Does Outlook Have a Dark Mode?

Every app nowadays seems to their own dark mode, and Microsoft Office isn’t to be left out.

All newer versions of Microsoft Office web browser apps have their own dark mode, including Outlook. However, the process of switching to a dark theme on desktop apps is not the same as for the online apps. Also, not all versions of Microsoft Office are compatible with dark mode.

This article will explain how to switch to dark mode on different versions of Microsoft Outlook.

Dark Mode for Outlook Web

If you’re using Outlook in your web browser, changing it to dark mode is easy. All you have to do is:

1. Open Outlook on your web browser.
2. Click on the ‘Settings’ button on the top-right of the screen. The new window should pop up.
   
3. Look for ‘Dark mode’ and toggle it on.
4. The screen should switch to dark mode right away.
   

Note that you won’t be able to use any other theme while you’re in dark mode. So, if you think the dark mode is too dark, you can just use a dark theme instead.

Any dark theme will leave the text black over a white background. Only the bars and text boxes will remain black.

To switch to a dark theme, follow these steps:

1. Hit ‘Settings’ on the top-right of the screen.
2. Check if ‘Dark mode’ is off. If dark mode is on, you will not be able to choose a theme.
3. The ‘Settings’ window will appear when you click ‘Settings.’ The theme gallery should be right below the ‘Quick search’ bar.
4. Look for the black square theme.
   
5. If you don’t see the black square, click ‘View All.’
   
6. This will change your theme to black.

You can switch between themes whenever you want. So, if you ever grow tired of dark, you can switch to sunset, whales, and plenty of other themes.

Dark Mode in Office 365

If you have an Office 365 subscription, you can switch to a black theme.  Doing this will change the interface to dark for all your Microsoft Office apps, including Outlook.

First, you have to check if you have the latest version of Office 365, which you can do on the official website. If you have the proper version, follow these instructions:

1. Open Office 365.
2. Go into the ‘File’ menu on the menu bar (furthest left).
3. Click ‘Options’ from the dropdown menu. A new window should appear.
   
4. Select ‘General’ from the list on the left.
5. Find ‘Personalize your Copy of Microsoft Office’ section.
6. Click on ‘Office Theme.’
7. Choose ‘Black’ from the drop-down menu.
8. Your Office 365 user interface should appear.
   

Open Microsoft Outlook 365 and you should be in dark mode. If you ever want to return to the previous theme or change to another theme, use the same method above.

Is There a Dark Mode for Older Versions of Outlook?

Unfortunately, there’s no dark mode available for older Outlook apps. However, if you have Office 2013 or 2016, you can switch to a dark gray theme, which is the closest there is to a dark mode.

To do so, you’ll have to:

1. Open any Microsoft Office app.
2. Click on ‘File’. This will take you to the Microsoft Office Menu.
3. Select ‘Account’ from the list on the left.
4. Click on the bar bellow ‘Office Theme’ to open a dropdown menu.
   
5. Select ‘Dark Gray’.
   
6. Your office will now have a dark gray user interface.

The dark gray user interface will have a mix of dark color for bars and text boxes, black font, and gray background. To return to the previous theme, just follow the same steps and select ‘White’.

Is Dark Mode Available on Mac?

For Mac, you can only get dark mode in Outlook Web. Access your Outlook account via your Mac’s web browser and it will be available. However, the apps only have default themes.

The Outlook application’s dark mode is only available with Office 2019 and 365 on Windows 7, 8, and 10. Of course, this might change with future releases, though dark mode tends to be more popular with PC users than Mac users in general.

Dark Is All the Rage

Many users prefer dark mode since it is easier on the eye and consume less power. It is also less harmful to your sleeping patterns during night time.

So, now that you know how to use it, you should try it out yourself. You might like it better.