Dark mode in Microsoft Word looks great until it doesn’t. Maybe you’re printing a document and the colors look wrong. Maybe your eyes actually prefer white backgrounds. Maybe a client sent you a file and suddenly everything looks inverted and you have no idea why.
Whatever the reason, turning off dark mode in Word is not always one click. There are actually a few different layers to this, and they work independently. I’ll walk you through all of them so you can fix it fast.
The Short Answer
If you just want the quickest fix: go to File > Account > Office Theme and switch it from Black or Dark Gray to White or Colorful. That handles the app-level dark mode in most cases.
But if your document background is still dark, or if you’re using Windows dark mode and Word is following it, read on because there’s more to it.
Why Word Has Multiple Dark Mode Settings
Word doesn’t have a single “dark mode” toggle. It has three separate things that affect how dark or light it looks:
- Office Theme controls the ribbon, toolbar, and app chrome
- Document background color controls how your actual document pages appear
- Windows system theme can override Word’s appearance depending on your version
This is why some people change the Office Theme and still see a dark document, or vice versa. You have to address the right layer depending on what’s actually dark on your screen.
How to Turn Off Dark Mode in Word on Windows
Change the Office Theme
This is the most common fix. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Word
- Click File in the top left
- Click Account (near the bottom of the left panel)
- Look for Office Theme dropdown
- Select White, Light Gray, or Colorful
That immediately changes the interface. White gives you the cleanest look. Colorful adds a subtle blue header but keeps everything light.
Stop Word From Following Windows Dark Mode
In newer versions of Word (Microsoft 365, Office 2021), there’s a setting that lets Word follow your Windows system theme automatically. If Windows is in dark mode, Word goes dark too.
To stop that:
- Go to File > Account
- Under Office Theme, look for a checkbox that says “Never change the document page color” or a dropdown option like “Use system setting”
- Change it to a specific theme like White instead of System Setting
On some versions, this option lives under File > Options > General and is listed as “Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office” with an Office Theme dropdown right there.
Fix a Dark Document Page (Black or Gray Background)
Sometimes the Office Theme is fine but your document pages still look dark. That’s a separate issue.
Word has a feature called Black Canvas in newer versions. When dark mode is active, it turns your document background dark so white text shows up on it. To turn this off specifically:
- Go to File > Options
- Click General
- Scroll to the Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office section
- Uncheck “Never change the document page color” (or check it, depending on what you want)
Wait, this one is confusing because the checkbox wording is a double negative. Here’s how to read it clearly:
| Checkbox State | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Checked | Word will NOT change page color based on system theme |
| Unchecked | Word WILL follow system dark mode and darken the page |
So if you want your document pages to stay white regardless of system settings, check that box.
Using the View Tab to Change Page Color
Another quick method that a lot of people miss:
- Click the View tab in the ribbon
- Look for Page Color or Switch Modes (this varies by version)
- Click it to toggle between dark and light page view
In Microsoft 365 builds from 2023 onwards, there’s a direct Dark Mode button in the View tab. You can click it once to toggle off.
How to Turn Off Dark Mode in Word on Mac
The process on Mac is slightly different because macOS dark mode is deeply integrated.
Change Office Theme on Mac
- Open Word
- Click Word in the menu bar at the top
- Select Preferences
- Click General
- Under Personalize, find the Office Theme dropdown
- Select Colorful or Classic to get a light interface
Stop Mac Dark Mode From Affecting Word
If your Mac is in dark mode and Word is following it:
- Go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
- Click Appearance
- Switch from Dark to Light
That changes it system-wide. If you only want to change it for Word and keep macOS in dark mode, Word for Mac doesn’t currently have a fully independent theme toggle the same way Windows does. Your best option is to use the Office Theme setting above, which at minimum changes the app chrome.
How to Fix Dark Mode in Word Online (Browser Version)
Word Online respects your browser and OS settings but also has its own setting.
- Open your document in Word Online
- Click View in the top menu
- Look for Dark Mode toggle and switch it off
If that’s not visible, check your browser’s dark mode extension or your OS settings, since Word Online can inherit those.
Changing Document Background Color Manually
Sometimes a document just has a dark background color applied directly to it. That’s not really dark mode, that’s a formatting choice someone made. Here’s how to remove it:
- Go to the Design tab (in Word 2013 and later)
- Click Page Color
- Select No Color
That removes any background color from the document itself. This is especially useful when someone sends you a document with a custom background and it looks dark on your end.
What Happens to Your Document When You Print
One thing worth knowing: Word’s dark mode is display-only in most cases. When you print, the document usually prints with a white background and black text unless you explicitly set background printing on.
To make sure backgrounds don’t print:
- Go to File > Options > Display
- Uncheck “Print background colors and images”
This keeps your print output clean even if your screen shows a dark theme.
Which Version of Word Are You Using?
The steps above cover most versions but here’s a quick reference by version:
| Word Version | Where to Find Dark Mode Settings |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 (current) | File > Account > Office Theme + View > Dark Mode toggle |
| Word 2021 | File > Account > Office Theme |
| Word 2019 | File > Account > Office Theme (no View toggle) |
| Word 2016 | File > Account > Office Theme |
| Word for Mac | Word > Preferences > General > Office Theme |
| Word Online | View menu > Dark Mode |
If you’re on an older version like Word 2013, dark mode support is very limited and the interface won’t follow system themes. The Page Color under Design is really your only option there.
A Common Problem: Word Looks Dark Even After Changing Theme
If you’ve changed the Office Theme to White but Word still looks dark, here’s what to check:
Check your Windows Personalization settings. Windows 11 has its own dark mode toggle under Settings > Personalization > Colors. If “Choose your app mode” is set to Dark, newer versions of Word may still follow it for the document canvas even after you set a light Office Theme.
Check for a contrast or accessibility setting. High Contrast Mode in Windows completely overrides app themes. To turn it off: Settings > Accessibility > Contrast Themes > select None.
Restart Word after making changes. Some theme changes don’t take full effect until you close and reopen the app.
Conclusion
Turning off dark mode in Word is straightforward once you understand that Word has separate controls for the app skin, the document canvas, and the system-level theme. The Office Theme setting handles most cases in under 30 seconds. If your document pages are still dark after that, the “Never change the document page color” checkbox in Options is the fix. And if all else fails, your Windows or macOS appearance settings might be the root cause.
Here’s the fastest path depending on your situation:
- App interface is dark: File > Account > Office Theme > White
- Document pages are dark: File > Options > General > check “Never change the document page color”
- Document has a dark background color: Design > Page Color > No Color
- Windows is making Word dark: Settings > Personalization > Colors > Light mode
- Mac dark mode affecting Word: Word > Preferences > General > Office Theme
Most people need the first two. The others come up less often but are just as easy once you know where to look.
No one setting does everything, but between these three layers, you’ll have full control over how Word looks on your screen in 2026 and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Word document turn dark again after I restart my computer?
This usually happens because Word is set to follow your Windows or macOS system theme automatically. Every time your computer restarts, it applies the system appearance settings and Word inherits them. To stop this permanently, go to File > Options > General and check the “Never change the document page color” option. That locks Word’s document canvas to white regardless of what your system theme does.
I changed the Office Theme to White but the ribbon still looks dark. What’s happening?
On Windows 11, there’s a separate setting called the “Windows color mode” that can override Office Theme for things like title bars and ribbons in some app builds. Go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and make sure “Choose your mode” is set to Light for both Windows mode and App mode. After that, reopen Word and your ribbon should match the light theme.
Can I keep Windows in dark mode but have Word stay in light mode?
Yes, partially. Set your Office Theme to White in File > Account, and check “Never change the document page color” in File > Options > General. This keeps Word’s document area and interface light. However, on some builds of Microsoft 365, the title bar might still reflect your system color. The document itself and the toolbar will stay light though, which is what matters most for working.
My document was sent by someone else and it has a dark background. How do I remove it?
That’s a formatting issue, not a dark mode issue. The person who created the document applied a background color to the page. Open the document, go to the Design tab, click Page Color, and select No Color. That strips the background completely. This doesn’t affect fonts or any other formatting in the document.
Does turning off dark mode in Word affect other Office apps like Excel or PowerPoint?
Yes. The Office Theme setting in Word applies across your entire Office installation. When you change it in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook all switch to the same theme. So if you set it to White in Word, everything goes light. If you want different themes per app, that’s not supported. It’s one theme for the whole Office suite.
