Are you a Mac user who's been craving a darker side to your Excel experience? You're in luck! With the release of macOS Mojave and later, Excel for Mac now supports Dark Mode. In this guide, we'll walk you through enabling Dark Mode in Excel on your Mac, its benefits, and how to customize it to your liking.
Enabling Dark Mode in Excel on Mac
Before you dive into the dark side, ensure your Mac is running on macOS Mojave (10.14) or later. Here's how to enable Dark Mode in Excel:
- Open Excel on your Mac.
- Click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
- Select 'System Preferences' from the dropdown menu.
- Click on 'General'.
- Under 'Appearance', select 'Dark'.
- Excel will automatically switch to Dark Mode.
Benefits of Dark Mode in Excel
Dark Mode isn't just about aesthetics. It offers several benefits, especially for those who spend long hours in front of their screens:

- Reduced Eye Strain: Dark Mode reduces the amount of blue light emitted by your screen, which can help alleviate eye strain and dryness.
- Improved Battery Life: Dark Mode can help extend your Mac's battery life, especially on Retina displays.
- Enhanced Contrast: Dark Mode provides high contrast, making text and numbers stand out, which can improve readability.
Customizing Dark Mode in Excel
While Excel's Dark Mode is great, you might want to tweak it a bit to suit your preferences. Here's how you can customize it:
Adjusting the Color Scheme
Excel offers two color schemes in Dark Mode: 'Dark Gray' and 'Black'. Here's how to switch between them:
- Open Excel.
- Click on 'Excel' in the menu bar.
- Select 'Preferences' from the dropdown menu.
- Click on 'General'.
- Under 'Theme', select your preferred color scheme.
Managing Window Transparency
Dark Mode also allows you to adjust the transparency of Excel windows. Here's how:

- Open Excel.
- Click on 'Excel' in the menu bar.
- Select 'Preferences' from the dropdown menu.
- Click on 'Dock'.
- Adjust the 'Transparency' slider to your liking.
Dark Mode Compatibility
While Dark Mode is supported in Excel for Mac, it's important to note that it might not be fully compatible with all Excel add-ins or macros. If you encounter any issues, consider reaching out to the add-in developer or Microsoft Support for assistance.
Dark Mode in Excel on Mac is more than just a cosmetic change. It's a feature that can help improve your productivity and comfort. Whether you're a night owl or just prefer a darker interface, give Dark Mode a try and experience the difference for yourself!




















