Add option for a monochrome tray icon to better fit in with other tray icons

[aaronraimist]

What would you like to do?

Provide a dark / monochrome system tray icon for desktop environments with dark themes.

Why would you like to do it?

Dark tray icons would make Element look more professional and provide a consistent UI experience.

How would you like to achieve it?

• A new user setting to select a system tray icon theme on desktop.
• A new monochrome system tray icon theme is added.

[adrianiainlam]

Hi, I'm the one who mentioned this in the chat room. Thanks for creating this feature request here.

I'd just like to add a screenshot for context:

[lapineige]

Little 🆙 here, with the transition to Element and its new logo, it's even more visible than before and very eye-catching, which is very disturbing in a desktop environment with monochrome icons.

[fahrradflucht]

just fyi for people voting this up: only voting the topmost comment will influence the vote ranking in the issue overview (even though its empty 😅).

[holocronweaver]

Since this issue has no description, I filled out the template. ( @aaronraimist - feel free to copy/modify to your original post since it seems this issue has become the tracker for this request. )

Please upvote the topmost comment (not this one) to make this feature request visible to devs.

What would you like to do?

Provide a dark / monochrome system tray icon for desktop environments with dark themes.

Why would you like to do it?

Dark tray icons would make Element look more professional and provide a consistent UI experience.

How would you like to achieve it?

• A new user setting to select a system tray icon theme on desktop.
• A new monochrome system tray icon theme is added.
• Monochrome system tray icon theme is defaulted to when selecting a dark Element UI theme.

Optional stretch feature which would tie Element desktop theming together: default to dark themes (UI and icon) if desktop environment is using a dark theme.

Please upvote the topmost comment (not this one) to make this feature request visible to devs.

[aaronraimist]

@holocronweaver thanks

Monochrome system tray icon theme is defaulted to when selecting a dark Element UI theme.

I'm not sure if I agree with that so I've taken that out but feel free to leave it in your comment.

Optional stretch feature which would tie Element desktop theming together: default to dark themes (UI and icon) if desktop environment is using a dark theme.

That's already a feature. If it doesn't work for you I would suggest you comment on #690 and/or #881.

[holocronweaver]

Monochrome system tray icon theme is defaulted to when selecting a dark Element UI theme.

Maybe I should rephrase as, "Monochrome system tray icon theme is defaulted to when desktop environment uses a dark theme." At least on Ubuntu and MacOS most apps I use have monochrome icons when desktop is set to a dark theme. It would make Element stand out like a sore thumb if it used colored icons by default on dark Ubuntu/MacOS themes. Not sure about Windows.

[fahrradflucht]

I would say on macOS its not actually dependent on the theme. All well behaved tray icons are monochrome. See [Apples HIG on the topic](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/components/system-experiences/the-menu-bar#menu-bar-extras).

[tonytonyistony]

I was messing around with this in KDE Plasma Breeze-Dark theme, trying to get the icon to change. I had no success, but I made an icon. Thought I would share if the project wanted to add it.

Its 22x22 in SVG format.

[fl4co]

I was messing around with this in KDE Plasma Breeze-Dark theme, trying to get the icon to change. I had no success, but I made an icon. Thought I would share if the project wanted to add it.

Its 22x22 in SVG format.

I was considering opening an issue for the same problem, current icon really looks out of place:

I hope your icon makes it into Element.