How to turn on dark theme in Outlook

Dark theme in Outlook changes the background from white to dark gray or black, which reduces eye strain in low light. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop for Windows, or Outlook for Mac.

On Outlook.com or Outlook on the web, select the gear icon in the top right, then choose View and toggle Dark on. On Outlook desktop for Windows, go to File > Options > General, then under Personalization choose Dark Mode. On Outlook for Mac, open Outlook > Preferences > General and select Dark under Appearance.

Key Takeaways

  • Outlook.com users click the gear icon, select View, and toggle Dark on — this takes about 10 seconds.
  • Windows desktop users go through File > Options > General and choose Dark Mode under Personalization.
  • Mac users access Preferences from the Outlook menu and select Dark under Appearance.
  • Dark theme applies only to your account and does not affect how recipients see your emails.
  • You can switch back to light theme at any time using the same menus.

Dark theme on Outlook.com step by step

Open Outlook.com in your browser and sign in if you are not already. Look for the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen, next to your profile picture. Click it and a menu will drop down.

Select View from that menu. A second menu will appear with theme options. You will see Light and Dark as choices. Click Dark. The change takes effect immediately — your inbox background will shift to dark gray and text will turn light.

Dark theme on Outlook desktop for Windows

Open Outlook on your computer. At the top left, click File. A sidebar menu will open on the left side of the screen. Scroll down and select Options.

In the Options window, click General on the left side. Look for the section labeled Personalization. Under that section, you will see a dropdown or toggle for theme choice. Select Dark Mode. Click OK at the bottom of the window to save the change. Outlook will restart or refresh, and dark theme will be active.

Dark theme on Outlook for Mac

Open Outlook on your Mac. At the very top of the screen, click Outlook in the menu bar. A dropdown menu will appear. Select Preferences.

In the Preferences window, click General. Look for the Appearance section. You will see radio buttons or a dropdown for theme options. Select Dark. Close the Preferences window. The theme change takes effect right away.

What dark theme does and does not change

Dark theme changes only what you see on your screen. It darkens the Outlook interface — the sidebar, toolbar, message list, and reading pane. Text and images in emails you receive stay the same. When you send an email, the recipient sees it exactly as you wrote it, regardless of what theme you use.

Dark theme also does not change your settings, calendar, contacts, or any data. It is purely a visual preference. If you sign into Outlook on a different device, that device will use whatever theme is set on that device — your dark theme choice does not sync across all your devices automatically.

Switching back to light theme

You can turn off dark theme at any time by reversing the steps. On Outlook.com, click the gear icon, select View, and toggle Light on. On Windows desktop, go to File > Options > General > Personalization and choose Light Mode. On Mac, go to Outlook > Preferences > General > Appearance and select Light.

There is no penalty for switching back and forth. You can change your theme preference as often as you want, and the change takes effect immediately.

Troubleshooting dark theme problems

If dark theme is turned on but your Outlook still looks light, clear your browser cache if you use Outlook.com. Close all Outlook windows and reopen the application if you use desktop Outlook. On Mac, try signing out and signing back in.

If the option to change theme is not visible, make sure you are using a recent version of Outlook. On Windows, check for updates by going to File > Office Account > Update Options. On Mac, go to Outlook > Check for Updates. Older versions of Outlook may not have dark theme available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does dark theme work on Outlook mobile apps?

Yes. On Outlook for iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Display and toggle Dark Mode on. On Outlook for Android, open Settings > Display and select Dark. The steps are similar to desktop, and the setting applies only to your device.

Will my contacts see dark theme when I email them?

No. Dark theme is a display setting on your device only. Recipients see your emails in their own theme, whatever they have chosen. The email content itself does not change.

Can I set dark theme to turn on automatically at a certain time?

Outlook does not have a built-in scheduler for theme switching. However, on Windows 10 and later, you can set your system to switch to dark mode automatically at sunset. Outlook will follow your system theme if you have not manually overridden it in Outlook settings.

What if dark theme makes text hard to read?

Switch back to light theme using the same menu where you turned dark theme on. You can also adjust text size in Outlook settings — on Windows, go to File > Options > General and look for zoom or text size options. On Mac, use System Preferences > Accessibility > Display.