Dark mode in Word turns off in the same place you turned it on: the File menu, under Account or Options, depending on your Word version.

Microsoft Word's dark mode applies a dark background to the entire program window and makes text light-colored. If you want to switch back to the standard white background, the steps take less than a minute. The exact path depends on whether you use Word on Windows, Mac, or the web version, but all three follow the same general logic: open settings, find the theme or appearance option, and select Light instead of Dark.

Dark mode is a program-wide setting, not a document setting. Changing it affects how Word looks on your screen, not how your document prints or appears to other people who open it. Your actual document stays unchanged.

Key Takeaways

  • On Windows, go to File > Account > Office Theme and select Light from the dropdown menu.
  • On Mac, open Word > Preferences > General and change the Office Theme setting to Light.
  • On Word Online, select Settings (the gear icon) > Display Options and toggle off Dark Mode.
  • Dark mode changes only how the program looks on your screen, not how your document appears to others.
  • If you want dark mode for documents but light mode for the program interface, you can use a light theme and apply a dark background color to individual pages instead.

Turning off dark mode on Windows

Open Microsoft Word and select the File tab in the top-left corner. From the menu that appears, click Account (or Settings, depending on your Word version). Look for the section labeled Office Theme or Application Theme.

You will see a dropdown menu with three options: Colorful, Dark Gray, and Light. Select Light. The program will refresh immediately, and your Word window will switch to the standard white background with dark text. If you do not see these options, your Word version may be older — in that case, look for a Theme or Appearance section in File > Options instead.

Turning off dark mode on Mac

Click Word in the menu bar at the top of your screen, then select Preferences from the dropdown. In the Preferences window, find and click General. Look for the Office Theme option near the top of the window.

You will see the same three theme choices: Colorful, Dark Gray, and Light. Click Light. Word will update immediately. If you are using an older version of Word for Mac, the Preferences menu may be organized differently — check under View or Format if you cannot find the theme setting in General.

Turning off dark mode on Word Online

Open Word Online in your web browser and select the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner of the screen. From the menu, click Display Options. You will see a toggle for Dark Mode — click it to turn dark mode off.

Word Online's dark mode setting is tied to your Microsoft account, so the change will apply the next time you open Word Online on any device. If you prefer, you can also set Word Online to follow your operating system's dark mode setting instead of using its own independent toggle.

What to do if dark mode is still on after changing the setting

If you changed the theme to Light but Word still appears dark, close the program completely and reopen it. Sometimes Word needs a full restart to apply the change. On Windows, use Alt+F4 or close the window directly. On Mac, use Command+Q.

If the problem persists, check whether your operating system itself is set to dark mode. On Windows 10 and 11, go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and select Light. On Mac, go to System Preferences > General and select Light Appearance. Word may be inheriting the system setting even after you change the program theme.

Using a light program theme with a dark document background

Some people want the Word interface to be light but prefer reading documents with a dark background. You can achieve this by keeping the program theme set to Light and then adding a dark background color to your document pages instead.

To do this, go to Design (or Layout on older versions) > Page Color and select a dark color. This colors only the document itself, not the program menus and toolbars. The dark background will appear on your screen but will not print unless you also go to Design > Page Color > More Colors and check the box for "Print Background Colors" before printing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off dark mode affect my document or just how the program looks?

It affects only how the program looks on your screen. Your document itself is unchanged, and other people who open it will see it exactly as you saved it, regardless of what theme you use in Word.

Will dark mode turn back on automatically?

No. Once you change the theme to Light, Word will stay in Light mode until you manually change it again. The setting persists across sessions and devices if you are signed into the same Microsoft account.

Can I set different themes for different documents?

No. The theme setting applies to the entire Word program, not individual documents. All documents you open will use the same theme. If you want different documents to look different on screen, you would need to use different background colors for each document instead.

What if my version of Word does not have a dark mode option?

Older versions of Word (before 2016 on Windows or 2015 on Mac) do not include dark mode. If your version does not have the theme options described here, your Word installation does not support dark mode, and there is no way to turn it on or off.