Dark Mode in Outlook
Applies To
Outlook for Microsoft 365 Office for business Outlook on the web Outlook.com Microsoft OfficeIn Outlook, the black color theme includes dark mode, which provides a black background (instead of white) for the message window. You can switch to a white background for the message window if you prefer.
Select a tab option below for the version of Outlook you're using. What version of Outlook do I have?
Note: If the steps under this New Outlook tab don't work, you may not be using new Outlook for Windows yet. Select the Classic Outlook tab and follow those steps instead.
How do I turn on dark mode in new Outlook?
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At the top of the page, select Settings
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Under Dark mode, select Dark.
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Select Save.
Why does my reading pane have a dark background?
When dark mode is turned on, the reading pane has a dark background to reduce eye strain. You can make the reading pane brighter by selecting 
How do I see the original message formatting?
To see the original message formatting, select
How do I toggle between light and dark mode for email compose window?
When composing a message, you can turn dark mode off from the Message toolbar by selecting the Toggle light background. To change the message window to black, select the Toggle dark background button.
How do I configure light background for reading pane and email compose window?
If you prefer to keep the reading pane and new email compose window in light background while the rest of the interface is in dark mode.
1. In new Outlook, go to View tab.
2. Select Light Reading Pane.
How do I turn off dark mode?
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At the top of the page, select Settings
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Under Dark mode, select Light or Use system settings.
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Select Save.
Switch to black theme in classic Outlook
Dark mode is enabled by default when you use the black theme. To switch to the black theme in Outlook:
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Go to toolbar and select File, then select Office Account.
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Under Office Theme, select Black.
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Select the back arrow at the top to return.
Note: The theme you choose will be applied to all Microsoft 365 desktop applications.
Toggle between dark mode on and dark mode off
When reading a message, you can turn dark mode on or off by using the button at the top of the message window.
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Select the sun button to change the message window background to white.
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Select the moon button to change the message window background to black.
When composing a message, you can turn dark mode on or off from the Message toolbar by selecting the dark mode button to change the message window to white or black.
Disable dark mode
If you prefer, you can disable dark mode so that the message window is always white when using the black theme. The buttons to switch dark mode on or off are disabled when you disable dark mode.
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In Outlook, go to File > Options.
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On the General page, look for Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office.
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Set the Office Theme to Black and select the check box next to Never change the message background color.
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Select OK.
How do I turn on dark mode in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com?
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At the top of the page, select Settings
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Under Dark mode, select Dark.
-
Select Save.
Why does my reading pane have a dark background?
When dark mode is turned on, the reading pane has a dark background to reduce eye strain. You can make the reading pane brighter by selecting
How do I see the original message formatting?
To see the original message formatting, select
How do I turn off dark mode?
-
At the top of the page, select Settings
-
Under Dark mode, select Light or Use system settings.
-
Select Save.
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