How to Enable Microsoft Word Dark Mode | 2023 Updated

Did you know that about 90% of digital device users experience symptoms of Digital Eye Strain (DES)? These include dry, red, and itchy eyes, blurry vision, and focusing difficulties. Many others also develop eye fatigue and even headaches.
Bright screen lights, in turn, are some of the proposed causes or factors of DES. As such, experts advise cutting back on screen time and reducing screen brightness can be helpful. Also, Enabling dark or night mode on your devices and apps may help ease eye strain and light sensitivity. The Microsoft Word dark mode is one feature you should enable if you use this MS Office program. So, here is the guide on “how to enable Microsoft Word dark mode,” so stick to the end of the article.

What Exactly Is the Microsoft Word Dark Mode Feature?

With 1.2 billion global MS Office users, Microsoft must make its products more accessible. That’s one of the chief reasons it added the dark mode in Word, which turns the canvas from white to dark gray or black. The idea is that a dark background may improve text readability in low-light settings.

At the same time, the interface colors also undergo color contrast adjustments. For example, the text color switches to white so that it remains readable on the black background.
Other colors within the app and the canvas will also change to accommodate the new contrast. For instance, you’ll notice a slight muting of blues, reds, yellows, and other hues.
However, some hues and shades may become inverted, too. As such, be sure you review the page in standard (white) mode before sending or printing it out.
The MS Word dark mode feature won’t alter the actual print settings, though. That means you don’t have to worry about using up all your printer’s black ink. So, even on dark mode, the files you print will come out looking normal (i.e., black text on a white sheet of paper).

Switching to MS Word Dark Mode on Windows

To enable dark mode in MS Word, launch the app on your Windows computer. Once open, click the File button and choose the Account option at the bottom left corner of the screen. That should open the Account window screen where you can change your MS Word Office Theme.

Under Account, look for and click on the drop-down menu labeled “Office Theme.” You can then pick the Black option. That should automatically turn the entire Word canvas to black.

See Also: 12 Best Google Chrome Themes You Should Use.

Activating MS Word Dark Mode on Mac

If you’re using Apple macOS, you can enable dark mode on Word by setting this up on your Mac’s System Preferences.
You can access System Preferences by clicking the Apple logo on the upper left corner of your Mac screen. That should bring down the Apple menu, in which you can select the System Preferences option.
Then, on the System Preferences window, choose General. From there, select the Dark option within the Appearance field. Doing that should make your MS Word canvas black the next time you launch the app.

If it doesn’t, you may have to change the Personalize settings on MS Word manually.
To do that, open the MS Word app on your Mac and click the Word tab on the upper left-hand corner of your desktop. From there, select the Preferences option to pull up the Word Preferences window.
On the Word Preferences window, click General. On the General screen, you should see a field labeled “Personalize.” Finally, select the option that says, “Dark Mode has a dark page color.” That should ultimately make the MS Word page turn black, and you can continue your work (editing pdf on Mac).

See Also: 7 Best Transcription Software For Mac In 2023

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Toggling Between White and Dark Mode on MS Word

The Switch Modes button on MS Word allows you to toggle between a white and a black canvas. It’s a good idea to use that if you want to preview how your file looks in standard mode. You can also switch to a white page to check the contents’ appearance once printed on paper.

You can find the Switch Modes button under the View tab. It’s in the middle of the View ribbon, depicted by a logo that changes from a sun to a moon image. Clicking the sun button will make the canvas white, while the moon button will turn the page black.

Limitations

The Microsoft Word dark mode won’t alter the colors of files you add or embed into a Word file.

For instance, suppose you want to add photos or insert pdf into word files. In such cases, the pictures or PDF pages will retain their original colors and display as-is. So, if they have a white background, they’ll show up with a white background on the black Word canvas.
In addition, only Microsoft 365 subscribers can use the Black theme that allows for the dark mode on Word. That means you can only make your Word canvas turn black if you have the entire MS 365 subscription.
As such, you won’t have access to the feature if you only use a standalone version of MS Word or MS Office. In that case, your alternative is to change your MS Word or Office theme to Dark Gray. It won’t be as dark as the Black theme, but it won’t be as bright as a white page, either.

Conclusion

There you have it, your comprehensive guide on how to enable Microsoft Word dark mode. So, be sure to consider trying this feature out if you’d like to make your MS text editor friendlier to your eyes. The sooner you do, the sooner you can reduce glare and alleviate the symptoms of DES.
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