Dark mode now live in OneNote, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for iOS

Microsoft OneNote on iPad Pro
(Image credit: Future)
YouTube YouTube
Watch On

What you need to know

  • OneNote, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel for iOS now have a dark mode.
  • The dark mode has been in testing for beta testers since earlier this month.
  • All of Microsoft 365 will receive dark modes over time on iOS and Android.

Updated October 15, 2019: Dark mode is now rolling out for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on iOS as well. The original story follows.

Microsoft OneNote now has a dark mode for iOS users. OneNote is the lastest Microsoft 365 app to jump on the dark mode train, following OneDrive and Microsoft To Do. Microsoft is working on bringing a dark mode to all of Microsoft 365, and it's expected that Word, Excel, and PowerPoint could soon gain dark modes as well.

Dark modes all generally serve the same purpose. They replace the majority of white backgrounds and some lighter elements with dark counterparts. The end result is an app that reduces eye strain and can save battery life depending on the device that you're using. OneNote is a particularly bright app when in light mode because of the large white canvases and menus within the app. Dark mode switches these to canvasses that are easier on the eyes.

Latest Videos From

Microsoft has been testing dark mode through beta testers since earlier this month. It is now generally available. Dark mode for OneNote on iOS comes with version 16.30. The update is rolling out now through the App Store.

Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.