How to Open a Word Document in Dark Mode

What this guide covers

Long briefs, reports and contracts are usually written in Word, and they open on a bright white page. If you only need to read, review or search a document, launching a full word processor is more than the job needs, and it does not give you a dark page anyway.

The DOCX Reader turns a .docx file into a readable dark page in your browser. Headings, lists, tables and most images are kept in a simplified layout, and your original file is never touched. This guide shows how to open a document, adjust the page and keep a copy for later.

Step by step

1. 1

   Open the .docx file

   Choose a Word document or drop it on the page. Headings, paragraphs, lists, tables and most images are turned into a readable dark page, right in your browser.

2. 2

   Pick a tone and a size

   Choose Classic, Warm, Blue or OLED black, then set the text size and the serif or sans-serif type.

3. 3

   Search for a name or phrase

   Open the search from the toolbar, type at least two letters and step through the matches. They are highlighted in the text so you can read the lines around them.

4. 4

   Save a copy if you will return

   Add the document to My Library to reopen it later without choosing the file again. The copy lives only in this browser on this device.

When this reader is the right tool

Use it when you want to read, skim or search. It is a good fit for reviewing a long document in the evening, checking a name or a clause, or reading something that was sent to you on a computer that has no Word installed.

Use Word, or another editor, when you need to edit, accept tracked changes, read comments or check the exact print layout. The reader deliberately simplifies those features so the page stays calm and easy to scan. If a document depends on a complex layout, such as columns or text boxes, open the original for the faithful version and use the dark reader for the reading itself.

Tips

• If your justified text leaves wide gaps, a narrower reading area and left alignment are easier on the eyes.
• Use sans-serif for documents full of lists and tables.

Good to know

• The reader is for reading, not editing. Comments and tracked changes are simplified, and headers, footers, text boxes and multi-column layouts may be flattened.
• Only .docx files open. Older .doc files and password-protected documents do not.
• Text that exists only inside images cannot be searched.