How to Switch to the cPanel Meridian Theme (and Back to Jupiter)

You logged in to cPanel and noticed a different layout, or you heard cPanel has a new interface and want to try it. The cPanel Meridian theme is entirely opt-in: you turn it on from your own account, and you can switch back to Jupiter whenever you want. By the end of this guide, you will have switched your cPanel Meridian theme on and know exactly how to switch it back.

Which InMotion Hosting Plans Have the cPanel Meridian Theme?

Meridian requires cPanel & WHM version 138. Check your server’s version number in the footer of the Jupiter home page, at the bottom-left corner of the screen. If you see something like 136.0.40, your server has not reached 138 yet, and the Meridian theme is not available to you. On a 138 server, a Try the new Meridian theme button also appears at the top of the Jupiter home page.

InMotion Hosting VPS and Dedicated servers follow cPanel’s RELEASE update tier. cPanel promoted version 138 to that tier in September 2026, so those servers pick it up, and the Meridian theme with it, through the nightly cPanel update. Shared, Reseller, and WordPress Hosting servers run the cPanel LTS line, version 134 as of this writing, and do not have Meridian. If you manage one of those plans, Jupiter is your only theme for now and the rest of this guide will not apply to your account.

Switch From Jupiter to Meridian

Once your server is on version 138, turning on the Meridian theme takes one click from your cPanel account.

1. Log in to cPanel. See How to Log in to cPanel if you need the steps.
2. At the top of the Jupiter home page, click Try the new Meridian theme.

You can also switch from the General Information panel in the right sidebar: open the Theme menu and select meridian. Both controls do the same thing.

cPanel switches your account right away and opens the Meridian Dashboard, your new home page. It flags any action required on your account, such as a domain that is not pointing to the server or a self-signed certificate, and suggests next actions like creating a backup or setting up a website. Below that, you will see your disk and bandwidth usage and an account overview covering SSL certificates, two-step verification, domains, email accounts, databases, and backups. The six hubs (Websites & Apps, Email, Files, Databases, Security, and Performance) sit in the left sidebar.

Switch Back From Meridian to Jupiter

Changed your mind, or wanted another look around? Switching back to Jupiter works the same way whether it is your first day on Meridian or your fiftieth, and cPanel gives you two ways to do it.

Option 1: The header shortcut. Click Classic cPanel Theme in the Meridian header. A short feedback form titled Switching back to the Classic cPanel Theme asks why you are switching. Click Skip, or pick a reason and click Submit feedback. cPanel then reloads on the Jupiter home page.

Option 2: Account Preferences.

1. Click your avatar (the circle with your initial) in the upper-right corner of the header.
2. Click Profile.
3. Scroll to the Theme section and select Jupiter (Classic cPanel Theme). The selected theme shows an Active badge.

Either option applies only to your account, takes effect immediately, and stays in effect the next time you log in. Light and dark mode is a separate setting: switching themes does not change your display appearance. Use the display preferences icon in the header if you also want to change that.

Switch the Theme From WHM (VPS and Dedicated With Root Access)

If you manage WHM as a reseller or server administrator, you can set the cPanel theme for the accounts you manage without logging in as those users.

1. Log in to WHM and go to Account Functions > Modify an Account.
2. Select the account you want to update.
3. Find the cPanel Theme setting and select meridian or jupiter from the menu. On a 138 server the menu lists both themes.
4. Click Save. WHM updates the account to use the new theme.

The same cPanel Theme menu appears on the Create a New Account form, so you can start a new account on Meridian from day one. To change the theme for many accounts at once instead of one at a time, run the /scripts/modify_accounts script from the command line on a server where you have root access. For the full walkthrough of the Modify an Account interface, see how to change the cPanel theme in WHM.

Important: Accounts created directly on the Meridian theme cannot switch back to Jupiter on their own, and the Classic cPanel Theme link does not appear for them. InMotion Hosting creates every cPanel account on Jupiter and is not making Meridian the default, so you can switch between Meridian and Jupiter as often as you like. If you create accounts in WHM yourself, leave the cPanel Theme set to jupiter when you want that flexibility.

What Changes When You Switch

Meridian does more than reskin the interface. It reorganizes navigation into six goal-based hubs (Websites & Apps, Email, Files, Databases, Security, and Performance) instead of Jupiter’s menus and categories. It also adds a Command Palette that jumps straight to any feature when you type its name, and an Ask AI button that opens the cPanel AI Assistant.

Jupiter still handles the more advanced and less-frequently used tools, which is why Classic cPanel Theme keeps working after you switch. For the full rundown of what changed, see What’s New in cPanel Meridian. For cPanel’s own tour of the six hubs, see cPanel’s Navigating Meridian documentation.

Troubleshooting

Symptom: there is no Try the new Meridian theme button and the Theme menu does not list meridian

The most likely cause is that your server has not reached cPanel & WHM version 138 yet. Check the version number in the Jupiter footer. Once your server updates to 138, the button and the meridian option both appear, as covered in Switch From Jupiter to Meridian.

Symptom: Classic cPanel Theme is missing after you switch

Accounts created directly on the Meridian theme do not get a Classic cPanel Theme link, so they cannot switch to Jupiter on their own. Contact InMotion Hosting Support and ask to move the account to Jupiter. After that, you can switch between the two themes whenever you like.

Symptom: the interface looks the same after you switch

The interface theme and the display mode are separate settings, so switching from Jupiter to Meridian does not change light and dark appearance. Click the display preferences icon in the header to change that setting instead.

Conclusion

You control when your cPanel account moves to the cPanel Meridian theme, and switching back to Jupiter never takes more than one click. If your account is not eligible yet, check your cPanel version in the Jupiter footer, and once it reads 138, read What’s New in cPanel Meridian before you switch.