Microsoft Finally Brings Dark Mode to Outlook.com

Microsoft has rolled out the much-awaited Dark Mode for the Web version of Outlook. Earlier this month, the technology giant had teased the Dark Mode for Outlook.com and had also previewed its development at Halloween last year. As per the official Outlook feedback portal, the dark mode has been among the most demanded features for the email client. The latest development comes a little more than a month after Apple brought the feature to macOS. Even apps such as Twitter and Facebook Messenger have been offering a dedicated Dark Mode for a while now.

As announced through a feedback post, the Dark Mode is live for Microsoft's Outlook.com, almost year after it was requested. The company says that the Dark Mode is a "more-pleasant way to read your Outlook.com email if you prefer interfaces that are less bright or if you are in a low-light environment." It confirmed that the new feature is available only on Outlook.com. There is no clarity on whether a similar mode will arrive in the mobile Outlook app.

To turn on Dark Mode, you will have to go to the Quick Settings panel by selecting the Gear icon at the top of your screen. The option to enable Dark Mode is near the top of the panel, right under Theme selection. The feature is available on Microsoft Edge browser as of now but, will roll out to other Web browsers as well.

Outlook Program Manager Philip Loh also explains why the new Dark Mode is not a theme. He says that the way most people would expect themes to work and the way Dark Mode works were "fundamentally different." Also, the Dark Mode is expected to be available for all the themes in the future. As of now, Dark Mode only supports the default Blue theme. Loh adds that the Halloween prototype was redesigned several times before the final release.

To recall, Microsoft in March released a redesigned Outlook.com version with a list of personalisation options and features such as Mail, Calendar, and People Experiences for all users. The redesigning treatment also enabled a faster performance and an improved Skype integration.