How to unlock Microsoft Excel’s True Dark Mode!

Enhance Your Excel Experience with Authentic Dark Mode in Seconds!

The problem with Microsoft’s ‘Dark Mode’

If you have ever tried to get Microsoft Excel to be viewed in dark mode you have probably found this (referring to the image to the right). Microsoft Excel’s default ‘Dark Mode’ only effects the ribbon and menu bar. What good is that?

Fortunately there are methods available that will help you enable a true dark mode. Unfortunately, none of those methods are straight forward or easy… Until now.

Microsoft’s Dark Mode: A Solid Foundation

Microsoft Excel already provides a Dark Gray theme by default, which bestows a subtle dusky ambiance upon its interface… and just the interface. You can access this alternative mode by navigating to File > Options > General > Office Themes and selecting Dark Gray.

As mentioned before, this sucks. It is not dark mode. Let me show you how to fix it.

The Long Method: PowerPoint

Yes, PowerPoint. Believe it or not people have went through a lot of trouble to try and make a work around for Microsoft’s blunder.

As outlined here, you can go into PowerPoint, create a slide and export it as an background. You can then take that background and place it as the default background for your Excel sheet. The downside of this, other than it taking a long time and being a pain in the butt to do, is that this change will only effect the current sheet. Change a new sheet, or go to a new workbook, you have to do it all over again!

No thanks! There are easier ways!

VBA Dark Mode – Free and Customizable:

Let me welcome VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), a programming language that empowers you to devise custom macros and automate tasks within Excel.

Someone online was gracious enough to take this problem to a programming level and created a VBA project available on GitHub, enabling the application of a dark mode to your Excel interface. It’s cost-free, customizable, and grants you the reins to shape your Excel dark mode to your whims.

The plus side is that it is an MIT license, which means it is 100% free and you can literally do whatever you want to it. You can build your own model off of it to customize to your hearts content.

The downside? Well, it is currently not exactly plug-and-play. You need to have a working knowledge of VBA and Excel’s VBA Editor in order to use it correctly.

But, there is yet an easier way!

CelTools Add-in – The Easiest Dark Mode Experience:

Yeah, I know, its a plug to our own product, but before you click away!!! … This function, as well as many others, is completely free inside of CelTools.

CelTools is a Microsoft Excel Add-in that packs over 70+ useful tools and macros for everyday customer, business and personal uses. It is really a Swiss Army Knife for Excel.

Inside of CelTools navigate to the CT Graphics tab, click Dark Mode and you are done!

That is really all you have to do. I’m not kidding. Simple, right?

The downside? Well… there is not downside. It is a free function already in an self installing app for Excel. Install it and you are good to go with a crap top of other freebies too. What is not to love?

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, while Microsoft Excel provides a default dark gray theme, it’s high time that Microsoft embrace the genuine dark mode experience. But, until then, we will gladly pickup the cup and make Excel better for everyone to use.

Armed with the might of VBA and the enchantment of the CelTools add-in, you can seamlessly transform your Excel interface into a visually stunning and immersive environment. The Dark Mode is completely free inside of CelTools, as well as many other features. With these methods you can feel empowered to create an Excel workspace that’s sleek, captivating, and uniquely yours. So, let us embark on this journey into the world of dark mode in Excel and elevate your spreadsheet game!