14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has finally announced a dark mode for its Office mobile apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook on both Android and iOS.
Additionally, the dark mode also arrives for Office on the Web, and the company says it also wants to bring the same visual overhaul to SharePoint, OneDrive, OneNote, Planner, and To-Do on mobile in the coming months.
On iOS, the dark mode will go live for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with the release of iOS 13, which itself will include a dark theme for the first time on iPhone and iPad.
While Microsoft Outlook will come with a dedicated toggle to switch to dark mode manually, the software giant says it wants the new experience to also kick in when needed. Because it helps save battery life, the dark mode can be automatically enabled on Android when the battery saving mode is activated.
Gradual rollout
Additionally, Outlook will switch to dark mode depending on the system visual style, so this way the email app can blend in to the operating system more seamlessly.
Microsoft says that designing a dark mode for Microsoft Office apps wasn’t easy because it doesn’t all just come down to making everything black in the UI.
“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. They described the experience as comfortable, crisp, clear, and aesthetically pleasing, a nod to how Dark Mode can reduce eye strain,” Jon Friedman, head of Microsoft Office design, explains.
The initial rollout of dark mode for Outlook on both iOS and Android begins today.
