To change Word to light mode on Windows, click File > Account, open the Office Theme menu, and choose White or Colorful. If only the page is dark while the menus look fine, click the View tab and select Switch Modes to turn the page white again. On a Mac, Word follows your macOS appearance, but you can turn off dark mode just for Word in Word > Settings > General.
The theme applies to all Office apps, like Excel and Outlook, on that computer. Here are the steps for each version and how to keep the page white even in dark mode.
How to switch Word to light mode on Windows
- Open Word and click File.
- Click Account at the bottom left. (Or go to File > Options > General.)
- Open the Office Theme menu.
- Choose White for a fully light look, or Colorful for a light window with a blue title bar.
If the theme is set to Use system setting, Word matches Windows. To keep Word light while Windows stays dark, choose White instead.
Make the page white while keeping dark menus
In Microsoft 365, the Black theme also darkens the document page. To keep dark menus with a white page:
- Quick toggle: Click View > Switch Modes. This changes only the page background.
- Always white: Go to File > Options > General and check the option to never change the document page color (called Disable dark mode in some versions).
This only affects what you see on screen. The document prints and shares with its normal colors.
Word theme options explained
| Theme | Look |
|---|---|
| White | Light ribbon and window |
| Colorful | Light ribbon with a blue title bar in Word |
| Dark Gray | Medium gray, with a white page |
| Black | Full dark mode, often with a dark page |
| Use system setting | Follows Windows light or dark mode |
How to turn off dark mode in Word for Mac
- Open Word and click Word > Settings (or Preferences).
- Click General.
- Under Personalize, choose Turn off Dark Mode, or Dark Mode has a white page color to keep dark menus.
Word on iPhone, iPad, and Android
The mobile apps follow your phone’s appearance. Turn off dark mode on the device, or in the Word app look under Settings for a theme or dark mode option, depending on the version.
If only some text has a coloured background, see removing background colour from pasted text.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Word turn black?
Your Office Theme is set to Black, or it’s set to Use system setting and Windows switched to dark mode. Change the theme to White.
Does the theme change my document’s colors?
No. Themes only change how Word looks on your screen. Other people see your document normally.
Will changing the theme affect Excel and Outlook?
Yes. The Office Theme applies to all Office apps signed in with the same account on that PC.
Can I change the page color permanently?
To give a document a colored background for everyone, use Design > Page Color. That’s different from the theme.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.