How to change Power BI Desktop UI back to dark mode?

[jimmyswoosh]

Hi Power BI Community,

My Power BI Desktop UI's color switch to light/white recently and I can't seem to find the option to switch it back to dark mode. Does anyone know how to?

Thanks,

-James

[gzigg]

NO - NOT FIXED.   As of July 16, 2019, on PowerBI Version: 2.70.5494.761 64-bit (June 2019) THIS IS NOT FIXED. 

From everything im reading it seems to be a choice forced onto users by Microsoft developers.   

Im amazed such a basic but impactful thing like GUI color is changed without even providing an improvement over the prior color (ie: a way to chose).   This action reveals where the PowerBI Leadership's head is at, their actions reveal their thoughts:  "disregard the humans using our interface, we will dictate what they need, we know better than they do".     GRRRRRRRR.

I was just starting to like PowerBI.   Back to TABLEAU for me.

[Anonymous]

hi folks,

as of June 2021, this has not been resolved. The petition has 6000 votes and in Power BI roadmap, but I am getting skeptical we will ever see an actual release. The fastest work around is to activate the windows 10 dark mode: press left shift + alt shift + print screen and it will force every app to enter dark mode.

It looked like a DOS interface. Not really pleasant, but will reduce your brightness. here's a screenshot from my computer. 

[Anonymous]

Hi Folks,

A quick get around  for the Powerbi Dark mode problem.

Use the windows 10 Magnifier.

In Options toggle the Invert colours Switch on and set the Magnifier view to full screen.

This will fake a dark mode. You will have to turn it off to view your visualizations in the correct colours, but it does help your eyes.

Hope this helps

[jimmyswoosh]

Hi All,

Just want to call out that even though I marked this issue as solved, which it was at the time. Today, I got a notice to update Power BI when I launced it on my desktop. So I went ahead and clicked on the notice and it took me to a page to download. Once installation was completed, I launce Power BI Desktop and guess what...... It's back to white theme again!

Does anyone actually like this theme? It burns my eyes.

[Rian_II]

Hi,

I'm not sure why the solution above was accepted. It is merely a link to download the latest version of Power BI, which is exactly where the Desktop UI version was changed to the light mode.

Can you please advise?

P.S. I think it was a big mistake introducing the light mode without the option of switching back to dark mode.

[EarthIsFlat]

Yea I cannot dev in anything other than dark mode.  Just compleatly unmotivated to do so.  I hate the bright white and fight it tooth and nail.

[briandpeterson]

I just opened Power BI up and it's all light. My EYES!!!!!!!

Is there no option? I tried uninstalling an re-installing. It's not back to black. I can't find an option, even searched documentation. Was this on purpose? 

[jimmyswoosh]

Hi @Rian_II ,

I marked it as the solution because I reinstalled Power BI and my UI returned back to dark instead of light.

It didn't the first time I tried it so I went to "Add or Remove Programs" and uninstalled "Power BI". I saw I had two Power BI apps for some reason, so I uninstalled both of them. Reinstalled Power BI and checked to see if there was only 1 app installed, there is. Open Power BI Desktop, the UI was dark.

[Rian_II]

Hi @jimmyswoosh ,

That's very interesting. If this is true on my PC as well, they must have released a patch to revert to dark mode. I can't see how it can happen any other way (except by re-installing the May version). @v-lili6-msft , can you perhaps shed some light on this (which does not mean "make our Desktop UI light" 😉 )

I'll give it a try (i.e. uninstalling and re-installing the very same version) in the next few days and let you know if my dark mode has also returned.

[v-lili6-msft]

hi, @Rian_II  @briandpeterson 

For Power BI Desktop June 2019 version on June 9, 2019, It is the default mode for power bi desktop.

https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-bi-desktop-june-2019-feature-summary/

This is designed by power bi product team, we couldn't change it for now.

and we find many users are not comfortable with it these two days.

Please submit your feedback in here, and I think power bi product team will take this seriously.

As a workaround, you could re-installing the May version.

Best Regards,

Lin

[Anonymous]

Specific link to vote for optional dark or light interface:

https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/37882726-option-to-use-either-lig...

[v-lili6-msft · Accepted solution]

hi, @jimmyswoosh 

I would suggest you uninstall and reinstall the latest version power bi desktop.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=45331

Best Regards,

Lin

[MarkTheWhiz]

I just did that - TWICE - but there IS NO OPTION FOR DARK MODE that I can find

[sovereign]

I uninstalled and reinstalled Power BI Desktop a couple of times and still could not see an option to switch to dark mode. This is unbelieavable, isn't PowerBI supposed to be this 'advanced' tool? Thousands of tools help developers with dark mode and yet MS decided to make it the hardest possible way to do this. This makes PowerBI look like 20 years old software...

I just started learning it and I am seriously considering other options now. This software is not reliable, outdated, slow to change...

I also had the hardest time setting basic authentication with API, using PowerBI. Very frustrating day with my eyes (very sensitive eyes I have) suffering because MS simply DOES NOT CARE about my eyes.

[Anonymous]

 I un-installed and re-installed the PBI but the UI remains as light /white mode ? 

[Rian_II]

Hi @Anonymous ,

I'm not aware of any hack to change to dark mode. Fortunately Microsoft has announced that the recent ribbon changes enables them to do the following in a future update: 

Add the black and dark grey Office themes to Power BI Desktop

See the November update video for more info.

Kind regards

Rian

[jimmyswoosh]

Thanks @v-lili6-msft ,

I updated Power BI Desktop and it didn't work, thought it would replace the old file.

When I went to uninstall Power BI, there were two files to uninstall. I uninstalled both of them and re-downloaded/re-installed the app.

Everything is good now.

Thanks,

-James

[technolog]

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/consumer/mobile/mobile-apps-dark-mode