance

Open settings from the account area at the bottom of the sidebar.

Color mode

In Appearance, choose Dark, Light or System. System follows your desktop's color preference through the XDG Settings portal. If the desktop does not provide a preference, Cressida uses dark mode.

The color mode and theme palette are separate choices. Choosing a new palette does not require you to change from light to dark, or from System to a fixed mode.

Theme palettes

Open Cressida > Themes to browse palettes and preview their light and dark variants. Bundled choices include:

  • Cressida.
  • Catppuccin Mocha / Latte.
  • Rosé Pine / Dawn.
  • Gruvbox dark / light.

You can also create a custom theme with a TOML file.

Corners and text

Corner radius controls the roundness of panels and controls. The default is 100%; 0% gives square corners and 200% increases rounding. Circular avatars and presence dots stay circular.

Use the available message text and spacing settings to adjust reading comfort. Compact mode changes the conversation's presentation. Appearance settings are saved per account.

Motion

Use the reduced motion setting to make supported transitions settle immediately, including server folder opening and closing. Other animation controls are available in settings where supported.

When System mode does not follow the desktop

Check that your desktop portal and its Settings backend are running. A fixed Light or Dark choice always takes precedence over the desktop hint. See Troubleshooting.