How to Turn Off Dark Mode in Power BI Desktop

Accidentally switched Power BI Desktop to dark mode and can't figure out how to get back? Don't worry, it's a common situation, and the fix is simple. This guide will walk you through exactly how to turn off dark mode and take control of both your application's appearance and your report's color schemes.

Why Did My Power BI Turn Black All of a Sudden?

If Power BI Desktop suddenly switched to a dark theme, it likely wasn't a random glitch. Most often, this happens because Power BI is designed to mirror your computer's system-wide settings. When you switch your Windows operating system to "dark mode," many applications, including Power BI, will automatically follow suit.

This is a helpful feature for consistency, but it can be jarring if you're not expecting it. The good news is that you have complete control over this and can easily force Power BI into light mode, regardless of your other Windows settings. There are a couple of ways to do this, but the most direct method is right inside the Power BI application itself.

How to Turn Off Dark Mode in Power BI Settings

The most reliable way to disable the dark theme is by using Power BI's built-in options. This tells the application to ignore your Windows settings and use the visual theme you explicitly select. Just follow these steps.

Step 1: Open The Options Menu

First, open your Power BI Desktop application. In the top-left corner of the window, click on the File tab.

This will open a new pane. Towards the bottom of the list on the left, click on Options and settings, and from the menu that appears, select Options.

Step 2: Navigate to General Settings

The Options window will now open up. This is the central hub for customizing how Power BI Desktop works. On the left side of this window, you’ll see a navigation pane with several categories.

Under the top-level section called Global, click on the very first item, which is General.

Step 3: Select Your Preferred Theme

The ‘General’ settings page holds the key. Look for a section titled Themes. Here you'll find a dropdown menu that controls the application color scheme.

You have a few choices:

• Dark: This is the theme you're trying to disable. It uses a dark grey/black interface with white text.
• Light: This is the classic, bright white theme. Select this option to turn off dark mode.
• Default: For most users, this is the same as the "Light" theme.
• High contrast options: These are designed for visual accessibility.

Simply click the dropdown menu and select Light.

Important: The "Use system setting" checkbox

Right underneath the theme dropdown, you might see a checkbox labeled "Use system default setting." If this box is checked, Power BI will always try to match your Windows theme. To force Power BI into a specific mode, make sure this box is unchecked before selecting "Light" from the dropdown. This ensures your choice sticks, no matter what your operating system is doing.

Step 4: Restart Power BI Desktop

After you’ve selected the "Light" theme and clicked OK, Power BI will show a small yellow information bar at the top of the screen telling you that some changes require a restart to be applied.

Simply close Power BI Desktop completely and then reopen it. When it loads back up, you should see the familiar light interface you're used to.

Application Theme vs. Report Theme: What's the Difference?

Sometimes, developers find that the Power BI application window (the menus, ribbon, and panes) is in light mode, but the actual report canvas - where you build your charts and tables - is still dark. This is a separate setting called the Report Theme.

• Application Theme: This is what we just changed. It controls the look of the Power BI Desktop software itself - the menus, buttons, and panes around your report.
• Report Theme: This controls the default colors, fonts, and styling of the visuals within your report, including the canvas background and the colors in your bar charts, line charts, etc.

If your application is light but your canvas is dark, you need to change the Report Theme.

How to Change a Report Theme

Adjusting the colors of your report is straightforward. You'll find everything you need in the main reporting view.

1. In the top ribbon, click on the View tab.
2. The very first section on the left is called Themes. You'll see several bubbles, each representing a pre-built color palette.
3. If you're seeing a dark report canvas, chances are a dark report theme (like "Innovate" or a custom one) has been applied. To switch back, simply click on the first theme, which is the light Power BI default theme.

As you hover over the different themes, you'll see a live preview of how the colors of your charts and the background will change. Click one to apply it permanently to your report file.

If you'd like more fine-grained control, you can click the small dropdown arrow next to the themes and select Customize current theme. This opens a powerful menu where you can set individual colors for text, visuals, layout elements, and the page background to match your brand or preferences perfectly.

Alternative Method: Change Your Windows Theme

If you prefer all of your applications to be in light mode, you can change the setting at the source: your Windows operating system. This is a good global fix if you find lots of apps are opening in dark mode unexpectedly.

For Windows 11 Users:

1. Right-click on your desktop and select Personalize.
2. In the menu that appears, click on Colors.
3. Find the dropdown menu labeled "Choose your mode" and select Light.

This will change the default setting for apps system-wide. Any application (including Power BI, assuming its "Use system setting" box is checked) will now open in light mode.

For Windows 10 Users:

1. Right-click on your desktop and select Personalize.
2. In the new window's sidebar, select Colors.
3. Under "Choose your default app mode," click the bubble for Light.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Still having issues? Here are a few common hang-ups and how to solve them.

"I Changed the Setting, But It's Still Dark"

The most common reason for this is forgetting to restart Power BI Desktop. The application theme only changes after you have fully closed and reopened the program. Don't just minimize it, make sure you click the 'X' to close the window and then launch it again.

"The Theme Setting is Grayed Out and I Can't Change It"

If you're using a work computer, your organization's IT department might have set a group policy that enforces a specific theme for company software to maintain a uniform look. If the theme settings are disabled (grayed out), you will likely need to contact your IT administrator for assistance. It’s not a bug, it's a security or style policy they've put in place.

"My Report Still Opens with Dark Visuals"

This is a classic case of the Application Theme vs. Report Theme problem. Follow the steps in the section above to go to the View tab and reset your Report Theme to the default Power BI style. Remember, the report's visual colors are saved in the .PBIX file itself and won't be affected by the software's overall theme.

Final Thoughts

Controlling the appearance of Power BI Desktop is simple once you know where to look. By navigating to File > Options > General, you can quickly turn off dark mode and set a specific application theme, while the View tab gives you full control over the colors and style of your report's visuals.

Finding the right menu is one thing, but manually building reports in the first place is often where marketers and founders lose countless hours a week. At Graphed, we streamlined this process so you can get answers from your marketing and sales data without wrestling with complex BI tools. Instead of dragging and dropping fields or customizing themes, you can use our platform, Graphed, to create real-time dashboards with simple, conversational language - letting you focus on insights, not settings.