How to Change the Colour of Outlook: Themes, Backgrounds, and Display Options Explained

Microsoft Outlook gives you more control over its appearance than most people realise. Whether you want to reduce eye strain, match your workspace aesthetic, or simply get away from the default white interface, there are several distinct ways to change colours in Outlook — and they don't all do the same thing.

What "Colour" in Outlook Actually Refers To

When people ask about changing Outlook's colour, they're usually referring to one of three separate things:

• The Office Theme — the overall colour scheme of the entire application (light, dark, or colourful)
• The Background or Office Background — a subtle pattern that appears in the toolbar area
• Message background colours — the colour of the reading pane or the background when composing emails

These are controlled in different places and affect your experience in different ways. Changing one won't automatically change the others.

Changing the Office Theme (Dark Mode, Light Mode, Colourful)

The most impactful colour change you can make is switching the Office Theme. This applies across all Microsoft 365 apps — Outlook, Word, Excel — not just Outlook alone.

To change the Office Theme in Outlook (Windows):

1. Open Outlook and click File
2. Select Office Account (or just Account in some versions)
3. Under Office Theme, use the dropdown to choose from available options

Common theme options include:

The Black theme is the closest to a true dark mode on desktop. If you're on Outlook for Microsoft 365, you may also see a dedicated Dark Mode toggle separate from the Office Theme setting.

Enabling Dark Mode in Outlook

🌙 Dark mode in Outlook deserves its own mention because it works differently depending on the version you're using.

Outlook on Windows (Microsoft 365): Go to File → Office Account → Office Theme → Black or use the Dark Mode button in the View ribbon if your version supports it. Some builds also include a Switch Modes button in the top-right corner of the reading pane.

Outlook on Mac: Outlook on Mac follows the system-level dark mode setting from macOS. Go to System Settings → Appearance → Dark and Outlook will update automatically. You can also override this in Outlook → Preferences → General → Appearance.

Outlook on the Web (Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 Web): Click the Settings gear icon → search for "Dark mode" or navigate to General → Appearance → Dark mode and toggle it on.

Outlook Mobile (iOS and Android): The app respects your device's system dark mode setting. You can also find a manual toggle under Settings → Appearance within the app itself.

Changing the Reading Pane and Message Background

The Office Theme controls the chrome of the application, but the reading pane background — what you see when reading emails — is a separate consideration.

For plain text emails, the background is largely controlled by your theme. For HTML emails, the sender's formatting determines most of the visual appearance. You can't universally override an email's internal colours without using browser extensions or accessibility settings.

Some users working in Outlook on the Web can enable a Dark mode that attempts to invert or soften HTML email backgrounds, though results vary depending on how each email was coded.

Changing the Background Pattern (Office Background)

Separate from colour, Outlook allows you to apply a decorative background pattern to the title bar area. This is a cosmetic option found in the same Office Account settings panel.

You can choose from patterns like "Circles and Stripes," "School Supplies," or simply No Background for a clean look. This doesn't affect the workspace colour — it's purely decorative.

Customising Email Composition Background Colours

If you want to change the background colour when composing an email (not just viewing one), that's handled within the email editor itself:

1. Open a New Email
2. Go to the Options tab in the ribbon
3. Click Page Colour to select a background colour for that message

Keep in mind this only affects that specific email's composition view and the background colour the recipient will see — it doesn't change the app-wide interface.

Variables That Affect Your Experience

Not everyone will get the same results from these steps. Several factors shape what's available and how well it works:

• Outlook version — Classic Outlook, New Outlook, Outlook for Microsoft 365, and legacy standalone versions each have different menus and feature availability
• Operating system — Windows 10, Windows 11, and macOS handle theme inheritance differently
• Microsoft 365 subscription tier — Some appearance settings are only available to subscribers, not free Outlook.com users
• Whether you're using New Outlook — Microsoft is gradually transitioning users to "New Outlook," which has a redesigned settings panel that doesn't always match older guides

The Spectrum of Outcomes

A user on New Outlook for Windows 11 will find a streamlined settings experience with system-level dark mode integration. Someone using Outlook 2019 as a standalone purchase may have fewer theme options and no access to newer dark mode features. A person accessing email through Outlook on the web at work may have settings restricted by their organisation's IT policy.

Even within the same version, the reading experience in dark mode differs noticeably between a plain text email, a marketing HTML email, and a calendar invite — each renders colour differently.

What works seamlessly for one setup may require a workaround — or may simply not be available — for another. 🖥️