Before you begin you’ll need to update to the latest version of Windows 10, as the Dark Mode is a new feature in the October 2018 release. See our How to use Automatic Updates in Windows 10 for more details.
Enabling Dark Mode in Windows 10
Turning on the Dark Mode in Windows 10 is surprisingly easy, as there are no additional apps to download or anything like that. Instead, you need to open the Start Menu and click on the Settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) found in the lower left corner.
Next, select the Personalisation option then click on the Colours tab in the left hand column.
Scroll down, past the grid of coloured squares, until you see the section entitled Choose your default app mode.
Underneath, there are two options – Light and Dark – and you’ll want to select the latter.
Now your display should dispense with the mainly white backgrounds and instead employ the black one of Dark Mode.
While this works for Windows, you’ll find that many apps still use the normal Light mode. This can at least be addressed in other software by Microsoft.
Enabling Dark Mode in the Edge browser
Launch Edge then click on the row of three dots found in the top right corner. From the menu that appears select Settings and look for the option entitled Choose a theme.
Click the drop down menu and select Dark. Once more your interface will be bathed in the pallor of night.
Enabling Dark Mode in Microsoft Office
It’s a similar story with Office. Open the relevant app (Word, Excel, OneNote, etc.) and select File>Account. Look for Office Theme, change it to Dark, and your interface will resemble the interior of Disaster Area’s Sundive stuntship.
For more details on what’s included in Microsoft’s latest release read our Windows 10 October update features guide.
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.
