Try Dark Mode in Word

(Originally published on February 5, 2021 by Ali Forelli)

 

Hi, I’m Ali Forelli, a Program Manager on the Word team working on Accessibility features. I’m happy to announce that the Dark Mode feature in Word is more extensive. Previously, you could use Word with a dark ribbon and toolbars, but your document color stayed bright white. Now, Dark Mode in Word offers a dark canvas as well! 

 

Try Dark mode in Word 

 

As we log long hours with our screens, it has become increasingly important to reduce eye strain and accommodate light sensitivity. Therefore, we’ve extended the Black Office theme to now include your document canvas as well. This has been a long-requested feature from many of Officer Insiders and we’re excited to make it happen.  

 

Dark mode canvas in Word

 

How it works

How to enable Dark Mode

1. To turn on Dark mode in the Word canvas, select File > Account > Office Theme > Black.
   Dark mode account privacy
2. Once the black theme is set, you can toggle between the black and white page background colors by selecting View > Switch Modes from the ribbon.
   Switch modes for Dark mode feature

With Dark mode, you’ll notice that the previously white page color is now a dark grey/black. Colors within your document will also be shifted to accommodate the new color contrast. Indeed, reds, blues, yellows, and other colors will be shifted slightly to mute the overall effect of the color palette and look more visually pleasing with the new dark background.

 

Want to keep the canvas white?

The dark canvas does not convey how your document will print, or the default view your collaborators will see when they open it. To confirm the default view (white canvas), use the Switch Modes button to flip the page color to white.

 

Never want to see a dark canvas? Go to File > Options > General > Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office and select the Disable dark checkbox to always keep the page color white in Office Black Theme.

 

Disable dark to set the page color to white in Office Black Theme.

 

Availability

This feature has started rolling out to Insider Beta Channel users running Version 2012 (Build 13518.10000) or later.

 

We typically release features over some time to ensure that things are working smoothly. This is true for Insiders as well. We highlight features that you may not have because they’re slowly releasing to larger numbers of Insiders. Similarly, sometimes we remove elements to improve them. Though rare, we also reserve the option to pull a feature entirely out of the product.

 

Feedback

We want to hear from you! Please go to Help > Feedback in Word to provide your thoughts about this feature.

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