Dark mode in Word switches the background from white to dark gray or black

Microsoft Word's dark mode changes the interface background to a dark color, which reduces eye strain in low-light settings and uses less battery power on some devices. You can turn it on or off in the application settings, and the change applies immediately to your workspace. The actual document you're working on stays white unless you separately change the document background — dark mode only affects the editing interface around it.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Word on Windows, Mac, or the web version. All three let you toggle dark mode, but the menu locations are different.

Key Takeaways

  • Dark mode in Word changes only the interface background, not your document itself, so your printed or shared work looks the same.
  • On Windows, go to File > Options > General and look for the "Office Theme" dropdown to select dark mode.
  • On Mac, open Word > Preferences > General and choose your theme from the "Office Theme" section.
  • Word on the web uses your browser's dark mode setting by default, but you can override it in the app settings.

Turning on dark mode in Word for Windows

Open Microsoft Word and select the File menu in the top left. Click Options at the bottom of the menu. In the Options window, select General from the left sidebar.

Look for the section labeled Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office. You'll see a dropdown menu called Office Theme. Click it and choose from the available options: Colorful (the default light theme), Dark Gray, or Black. Select whichever you prefer, then click OK at the bottom of the window. Word will apply the change immediately.

Turning on dark mode in Word for Mac

Open Microsoft Word on your Mac. In the menu bar at the top, click Word, then select Preferences. A new window will open.

Click General in the Preferences window. Under the Personalize section, you'll see Office Theme with several options. Choose Dark Gray or Black to enable dark mode, or select Colorful to return to the light theme. Close the Preferences window, and the change takes effect right away.

Using dark mode in Word on the web

If you're using Word through your web browser at Office.com, dark mode depends on your browser and operating system settings. Most browsers and computers have their own dark mode option — when you turn that on, Word online usually switches to dark mode automatically.

To override this and set Word's theme independently, click the Settings gear icon in the top right corner of the Word window. Look for Display Settings or Theme and choose your preference. The web version may not offer as many dark mode options as the desktop versions, but you can usually toggle between light and dark.

What dark mode does and doesn't change

Dark mode changes the color of the ribbon (the toolbar at the top), the sidebar, and the background workspace where you edit. It does not change the color of your actual document. Your document will still appear on a white background with black text, regardless of which interface theme you choose. This is intentional — it keeps your document looking the same whether you're using dark mode or light mode.

If you want to change the document background itself (not the interface), that's a separate setting. You would go to Design or Layout, then look for a background or page color option. But that change affects how the document looks to anyone who opens it, whereas dark mode only affects what you see while editing.

Switching back to light mode

To turn off dark mode and return to the light theme, follow the same steps you used to turn it on. On Windows, go to File > Options > General and change the Office Theme back to Colorful. On Mac, go to Word > Preferences > General and select Colorful. On the web, adjust your browser or system dark mode setting, or use Word's theme settings to switch back.

You can change your theme preference as often as you want. There's no limit to how many times you switch, and changing it won't affect any documents you've already created or saved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does dark mode change how my document prints?

No. Dark mode only affects the interface you see while editing. When you print or share your document, it will look the same regardless of which theme you're using. Your document background and text colors are separate from the interface theme.

Can I set different themes for different documents?

No. The Office Theme setting applies to all documents you open in Word. You choose one theme for the entire application, not per document. If you need different background colors for different documents, you would change the document background itself, not the interface theme.

Why doesn't dark mode work on my Mac?

Make sure you're looking in the right place: Word > Preferences > General, not System Preferences. If the Office Theme option isn't showing, try updating Word to the latest version. On older versions of Word for Mac, dark mode options may be limited or unavailable.

Will dark mode make Word run slower?

No. Dark mode doesn't affect Word's performance. It's purely a visual change. Some users find it easier on the eyes in dim lighting, but it won't speed up or slow down how the application works.