Top 3 Ways to Enable Dark Mode in Windows 11

Light mode is, was, and always will be public enemy #1 for us. Being a night owl, its overly bright interface just isn’t for us. So you can imagine our absolute delight when Dark Mode finally arrived on Windows. If dark mode is also your best friend, here are 3 ways to enable dark mode in Windows 11.

Enabling Dark Mode isn’t just about setting a color preference. Over time, your monitor’s bright screen can even impact your sleep patterns, especially if you’re working late into the night. If so, then is it possible to enable dark mode in Windows 11 at a set time? Let’s look.

One of the easiest ways to enable dark mode in Windows 11 is to use the Colors menu. This will allow you to instantly enable dark mode system-wide. Follow the steps below to do so.

Step 1: Right-click on your desktop and click Personalize.

2nd step: Scroll down and click Colors.

Step 3: Here, click on the “Choose your mode” drop-down menu.

Step 4: Click Dark.

Advice: You can even select Custom and only change Windows services or apps in dark mode.

This will enable dark mode in Windows 11.

You can also change the theme in Windows 11 to enable dark mode. This will further personalize Windows 11 by letting you choose between different backgrounds that come with the theme. Here’s how.

Step 1: Right-click on your desktop and click Personalize.

2nd step: Here, click on Themes.

Step 3: Next, scroll down and select one of the Windows 11 dark themes from the available options.

This will change your Windows 11 background and also enable dark mode. Moreover, you can also use contrast theme settings to enable dark mode. Here’s how.

Step 4: On the Themes page, scroll down and click Contrast Themes.

Step 5: Here, click on the Contrast Themes drop-down menu.

Step 6: Next, select between Aquatic, Twilight, and Night Sky themes and click Apply.

This will invert your system colors to enable dark mode.

3. Schedule Dark Mode in Windows 11

Using third-party apps like Auto Dark Mode allows you to automatically enable Dark Mode in Windows 11 at a set time. This can be useful if you want to enable dark mode for a certain number of hours each day. Here’s how.

Step 1: Use the link below to open the Microsoft Store page for the Auto Dark Mode app.

Get the Auto Dark Mode app from Microsoft Store

2nd step: Then click “Get in Store app” and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the app installation.

Step 3: Once installed, open the app.

Step 4: Select “Set custom hours”.

Step 5: Next, go to the “Custom start time” section and click on the time under Dark.

Step 6: Select the time you want to enable dark mode and click done to confirm. Next, repeat the same process with the time under Light Mode to set the time when Dark Mode should turn off.

Step 7: Alternatively, if you don’t want to set a time, you can select the “Sunset to sunrise” option to have Windows automatically switch to dark mode when it’s dark.

This will schedule Dark Mode in Windows 11. Additionally, you can also use the Automatic Dark Mode app to turn on Dark Mode for all Office apps. Here’s how.

Step 8: In the menu bar, click Applications.

Step 9: Next, navigate to the Office apps drop-down menu and click Always Dark.

This will enable dark mode for all Office apps currently installed on your device.

How to Enable Windows 11 Dark Mode for Office Apps

You can also enable dark mode for currently installed Office apps in Windows 11 using their settings menu. This will let you switch all Office apps to dark mode at once. Follow the steps below to do so.

Note: For demonstration purposes, we will use the OneNote app.

Step 1: Open OneNote.

2nd step: Here, click File.

Step 3: Next, click on the Account tab in the sidebar.

Step 4: Here, click on the Office Theme drop-down menu.

Step 5: Click Black.

This will enable dark mode for OneNote and all other Office apps, regardless of your system color. Alternatively, you can refer to our other article if you ever want to disable dark mode in your Office apps.

Bonus: Enable Nightlight in Windows 11

Although the night light does not correspond to dark mode, it can act as a temporary placeholder by reducing the impact of blue light on your screen. And it’s actually quite easy to turn it on.

Step 1: In the lower right corner of the screen, click the Wi-Fi, sound, or battery icon on the taskbar to open quick settings.

Tip: Here’s how to customize Quick Settings in Windows 11.

2nd step: Here, click Nightlight.

This will turn on the whole system Night Light in Windows 11.

FAQ to Enable Dark Mode in Windows 11

Comfort for the eyes

So, these are all the ways you can enable dark mode in Windows 11. This updated Windows color will definitely be easier on the eyes. Also, if you want to change your display settings, learn how to change screen resolution in Windows 11.