Keeptab DarkExcel online dark mode: what Microsoft offers, and what's missing
Published
In short: Microsoft's Dark Mode page for Excel covers Excel for Windows: set the Office theme to Black, then View › Switch Modes.[1] Word's dark mode page, by contrast, covers Windows, Mac and the web.[2] If you work in Excel in a browser, an extension such as Keeptab Dark gives you a dark grid on your screen without changing the workbook.[3]
You switched your computer to dark mode, your browser too, and you open a workbook on OneDrive. Excel opens in bright white. If you've used Word on the web, it's even more confusing, because Word has its own dark mode there.
What Microsoft documents for Excel
Microsoft's help page “Dark Mode in Excel” describes Dark Mode for Excel for Windows. It darkens the menus and the sheet background. Microsoft says it can help reduce eye strain and improve accessibility for people with light sensitivity.[1]
To turn it on in Excel for Windows:
- Go to File › Account › Office Theme and check that Black or Use system setting is selected.
- Select the View tab, then Switch Modes.
- Select View › Switch Modes again to turn it off.[1]
Two details make it pleasant to use. Your workbook still prints with the light page color, and your Dark Mode setting doesn't affect your collaborators.[1]
And Excel on the web?
Here is the gap. Microsoft's dark mode page for Word says Dark Mode is available in Word for Windows, Word for Mac and Word for the web.[2] The Excel page only describes Excel for Windows.[1] And even for Word, Microsoft notes that the setting doesn't carry over between the web, Windows and Mac.[2]
So if your company works in the browser, through Microsoft 365 or OneDrive, you can't count on the desktop dark mode. You'd have to open each workbook in the desktop app just to get a dark grid, which is a lot of friction for a bit of comfort.
Why the usual workarounds fall short
- Painting cells dark with a fill color changes the workbook for everyone, and covers the colors your team uses to flag things.
- Your system's dark mode doesn't reach the grid of a spreadsheet in a web page.
- Generic “invert” extensions flip every color, so your green and red cells and your charts stop meaning what they should.
Docs, Sheets and Slides in real dark mode. Keeptab Dark turns the whole Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Excel page dark. Images keep their colors, and there is no white flash. Alt+Shift+D turns it on or off.
Add to Chrome — it's freeA dark Excel in your browser: Keeptab Dark
Keeptab Dark is a Chrome extension we make. It works with Excel for the web (Microsoft 365, OneDrive, excel.cloud.microsoft), and with Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.[3]
- Dark cells, readable gridlines. The grid goes dark and the lines stay visible.[3]
- Colors keep their meaning. Highlighted cells keep their color; charts and images are not inverted.[3]
- Your workbook doesn't change. Colleagues, printing and PDF exports see the normal file.[3]
- Alt + Shift + D turns it on or off.[3]
The soft gray theme is free. Pro adds 11 more themes and an automatic switch at night.[3] Keeptab Dark only runs on Google's document sites and Excel online, doesn't read, copy or send your data, and has no analytics or ads.[3]
If you mostly use the Excel desktop app on Windows, Microsoft's own Dark Mode is the simplest choice.[1] Keeptab Dark is for the time you spend in the browser.
FAQ
Does Excel online have a dark mode?
Microsoft's “Dark Mode in Excel” help page covers Excel for Windows. It does not describe a dark mode for Excel on the web, while Word's dark mode page explicitly includes Word for the web.
How do I turn on dark mode in Excel for Windows?
Set File › Account › Office Theme to Black or Use system setting, then select View › Switch Modes. Select it again to turn it off.
Does Excel dark mode change how my sheet prints?
No. Microsoft says your information prints with the light page color whatever your Dark Mode settings, and Dark Mode doesn't affect your collaborators.
How can I make Excel dark in Chrome?
Use an extension made for spreadsheets, such as Keeptab Dark, which works on Excel for the web and keeps gridlines and cell colors readable without changing the workbook.
Sources
- Microsoft Support. Dark Mode in Excel. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/dark-mode-in-excel
- Microsoft Support. Dark Mode in Word. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/dark-mode-in-word
- Keeptab Dark. Dark mode for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Excel. https://keep-tab.com/dark/
Docs, Sheets and Slides in real dark mode
Keeptab Dark turns the whole Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Excel page dark. Images keep their colors, and there is no white flash. Alt+Shift+D turns it on or off.
Add to Chrome — it's free