# Appearance

[Agent HUD Docs](https://agenthud.app/docs/en/)

Set each display's look: light or dark, transparency, sizes, the glow, what the panel shows, and the menu bar icon.

Updated 2026-10-28

**Settings → Display** sets how the HUD looks. Most settings belong to one display: with more than one, pick it in the **Display** menu at the top. Changes apply at once.

## Look

![Settings → Display for one display: HUD, HUD appearance, Transparency, Layout density, Position, HUD style and Panel layout](https://agenthud.app/docs/images/settings/display-screens.webp)

| Setting | Choices | Default |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **HUD appearance** | **Dark**, **Light** or **Match system** | Dark |
| **Transparency** | 0–100% | 0% |
| **Layout density** | Spacing in the open panel: **Comfortable**, **Normal** or **Compact** | Normal |

In Notch mode at a hardware notch, the notch's row stays black; the panel and cards that open from it take the look you choose.

The windows of the app, Settings and Statistics, follow **Settings → General → Appearance** instead: **System**, **Light** or **Dark**. **Match screen** there, marked experimental, makes a window take the look of its display's HUD. **Language** on the same page switches the app between English and Chinese, or follows the system.

## Size

In Dynamic mode:

| Setting | Range | Default |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Logo size** | 20–60 pt | 20 pt |
| **Logo edge distance** | 0–20 pt | 2 pt |
| **Logo spacing** | 0.1–0.6 of the logo size, shown in points | 0.4 |
| **Show logos** | Off leaves only the backdrop, in the space the logos took | On |

In Simple mode:

| Setting | Range | Default |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Size** | 20–60 pt | 22 pt |
| **Logo spacing** | 0.1–0.6 of the size, shown in points | 0.45 |
| **Show rings** | Each agent's most used quota window as a ring round its logo | On |
| **Ring thickness** | 1–4 pt | 1.5 pt |
| **Show numbers** | The quota percentage beside each logo | On |

## Glow

![The backdrop glow behind the logos in Dynamic mode](https://agenthud.app/docs/images/hud/mode-dynamic.webp)

The section is called **Notch glow** in Notch mode and **Backdrop glow** in Dynamic mode. Simple mode has no glow, so the section is not shown there. A preview above the settings plays the effect you choose.

| Setting | Choices | Default |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Glow style** | **Soft**, **Dots**, **ASCII**, **Blocks**, **Braille**, **Binary** | Soft |
| **Effect** | **Breathe**, **Flow**, **Scan**, **Ripple**, **Shimmer**, **Boot** | Breathe |
| **Brightness** | 20–100% | 90% |
| **Glow range** (Soft only) | 0–36 px | 14 px |
| **Feather** (Soft only) | 0–36 px | 8 px |
| **Outward only** (Soft only) | Keeps the rim defined and fades outward | On |
| **Grid pitch** (other styles) | 4–12 pt | 10 pt |
| **Density** (other styles) | 50–150% | 100% |
| **Solid** (other styles) | Rows at full strength, 0–8 | 0 |
| **Fade** (other styles) | Rows it fades over, 0–8 | 5 |
| **Working period** | One cycle while an agent runs, 1–12 s | 3 s |
| **Idle period** | One cycle while all agents are idle, 1–24 s | 7 s |
| **Breath depth** (Breathe only) | 0–100% | 60% |

The glow's colours always follow quota use: see [Glow and panel](https://agenthud.app/docs/en/hud/glow-and-panel/).

## Panel contents

Under **Expanded panel**, for the display you picked:

- **Session list**, **Quota details** and **Token usage** show or hide those parts. **Reset countdown** shows the time until each window resets.
- The arrows below change the order of the parts and of the agents' blocks. A hidden part keeps its place.

## Logos and menu bar

These apply to every display.

- **Bot logos**: working agents stay bots, and idle logos become bots now and then for a few seconds. Bots also appear on hover, for approvals and for replies. On by default.
- **Show menu bar icon**: quick access to usage, refresh and Settings. On by default.

## Reset or undo

| Row | Buttons |
| --- | --- |
| **Position** | **Reset Position** brings the HUD back to the top of this display. |
| **HUD style** | **Reset to Default** returns mode, position, sizes, appearance and glow to their defaults. **Revert to Previous** undoes it. |
| **Panel layout** | **Reset to Default** and **Revert to Previous** for this display's panel layout only. |

## Let an agent arrange it

![A panel an agent arranged: OpenAI first, then only two of Claude's windows](https://agenthud.app/docs/images/hud/panel-arranged.dark.webp)

Instead of setting each switch yourself, you can tell an agent how you want the HUD: "Put Codex first and keep only the numbers I care about." Turn on **Let agents arrange the HUD** in **Settings → Agent plugins**, and an agent with Agent HUD's HUD tools can rearrange the panel and restyle the HUD on any display.

A change shows at once and stays a draft until you press **Save** in the panel. **Discard** drops it, and a draft left unsaved is dropped when Agent HUD restarts. See [Built-in MCP](https://agenthud.app/docs/en/mcp/).

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简体中文: https://agenthud.app/docs/zh/hud/appearance/