Share via

How to enable Dark Mode in Excel

Austin 0 Reputation points
2026-02-05T16:02:48.72+00:00

After some research I couldnt figure out how to enable dark mode on the newest build of Excel. I do not have the dark mode option under the view tab. It doesnt show in the customize ribbon window either. I have seen things that say you need to enable the office theme to be black, which also doesnt show up as an option for me. I have selected the use system setting option for this, which is set to dark mode and it still isnt working. Im not sure what to do now. Any help would be appreciated

Thank you

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest

  1. AI answer

    2026-02-05T16:02:57.23+00:00

    To enable Dark Mode in Excel, ensure that you have the latest version of Office installed, as the feature is tied to the Windows 10 Dark Mode setting. Here are the steps you can follow:

    1. Set Windows to Dark Mode: Go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and select the dark mode option.
    2. Change Office Theme: In Excel, go to File > Options > General. Under the "Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office" section, look for the "Office Theme" dropdown. If available, select "Black" or "Dark Gray".
    3. Use System Setting: If you have the option, select "Use system setting" for the Office Theme, which should match your Windows setting.

    If you do not see these options, it may be due to the version of Office you are using or specific settings in your installation. Make sure your Office is updated to the latest build, as dark mode support has been improved in recent updates. If issues persist, consider checking for updates or consulting Microsoft support for further assistance.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  2. Ryan-N 13,335 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-02-05T16:52:55.8166667+00:00

    Hi @Austin,

    Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

    Thank you for contacting us.

    To switch to Dark Mode in Excel, please follow the steps below:

    First, this is how Excel appears when it is displayed in Normal mode:

    User's image

    Step 1: Click File > Account > Office Theme

    User's image

    Step 2: Select Black

    Step 3: You can further customize the appearance here by turning Switch mode on or off

    User's image

    User's image

    Note: The Dark Mode option will become available once the Office Theme is set to Black.

    You can also refer to additional documentation at the following link:https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dark-mode-in-excel-c0014bf6-c20e-41eb-8363-75b9c5759d7f

    If you have followed the steps above but still cannot switch to Dark Mode, please try repairing Office and then try again:

    Step 1: Press Windows + R

    Step 2: Select Apps > Installed apps

    Step 3: Find Microsoft Office

    User's image

    Step 4: Click the three dots (⋯) > Modify > Online Repair

    I hope the information above is helpful. Please follow the steps and let me know the result. If the issue is still not resolved, we can continue working together to troubleshoot it.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any other questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments so I can continue to support you.

    I look forward to continuing our discussion.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.