Microsoft just added a dark mode to Outlook.com, but Google is way ahead of Microsoft. Gmail has had a dark theme for years. Here’s how to enable it—and get a better, more complete dark mode for Gmail, too.

How to Enable Gmail’s Official Dark Mode

To change your Gmail theme, click the gear menu button at the top right corner of the Gmail website and select the “Themes” option.

This option is in the same place whether you’re using the new Gmail or the classic Gmail.

To use a basic dark theme with some dark grays, scroll down and click the black “Dark” tile to the right of the standard Gmail Light Theme.


To use an even darker theme with more pure blacks than grays, scroll down even further and click the “Terminal” theme.


You can also use any custom background image as the background for your dark theme. To select a photo, either click one of the suggested photos at the top of the themes pane or click the “My Photos” link.