Microsoft Bringing New Dark Mode to Office Apps for iOS Devices

[MacRumors]

Microsoft today announced plans to bring a new Dark Mode option to its Office apps for iOS devices, expanding on the darker user interface theme that has been available in some of its desktop apps.

Starting today, Microsoft is rolling out Dark Mode to Outlook for iOS, Android, and Office.com. In the future, when iOS 13 launches, Microsoft plans to extend the Dark Mode option to additional Office apps for iOS.

The Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneDrive, Planner, and To-Do Microsoft apps for iPhones and iPads will be updated with a Dark Mode option that will go well with the Dark Mode that Apple is introducing in iOS 13.

The new Dark Mode options will be able to be set to activate automatically when iOS 13's Dark Mode is turned on, so the darker theme won't need to be manually enabled within the Microsoft app.

Microsoft said that when designing its Dark Mode option, it thought of people who are viewing email, calendars, files, and more in places like darkened airplanes, movie theaters, or in bed at night.

Our design research specifically focused on these contexts where folks would want to use Dark Mode, and the response was very positive. While some Dark Mode experiences can be neon or overly bright, people felt that Outlook mobile kept the kind of relaxed feeling you might want in a dimly lit living room or bedroom.

Testers who used Microsoft's Dark Mode apparently found it to be "comfortable, crisp, clear, and aesthetically pleasing," plus easier on the eyes because it cuts down on eye strain.

Dark Mode will be available starting today in the Outlook app for iOS devices, and it will come to additional apps when iOS 13 and iPadOS launch.

Article Link: Microsoft Bringing New Dark Mode to Office Apps for iOS Devices

 

[gwhizkids]

I'm a big fan of the web version of Outlook's Dark Mode. Desktop, not so much. Looking forward to the iOS version, though.

 

[BrettArchibald]

Microsoft said that when designing its Dark Mode option, it thought of people who are viewing email, calendars, files, and more in places like darkened airplanes, movie theaters, or in bed at night.

First of all, NEVER do this in a movie theatre! GTFO here with that!
Secondly, if you're viewing your email and files in bed at night, instead of switching to a dark mode, maybe re-think your priorities instead? Just a thought...

 

[dannyyankou]

Microsoft said that when designing its Dark Mode option, it thought of people who are viewing email, calendars, files, and more in places like darkened airplanes, movie theaters, or in bed at night.

Don’t be that guy that checks their phone at a movie theater. If you really need to, step out.

 

[Zorn]

They rolled out a 4.0, then a 4.1 version of their beta Outlook app today, but it doesn't appear to include this dark mode feature.

 

[dannyyankou]

​

First of all, NEVER do this in a movie theatre! GTFO here with that!
Secondly, if you're viewing your email and files in bed at night, instead of switching to a dark mode, maybe re-think your priorities instead? Just a thought...

What’s wrong with checking email in bed?

 

[R3k]

Way to go Microsoft! Bet they’ve had a whole department working on it for the last 12 months. Almost there!

 

[sracer]

Instead of spending effort into "dark mode" please direct the resources to bringing the iOS apps up to parity with the web versions. kthxbai

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

For those who still have to…

 

[R3k]

Don’t be that guy that checks their phone at a movie theater. If you really need to, step out.

It’s so ****ed when people do this, why are you even in here? I’ll catch the phone glare on the corner of my eye and it totally pulls me out of the film. And then they do it over and over again. A few times I’ve gone up to people and told them to put it away as I was so furious, and the whole experience sucked for both me and them, had trouble focusing on the movie for the next 30 minutes. I dunno, just the selfishness, ignorance and lack of respect for everyone else in the theater really gets to me.

 

[bluespark]

Secondly, if you're viewing your email and files in bed at night, instead of switching to a dark mode, maybe re-think your priorities instead? Just a thought...

I view my e-mails and other documents in bed at night precisely because those are my priority. I get paid a lot of money to have the priorities I do. What exactly do you suggest I rethink?

 

[4487549]

Microsoft said that when designing its Dark Mode option, it thought of people who are viewing email, calendars, files, and more in places like darkened airplanes, movie theaters, or in bed at night.

Here's to the crazy ones...

 

[moabal]

I installed it. However, I do not see a setting under preferences to change it. Anyone else have any luck?

 

[nutmac]

I installed it. However, I do not see a setting under preferences to change it. Anyone else have any luck?

According to 4.0.0's release note:

Find it in Settings under Preferences. This feature is slowly rolling out so you might not see it right away.

 

[4487549]

Hopefully this means someday Excel for Mac will have a dark worksheet (not just the areas around it) SMH

 

[furbzv1]

I installed it. However, I do not see a setting under preferences to change it. Anyone else have any luck?

It took about 2 mins after I installed to get the option.
Looks good.

 

[decypher44]

Still patiently waiting for it to show up for me. Maybe rolling out east coast to west coast. Not urgent, but looking forward to seeing the result.

 

[Rorosbutt]

It took about 2 mins after I installed to get the option.
Looks good.

Are you running iOS 13 or 12.x?

 

[SEKKDS]

It took about 2 mins after I installed to get the option.
Looks good.

You see it on your iPHONE?? I don't. Using iPhone X with 13.1

 

[Nautilus007]

I installed it. However, I do not see a setting under preferences to change it. Anyone else have any luck?

The option is not there for me either..

 

[SEKKDS]

The option is not there for me either..

Welp, after all, in the iOS app store description of this app, it does say "slowly rolling out so you might not see it right away." Go figure. Emphasis on slowly apparently.

 

[tkukoc]

As soon as this setting hits my account I'm switching all my gmail accounts from the gmail app to outlook. Can't stand that gmail doesn't have dark mode! And the only reason I use the gmail app is to separate email (work/personal) from the built in IOS Mail.

 

[furbzv1]

Are you running iOS 13 or 12.x?

You see it on your iPHONE?? I don't. Using iPhone X with 13.1

I am running 13.1

 

[furbzv1]

As soon as this setting hits my account I'm switching all my gmail accounts from the gmail app to outlook. Can't stand that gmail doesn't have dark mode! And the only reason I use the gmail app is to separate email (work/personal) from the built in IOS Mail.

I did this as well. Why google hasn’t done a dark mode for gmail is beyond me. Now I can have all my emails under one app.

 

[btrach144]

Love Outlook on iOS!

Looks like the feature is slowly rolling out sever side.