Trying to work early in the morning with a bright computer screen can often feel like a shock to the system. Even if you have the brightness level turned down, some laptops just feel too bright for certain times of the day. This is where dark mode comes in.
Besides giving your eyes a break, enabling dark mode on a system such asWindows 11can also potentially help preserve the life of your battery. These steps also work on Windows 10.
Turning on Windows dark mode
In both Windows 10 and Windows 11, the dark theme includes all parts of operating system unless a specific app has an override. The result is a vibrant desktop experience with dark mode enabled. Here’s how you may enable it in Windows 10 and 11.
Step 1: Go toSettings. You can either type it into the Windows search bar or click theGearicon in theStartmenu. Or use theWindows + Ikeyboard shortcut.
Step 2: Head toPersonalization, which features an icon of a paintbrush over a computer monitor.
Step 3: When thewindow opens, clickColors.
Step 4: Under the headingChoose Your Color, click on the drop-down menu. This menu offers three theme options:Light,Dark, andCustom. For dark mode, selectDark. In contrast, theLightoption will turn your menus and windows to a bright shade of white. Selecting theCustomoption will trigger two more options to appear:Choose Your Default Windows ModeandChoose Your Default App Mode.
For these options, you will be prompted to choose eitherLightorDark, for each option. And so, this way, with theCustomoption, choosingLightorDarkdoesn’t have to mean it will apply to the whole system at once. It can mean just choosing dark mode for certain situations.
Step 5: This step is optional, but theColorssection of theSettingsmenu also allows you to further customize your dark mode (or other modes) with accent color options. If enabled, accent colors can show up in things like menu icons, the Start menu, or the taskbar. The accent color options are located under the headingChoose Your Accent Color.
If you want Windows to automatically choose an accent color to match your wallpaper, tick the box next to the phraseAutomatically Pick an Accent Color From My Background.
Your Windows OS should come with a preset collection of 48 accent colors from which to select that you can access by navigating to the headingWindows Colors. You can also choose a custom color by clicking on thePlus Signicon next to the phraseCustom Color.
Lastly, you can also control where these colors show up.
In Windows 10, tick the box next to either or both of these phrases:Start, Taskbar, and Action CenterorTitle Bars and Window Borders. Both of those options are available forDarkandCustommodes, but not forLightmode.Lightmode only offers theTitle Bars and Window Bordersoption. These last two options should be located in theColorsmenu under the headingShow Accent Color on the Following Surfaces.
For Windows 11, you have the option to enableTransparency effects, and opt toShow accent color on Start and taskbarandShow accent color on title bars and window borders. Both are disabled by default.
Bonus tip: Activate dark mode in Microsoft Office to match system settings
If you’ve already set Windows to dark mode, you might also want to do the same with your Microsoft 365 apps, likeMicrosoft Word. The latest version of Office allows for the application of dark mode, having added the option to apply the visuals you’ve set up for your current setting background to the app. Here’s how:
Step 1:Set Windows 10 on your device to dark mode using the steps outlined earlier in this guide.
Step 2:Open a Microsoft 365 app like Word. Then chooseAccountfrom the lower-left corner of your screen.
Step 3:Under the headingOffice Theme, click to view all of the drop-down menu options.
Step 4:ChooseUse System Settingfrom the drop-down menu. If you already had your system setting on dark mode, your Microsoft 365 apps should immediately darken and turn black.
Note: If you’re trying to use dark mode across all of your Office apps, you should know thatUse System Settingmight not work for every app. This option doesn’t exist in certain Office app menus, and if you don’t have a paid subscription to Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365, you’ll find even more limitations. If you don’t have full access to the software, you might not be able to use dark mode or the Black option for every app.
If you’re looking for more desktop tweaks, learnhow to adjust the screen resolution in Windowsfor improved visuals.
