Quick Links
Were you writing an essay on Microsoft Word, just to notice your document is black? Perhaps you’ve accidentally enabled Dark Mode in Microsoft Word, or your graphics driver is outdated. Regardless of the cause, here’s a quick guide on how to fix it and return Word to the default view.
Disable Dark Mode in Microsoft Word
Since Microsoft Word has a built-in dark and light mode, if your document appears black, chances are that you’re stuck in Dark Mode. Before you proceed with the other troubleshooting steps, ruling out this basic one is a good idea. Here’s what you need to do to disable Dark Mode in Microsoft Word:
If you’re on a Mac, clickWordin the top-left corner of the menu bar. SelectPreferencesfrom the drop-down menu and clickGeneralunderAuthoring and Proofing Tools.
Then, select the checkbox next toTurn off Dark Mode.
If displaying Microsoft Word’s built-in Dark Mode didn’t do the trick, it’s a good idea to check whether Dark Mode is enabled on your device. If enabled, all applications will be affected and displayed in dark mode. Therefore, ensure to refer to our guides aboutDark Mode on MacandDark Mode on Windowsto learn how to enable, disable, and customize it.
Disabling Dark Mode for Document Space Only in Word
If you’ve noticed that only the document space is in Dark Mode, you can disable that as well. On Windows, you can do so by going to theViewtab in the ribbon and clickingSwitch Modesto toggle between dark and light modes.
If you’re on a Mac, clickWordin the menu bar and selectPreferencesfrom the dropdown menu. Now, clickGeneraland check the box next toDark Mode has a white page color.
Is Your Screen Too Dark? Check If It’s a Display Issue
If Dark Mode wasn’t the culprit, we recommend checking if the issue is taking place because of a display issue. Often, we end up tweaking our laptop’s settings, just to forget all about it later.
Begin by adjusting your display’s brightness. On Windows, go toSettings > System > Display. You’ll now see a slider under theBrightness and colorheader. Simply drag the slider to the left (lighter) or right (darker) to adjust your device’s display brightness. Alternatively, you’re able to also use the physical brightness keys on your keyboard to do so.
On macOS, click theApple logoin the top-left corner of the menu bar and chooseSystem Settings. SelectDisplaysfrom the sidebar and use the slider next toBrightnessto adjust your device’s display brightness.
To allow for better readability, Windows 11 allows users toturn on High Contrast Themes. If you have this setting enabled, it’s a good idea to disable it and check if the issue still occurs. Here’s what you need to do:
You can also enable and disable these themes by pressing theLeft Alt + Left Shift + Print Screenkeys simultaneously. ClickYeson the prompt that’ll appear on the next screen, asking if you’d like to turn on or turn off High Contrast Mode.
Update Your Graphics Drivers to Fix the Black Document in Word
Another reason why you might be seeing a black document in Microsoft Word is because of outdated or malfunctioning graphic drivers. Fortunately, updating your graphic drivers is extremely simple and will only take a couple of minutes.
While the only way to update your graphics driver on macOS is toupdate your Mac’s software, you canupdate your graphics drivers on Windowsby downloading the latest drivers from your manufacturer’s website and manually installing them using Device Manager. VisitNVIDIA,AMD, orIntel’sdownload pages, find the latest graphics drivers, and install them.
If the driver file is in executable format, simply double-click the file and follow the on-screen instructions for installation. If manual installation is required, install them via Device Manager. Here’s how to update them:
More often than not, such issues can be nothing more than mere software bugs, and a straightforward fix is to install any pending updates. If none of the troubleshooting methods above seem to do the trick, we recommend installing any pending Office updates. Similarly, it’s also a good idea to update to the latest version of macOS or Windows while you’re at it.
