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Microsoft 365 Insider Blog
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Reduce eye strain with Dark Mode in Excel for Windows

Sharon910's avatar
Sharon910
Icon for Microsoft rankMicrosoft
Jan 14, 2025

Hi, everyone! I'm Sharon Mehta, a Product Manager on the Excel team. I'm excited to share that Excel for Windows now supports Dark Mode, which darkens your entire sheet including cells!

Reduce eye strain with Dark Mode in Excel for Windows

Dark Mode has been a highly-requested feature in our Feedback portal and we're happy to deliver! Its benefits are well understood but worth sharing again as a reminder:

 

  • Reduce eye strain in low-light conditions, making it easier to use devices for an extended period.
  • Increase energy efficiency by reducing energy consumption, especially on OLED and AMOLED screens, which can extend battery life on mobile devices and laptops.
  • Improve accessibility for individuals with light sensitivity and reduce screen flickering, potentially increasing focus.
  • Enhance the user experience by providing a modern look and feel, which many users find visually appealing.
Excel worksheet in Dark Mode

How it works

  1. Enable Dark Mode by using the Switch Modes button on the View tab. 
  2. Open an existing worksheet or create one.
  3. To make sure you are using a supported Office theme, select File > Account > Office Theme and confirm that either Black or Use system setting is selected.

NOTE: If you select the Use system settings option, you will also need to make sure that your Windows theme is set to Black.     

     4. To turn on Dark Mode, select View, then Switch Modes.

 

Switch Modes button on the View tab

     5. To turn Dark Mode off, simply select View > Switch Modes again.

Availability

This feature is rolling out to Beta Channel users running Version 2502 (Build 18508.20000) or later.

Feedback

We want to hear from you!  To share your thoughts, either select Help > Feedback in Excel, or go to the Feedback Portal. 

 

Learn about the Microsoft 365 Insider program and sign up for the Microsoft 365 Insider newsletter to get the latest information about Insider features in your inbox once a month!

Updated Mar 12, 2025
Version 2.0
accessibility
excel

21 Comments

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  • rudiwave's avatar
    rudiwave
    Copper Contributor
    May 03, 2025

    Is there any progress with the true dark mode for the mac version of Excel? Would be amazing!!!

    Best wishes from Austria,

    Rudi

  • michg's avatar
    michg
    Copper Contributor
    Apr 25, 2025

    Woohooo!!! I finally got it!!! Thank you!!

  • nin4is33ri's avatar
    nin4is33ri
    Copper Contributor
    Apr 06, 2025

    Please bring this feature to Mac! Our eyes sore while working with this 2000$ machine.

  • ssj999's avatar
    ssj999
    Copper Contributor
    Apr 04, 2025

    My Microsoft Office got updated today, and I learned about the dark mode feature from the release notes. However, after checking the View menu, the switch mode option is not appearing. I have set the theme to both Dark and System settings, but it didn't work. Am I missing something?

  • ToddBleeker's avatar
    ToddBleeker
    Copper Contributor
    Mar 24, 2025

    Love, love, love that the new Dark Mode includes the background of the cells in every sheet!!! No more hacking the cell background, style sheets, or conditional formatting.

    I also love the ability to Switch Modes directly from the View ribbon. An incredibly huge win for the Excel product team and Excel users all over the world. My weary eyes thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    <Todd />

  • JustAnIdea's avatar
    JustAnIdea
    Copper Contributor
    Mar 23, 2025

    I don't have access to the dark mode beta but I've been using the work around "dark mode" in Excel for years now by creating a black background in Microsoft paint, importing that background via the "Page Layout" tab on excel under the "Background button", and changing the text of the entire excel document to white text. Works great, BUT there is one thing that is a problem, but I don't know if with this "Dark mode" rollout it is fixed. When selecting a row/column/cell, the highlighted row/column/cell is tough to see. There should be a way to change the color of the highlighted effect on Excel. For instance, when selecting a row/column/cell you should be able to have it highlighted red/blue/purple/etc.  Something that really stands out, rather than just a slightly different shade of the text color that is chosen. Implement that customization option and the dark mode feature will be incredible!

  • JayDelly125's avatar
    JayDelly125
    Copper Contributor
    Mar 12, 2025

    Is there a date yet for a wider rollout?  I have a corporate M365 account so cannot use beta and need to wait for mass release.  

  • aethervyse's avatar
    aethervyse
    Copper Contributor
    Mar 05, 2025

    Been asking for this for quite some time, and am looking forward to trying it out.

    I'm currently running Version 2504 Build 18702.20002 Click-to-run on the Beta channel, but the option doesn't appear on the Show section of my View tab. 

    Wondering if I'm doing anything wrong or if I missed anything? Thanks.

     

  • Aleshales26's avatar
    Aleshales26
    Copper Contributor
    Feb 28, 2025

    Hi Sharon,
    Thank you for sharing this update! Dark Mode in Excel is such a welcome feature, especially for those of us who spend long hours working on spreadsheets. The benefits you mentioned, like reducing eye strain and improving accessibility are spot on.

    I recently wrote an article on my website about optimizing productivity and reducing system resource usage, which ties into this discussion. For example, enabling Dark Mode not only helps with eye strain but can also reduce energy consumption, especially on OLED screens. I’ve also covered tips for improving system performance while using resource-intensive apps like Excel. You can check it out here: Optimize System Performance for Better Productivity.

    Thanks again for this fantastic update, looking forward to trying it out!