diff --git a/packages/core/useColorMode/index.test.ts b/packages/core/useColorMode/index.test.ts
index ca2674f77d6..7c05915c743 100644
--- a/packages/core/useColorMode/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/useColorMode/index.test.ts
@@ -117,10 +117,10 @@ describe('useColorMode', () => {
     expect(htmlEl?.className).toMatch(/dark/)
   })
 
-  it('should use state to access mode & preference', () => {
-    const state = useColorMode()
-    expect(state.store.value).toBe('auto')
-    expect(state.system.value).toBe('light')
-    expect(state.value).toBe('light')
+  it('should be able access the store & system preference', () => {
+    const mode = useColorMode()
+    expect(mode.store.value).toBe('auto')
+    expect(mode.system.value).toBe('light')
+    expect(mode.state.value).toBe('light')
   })
 })
diff --git a/packages/core/useColorMode/index.ts b/packages/core/useColorMode/index.ts
index 5062052ac42..cbee918da7a 100644
--- a/packages/core/useColorMode/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/useColorMode/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-import type { Ref } from 'vue-demi'
-import { computed, ref, watch } from 'vue-demi'
-import { tryOnMounted } from '@vueuse/shared'
+import type { ComputedRef, Ref } from 'vue-demi'
+import { computed, watch } from 'vue-demi'
+import type { MaybeRefOrGetter } from '@vueuse/shared'
+import { toRef, tryOnMounted } from '@vueuse/shared'
 import type { StorageLike } from '../ssr-handlers'
 import { getSSRHandler } from '../ssr-handlers'
 import type { UseStorageOptions } from '../useStorage'
@@ -10,9 +11,10 @@ import { usePreferredDark } from '../usePreferredDark'
 import type { MaybeElementRef } from '../unrefElement'
 import { unrefElement } from '../unrefElement'
 
-export type BasicColorSchema = 'light' | 'dark' | 'auto'
+export type BasicColorMode = 'light' | 'dark'
+export type BasicColorSchema = BasicColorMode | 'auto'
 
-export interface UseColorModeOptions<T extends string = BasicColorSchema> extends UseStorageOptions<T | BasicColorSchema> {
+export interface UseColorModeOptions<T extends string = BasicColorMode> extends UseStorageOptions<T | BasicColorMode> {
   /**
    * CSS Selector for the target element applying to
    *
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ export interface UseColorModeOptions<T extends string = BasicColorSchema> extend
    *
    * @default 'auto'
    */
-  initialValue?: T | BasicColorSchema
+  initialValue?: MaybeRefOrGetter<T | BasicColorSchema>
 
   /**
    * Prefix when adding value to the attribute
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ export interface UseColorModeOptions<T extends string = BasicColorSchema> extend
    *
    * @default undefined
    */
-  onChanged?: (mode: T | BasicColorSchema, defaultHandler:((mode: T | BasicColorSchema) => void)) => void
+  onChanged?: (mode: T | BasicColorMode, defaultHandler:((mode: T | BasicColorMode) => void)) => void
 
   /**
    * Custom storage ref
@@ -77,6 +79,8 @@ export interface UseColorModeOptions<T extends string = BasicColorSchema> extend
    * This is useful when the fact that `auto` mode was selected needs to be known.
    *
    * @default undefined
+   * @deprecated use `store.value` when `auto` mode needs to be known
+   * @see https://vueuse.org/core/useColorMode/#advanced-usage
    */
   emitAuto?: boolean
 
@@ -89,10 +93,11 @@ export interface UseColorModeOptions<T extends string = BasicColorSchema> extend
   disableTransition?: boolean
 }
 
-export type UseColorModeReturn<T extends string = BasicColorSchema> =
-  Ref<T> & {
-    store: Ref<T>
-    system: Ref<'light' | 'dark'>
+export type UseColorModeReturn<T extends string = BasicColorMode> =
+  Ref<T | BasicColorSchema> & {
+    store: Ref<T | BasicColorSchema>
+    system: ComputedRef<BasicColorMode>
+    state: ComputedRef<T | BasicColorMode>
   }
 
 /**
@@ -101,7 +106,7 @@ export type UseColorModeReturn<T extends string = BasicColorSchema> =
  * @see https://vueuse.org/useColorMode
  * @param options
  */
-export function useColorMode<T extends string = BasicColorSchema>(
+export function useColorMode<T extends string = BasicColorMode>(
   options: UseColorModeOptions<T> = {},
 ): UseColorModeReturn<T> {
   const {
@@ -127,20 +132,17 @@ export function useColorMode<T extends string = BasicColorSchema>(
   const preferredDark = usePreferredDark({ window })
   const system = computed(() => preferredDark.value ? 'dark' : 'light')
 
-  const store = storageRef || (storageKey == null
-    ? ref(initialValue) as Ref<T | BasicColorSchema>
-    : useStorage<T | BasicColorSchema>(storageKey, initialValue as BasicColorSchema, storage, { window, listenToStorageChanges }))
+  const store = storageRef || (
+    storageKey == null
+      ? toRef(initialValue) as Ref<T | BasicColorSchema>
+      : useStorage<T | BasicColorSchema>(storageKey, initialValue, storage, { window, listenToStorageChanges })
+  )
 
-  const state = computed<T | BasicColorSchema>({
-    get() {
-      return (store.value === 'auto' && !emitAuto)
-        ? system.value
-        : store.value
-    },
-    set(v) {
-      store.value = v
-    },
-  })
+  const state = computed<T | BasicColorMode>(() =>
+    store.value === 'auto'
+      ? system.value
+      : store.value,
+  )
 
   const updateHTMLAttrs = getSSRHandler(
     'updateHTMLAttrs',
@@ -182,12 +184,11 @@ export function useColorMode<T extends string = BasicColorSchema>(
       }
     })
 
-  function defaultOnChanged(mode: T | BasicColorSchema) {
-    const resolvedMode = mode === 'auto' ? system.value : mode
-    updateHTMLAttrs(selector, attribute, modes[resolvedMode] ?? resolvedMode)
+  function defaultOnChanged(mode: T | BasicColorMode) {
+    updateHTMLAttrs(selector, attribute, modes[mode] ?? mode)
   }
 
-  function onChanged(mode: T | BasicColorSchema) {
+  function onChanged(mode: T | BasicColorMode) {
     if (options.onChanged)
       options.onChanged(mode, defaultOnChanged)
     else
@@ -196,16 +197,22 @@ export function useColorMode<T extends string = BasicColorSchema>(
 
   watch(state, onChanged, { flush: 'post', immediate: true })
 
-  if (emitAuto)
-    watch(system, () => onChanged(state.value), { flush: 'post' })
-
   tryOnMounted(() => onChanged(state.value))
 
+  const auto = computed({
+    get() {
+      return emitAuto ? store.value : state.value
+    },
+    set(v) {
+      store.value = v
+    },
+  })
+
   try {
-    return Object.assign(state, { store, system }) as UseColorModeReturn<T>
+    return Object.assign(auto, { store, system, state }) as UseColorModeReturn<T>
   }
   catch (e) {
     // In Vue 2.6, ref might not be extensible
-    return state as any as UseColorModeReturn<T>
+    return auto as any as UseColorModeReturn<T>
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/useDark/index.ts b/packages/core/useDark/index.ts
index 3ed0d947e34..1468069adef 100644
--- a/packages/core/useDark/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/useDark/index.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 import { computed } from 'vue-demi'
-import { defaultWindow } from '../_configurable'
-import { usePreferredDark } from '../usePreferredDark'
-import type { BasicColorSchema, UseColorModeOptions } from '../useColorMode'
 import { useColorMode } from '../useColorMode'
+import type { BasicColorSchema, UseColorModeOptions } from '../useColorMode'
 
 export interface UseDarkOptions extends Omit<UseColorModeOptions<BasicColorSchema>, 'modes' | 'onChanged'> {
   /**
@@ -38,7 +36,6 @@ export function useDark(options: UseDarkOptions = {}) {
   const {
     valueDark = 'dark',
     valueLight = '',
-    window = defaultWindow,
   } = options
 
   const mode = useColorMode({
@@ -55,17 +52,16 @@ export function useDark(options: UseDarkOptions = {}) {
     },
   })
 
-  const preferredDark = usePreferredDark({ window })
-
   const isDark = computed<boolean>({
     get() {
       return mode.value === 'dark'
     },
     set(v) {
-      if (v === preferredDark.value)
+      const modeVal = v ? 'dark' : 'light'
+      if (mode.system.value === modeVal)
         mode.value = 'auto'
       else
-        mode.value = v ? 'dark' : 'light'
+        mode.value = modeVal
     },
   })