VMware Host Client theme settings revert to Light (default)

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

When using the VMware Host Client, you experience the following symptoms:

• A user changes the theme to "Dark" via [User@Hostname] > [Settings] > [Theme] in the top right corner, and the change is applied successfully.
• Subsequently, the browser cache is cleared, cookies are deleted, or the browser window is closed while using Incognito (or InPrivate) mode.
• Upon the next access to the VMware Host Client, the previously configured "Dark" theme is lost and reverts to the default "Light" theme.
• Theme settings are not synchronized when logging in with the same user (e.g., root) from different PCs or web browsers.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0

Cause

This behavior is by design of the VMware Host Client.

User interface settings for the VMware Host Client (such as themes and console defaults) are not stored in the ESXi host-side configuration files.

Instead, these settings are stored in the Local Storage of the web browser accessing the host.
Consequently, if the browser cache is cleared, the settings will revert to their default values.

Resolution

To maintain the theme settings, ensure the following configurations on the web browser:

• Configure the browser to allow the storage of Cookies and site data (Local Storage) for the ESXi host URL.
• If the setting "Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows" is enabled, add the ESXi host to the exception (allow) list.
• Avoid using Incognito mode (Chrome) or InPrivate browsing (Edge).
  These modes discard Local Storage upon session termination, preventing settings from persisting.