Drupal 11.3 swaps Claro for Gin as its new admin theme

Drupal is unifying its backend appearance by replacing the long-standing Claro admin theme with the fully matured Gin theme for all new sites.

This change takes effect in Drupal 11.3, slated for release in December 2025, at which point Gin will become the default admin theme in core.

Thanks to Gin's modular architecture and flexible component system, site builders gain a refined toolbar, improved typography, and higher-contrast form elements out of the box—all designed for clarity and accessibility.

Claro vs Gin theme - Content overview page look and feel:

Claro vs Gin theme - Add content page look and feel:

Existing Drupal 11 sites will continue to include Claro for backward compatibility, but all new installations from 11.3 onward will load Gin by default, ensuring a consistent, modern admin experience.

This update is officially announced on Drupal.org: Drupal core will adopt Gin admin theme to replace Claro

Bonus Note: Gin Login Module

You might not have heard of this, I sure didn't until recently, but the Gin Login contrib module brings Gin's sleek styling to your site's login page. It offers custom branding options and responsive layouts, so your very first interaction with Drupal feels as polished as the admin itself.