Turn on Dark Mode in Excel

Dark mode in Excel darkens the spreadsheet background and menu areas to reduce eye strain in low-light environments. The steps differ slightly between Windows and Mac, but both reach the same setting through your account preferences rather than through the File menu.

On Windows, open Excel and select File in the top-left corner. Then choose Account from the left sidebar. Under "Office Theme," click the dropdown menu and select Dark. The change takes effect when ready across all your open spreadsheets.

On Mac, open Excel and select Excel in the menu bar at the very top of your screen. Choose Preferences, then click General. Under "Personalization," find the Office Theme dropdown and select Dark. Close the preferences window and the mode activates right away.

Key Takeaways

  • Dark mode is found in File > Account on Windows or Excel > Preferences > General on Mac, not in the View menu.
  • The Office Theme dropdown offers three choices: Light, Dark, and Use System Setting, which matches your computer's overall dark mode preference.
  • Dark mode changes the menu background and cell gridlines but does not override the background color you have set for individual cells or ranges.
  • The change applies to all Microsoft Office apps on your computer once you set it, not just Excel.

What Dark Mode Changes and What It Does Not

Dark mode affects the ribbon menu, the formula bar, and the area around your spreadsheet cells. The gridlines between cells become lighter so they remain visible against the dark background. However, if you have already filled cells with a specific color—such as a yellow highlight or a blue background—that color stays exactly as you set it.

The cell content itself (your text and numbers) remains black or whatever color you assigned to it. Dark mode only changes the "frame" around your data, not the data itself. If you want text to be easier to read in dark mode, you may want to change text color to white or light gray in cells where the default black text becomes hard to see against a dark background you have applied.

Using "Use System Setting" Instead of Choosing Dark Directly

The third option in the Office Theme dropdown is Use System Setting. This tells Excel to match whatever dark mode preference you have set for your entire computer. On Windows 11, this is found in Settings > Personalization > Colors. On Mac, it is in System Settings > Appearance.

Choosing "Use System Setting" is useful if you toggle your computer between dark and light mode depending on the time of day or your environment. Excel will switch automatically without you having to return to the Account or Preferences menu each time. If you prefer dark mode all the time, selecting Dark directly is simpler and does not depend on your system settings.

Dark Mode in Excel Online (Web Version)

If you use Excel through a web browser at office.com, dark mode works differently. Log into your Microsoft account, open any spreadsheet, and look for your profile picture or initials in the top-right corner. Click it and select View Settings or Settings (the exact wording varies). Find the theme option and choose Dark.

The web version's dark mode may not be as complete as the desktop version—some dialog boxes and sidebars may remain light even after you enable dark mode. If you use Excel primarily on the web and want a more thorough dark experience, consider downloading the desktop app instead, where the setting covers more of the interface.

Troubleshooting Dark Mode Not Appearing

If you have set dark mode but Excel still shows a light interface, first check that you are looking at the right setting. On Windows, confirm you went to File > Account, not File > Options. On Mac, confirm you chose Excel > Preferences, not System Preferences. These are straightforward to mix up.

If you are in the correct menu and dark mode is selected but not showing, try closing Excel completely and reopening it. Sometimes the change does not display until the app restarts. If that does not work, sign out of your Microsoft account (File > Account > Sign Out on Windows, or Excel > Preferences > General on Mac) and sign back in. This refreshes your account settings and often resolves display issues.

Switching Back to Light Mode or System Setting

You can change the theme at any time by returning to the same menu where you turned on dark mode. On Windows, go to File > Account and click the Office Theme dropdown. On Mac, go to Excel > Preferences > General and click the Office Theme dropdown. Select Light to return to the original white background, or select Use System Setting to sync with your computer's preference.

There is no penalty for switching back and forth. Your spreadsheet data and formatting remain unchanged no matter which theme you choose. The theme is purely a visual preference and does not affect how your file is saved or shared with others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does dark mode change how my spreadsheet looks to other people who open it?

No. Dark mode is a personal display setting on your computer. When you send the file to someone else or share it online, they see the spreadsheet exactly as you formatted it—the same cell colors, text colors, and backgrounds. Their dark mode setting does not affect what they see either; it only changes their menu and ribbon appearance.

Can I use dark mode in only Excel and keep other Office apps in light mode?

No. The Office Theme setting applies to all Microsoft Office applications at once—Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access all switch together. If you need one app in dark mode and another in light, you would have to change the setting each time you switch between them.

Will dark mode make my spreadsheet print differently?

No. When you print or export your spreadsheet to PDF, it uses the actual cell colors and formatting you set, not the dark mode theme. The dark background and light gridlines you see on screen do not appear in the printed version. Print preview shows you exactly what will print before you send it to the printer.

What if my version of Excel does not have a dark mode option?

Dark mode has been available in Excel since 2016 on Windows and 2015 on Mac. If your version is older than that, you may not have the option. You can check your version by going to File > Account > About Excel. If you are using an older version, updating to the latest version of Microsoft Office will add dark mode support.