How to Turn off Dark Mode in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint

Dark mode is appreciated by many. But I'm not a fan. And I'm sure many others like me don't like black or dark mode. Fortunately, when an application or tool introduces dark mode, they also allow us to deactivate it. In this article, we will explain how to get rid of or turn off dark mode in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint on Windows and macOS.

The appropriate dark or black theme is limited to Office 365 subscribers only. On Windows, you get a lighter version of the black theme called Dark Gray. It is available to all subscribers. The methods mentioned here also allow you to turn off the Gray theme.

Let's dive into the steps to deactivate the black theme on Microsoft Office applications.

Disable dark mode in Microsoft Office Apps on Windows

There are two methods to do this. While one removes the dark mode or the black theme from all connected PCs where you are connected to your Microsoft account, the second only changes it on the current system. However, in both methods, dark mode will be disabled on all Microsoft Office applications. This means that you cannot keep dark mode active in Word and deactivate it in Excel. It will shutdown in all Office applications.

Here are the two methods.

1. Disable dark mode on all computers

When you use this method to turn off the black theme, it will be reflected on all devices on which your Microsoft account is connected. For example, if you are using Word on two Windows PCs and you disable the black theme on one PC using the following steps, it will automatically change on the second PC as well.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Open any Microsoft Office application such as Word, Excel, etc.

2nd step: If you have created a new file, click Account present in the left pane.

If you have opened an existing file, click File at the top. Scroll down and click Account.

Stage 3: Click on the drop-down list under Office Theme. Select Classic or Colorful to remove the dark mode from all Office applications on your Windows PC.

2. Disable dark mode on a PC

If you want to change the black theme only on your PC, i.e. not on all PCs where your Microsoft Office account is synced, there is also an option to do so. Let's see how to do it.

Step 1: Launch any Microsoft Office application on your system. Let's say Word.

2nd step: Click File at the top and select options there.

Stage 3: Scroll down in the General tab. Click the drop-down list next to the Office theme. Select Classic or Colorful. Click OK at the bottom to save the changes.

Note: The dark theme will be disabled only on the current PC.

Disable dark mode in Microsoft Office Apps on macOS

There are also two ways to turn off the dark or black theme in macOS.

1. Disable dark mode on all Office applications

If you are using Office 365 or 2019 and have set your macOS to dark mode, the same will apply to Microsoft Office apps. You can therefore deactivate the dark theme of the system to remove it from Office applications such as Word, Excel, etc. Again, dark mode will be removed from all Office apps, not just one.

Let's see how to do it.

Step 1: Click on the Apple menu at the top and choose System Preferences.

2nd step: Click on General.

Stage 3: If Dark is selected, click Light to activate it. In doing so, dark mode will be disabled for Office applications, including other applications supported on your Mac.

Choosing Auto will automatically turn off dark mode in the morning. It is available on macOS Catalina and above. Learn how to turn off dark mode on macOS.

2. Disable dark mode on individual Office applications

The above method will disable the dark theme on all Office applications. If you want to modify it on a single application, use this method.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Open the Office app for which you want to turn off the dark theme. For example, we want to turn it off in Word.

Then open Word and click on the Word menu at the top and select Preferences there.

2nd step: Go to the General tab.

Stage 3: Search for Personalize. Check the box next to Disable dark mode.

This will turn off the dark theme in Word. Now, if you want to turn it off on PowerPoint or Excel, you will have to repeat the above steps in their applications.

Bye Dark Mode

The purpose of dark mode is to reduce eye strain. Unfortunately, it does the exact opposite for some people. This is why they prefer to deactivate it. We hope you were able to restore the normal theme to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

Then: Learn how to turn off dark mode in Google apps like Contacts, Phone, Drive and more from the following link.