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How to Enable Dark Mode on Windows, Office, and Your Browser

Applies toWindows 11Windows 10Microsoft 365Microsoft Edge
4 min fix Updated 20 Jul 2026

By , 10+ years in IT support and helpdesk How these guides are checked

Quick Answer

Open Settings > Personalization > Colors, and change the 'Choose your mode' dropdown to Dark.

Checked against Microsoft Learn - Windows release health, Microsoft Learn - end of support and retirement and between 5 Aug 2026 and 12 Sep 2026. Nothing published in that period has been linked to this guide.

Estimated Time to Fix: 4 minutes

Summary ​

This article guides you through enabling dark mode on your computer, Office applications, and web browser.

Before You Start ​

  • None required.

Instructions ​

1. Enable Dark Mode in Windows ​

Start with Windows itself, because several other apps follow this setting automatically.

  1. Click the Start button and type Settings, then press Enter.
  2. Click on Personalization in the left menu.
  3. Click on Colors.
  4. Click the dropdown next to Choose your mode and select Dark.

2. Enable Dark Mode in Microsoft Office ​

Office keeps its own theme, so it stays light until you change it here.

  1. Open any Office application, such as Word or Excel.
  2. Click on File in the top left corner, then click Account (or Office Account) at the bottom left.
  3. Click the dropdown under Office Theme and select Dark Gray or Black.
  4. This changes the theme for all Office apps simultaneously.

3. Enable Dark Mode in Your Web Browser (Edge or Chrome) ​

Browsers carry a separate appearance setting, which is why one app stays bright after everything else goes dark.

  1. In Microsoft Edge, click the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
  2. Click on Appearance on the left side.
  3. Under Overall appearance, select Dark. (Google Chrome usually follows your Windows color setting automatically. To force it, go to Settings > Appearance and select Dark).

4. Verify Success ​

Check Windows, Office, and your browser together — all three should now show a dark background.

  1. Open your Start menu, Word, and your browser to confirm they all display a dark background.

Troubleshooting ​

WARNING

Some older applications may not support dark mode and will still appear with a white background regardless of your Windows settings.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
Websites are still white in the browserWebsite doesn't support dark modeDark mode only affects the browser menus and borders, unless the website has its own dark mode setting.
Office Theme option is missingOutdated Office versionUpdate Microsoft 365 or check if your company has restricted theme changes.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Windows Dark Mode change my Office apps too?
By default, yes. If Office is set to 'Use system setting', enabling Dark Mode in Windows will automatically turn Word and Excel dark.
How do I keep Windows dark but make Word pages white?
In Word, go to File > Options > General. Under Office Theme, check the box that says 'Never change the document page color'.