Changing Interface Color in PowerPoint 365 for Mac

When PowerPoint 365 for Mac is launched, you see Backstage view, as shown in Figure 1. Notice the bright orange color used for the interface.

Figure 1: PowerPoint 365 for Mac interface

If you want, you can change the bright orange to a neutral gray and end up with a different-looking PowerPoint program interface as explained in this tutorial. Follow these steps to learn more:

1. This technique works as long as your Mac OS X version is Mojave (version 10.4) or higher because we will use a native Mac OS X option called Dark mode.
2. Within Mac OS X, choose the Apple menu, and then choose the System Preferences menu option as shown in Figure 2.
3. 
   Figure 2: System Preferences
3. This brings up the System Preferences dialog box, as shown in Figure 3. Within this dialog box, select the General option (highlighted in red within Figure 3).
4. 
   Figure 3: General option
4. Within the General pane, you will find two Appearance options: Light and Dark, as shown in Figure 4, below. As you can see, Light mode is selected by default.
5. 
   Figure 4: Choose either the Light or Dark option
6. We changed the interface to Dark mode. The interface color for all elements in your Mac will change, as can be seen in Figure 5, below (compare with Figure 4).
7. 
   Figure 5: Changed interface color

When you change the interface color, notice that the bright orange section on the left side of the Backstage view also changes. Figure 6 shows the Backstage view with Dark mode selected (compare with Figure 1).

Figure 6: Backstage view displaying changed interface color

Do you know that you can continue to see the orange interface in PowerPoint even after you turn on Dark mode in Mac OS? To do so, follow these steps:

1. Within PowerPoint, choose the PowerPoint | Preferences menu option, as shown in Figure 7, below.
2. 
   Figure 7: Access Preferences
2. This brings up PowerPoint Preferences dialog box. Select the General option, highlighted in red within Figure 8, below.
3. 
   Figure 8: PowerPoint Preferences
3. In the General pane, select the option that says, Turn off Dark mode, highlighted in red within Figure 9, below.
4. 
   Figure 9: Turn off Dark mode
4. PowerPoint will now sport the orange interface in Dark mode. There's no way to achieve the reverse though, by turning on the Dark grey interface in Light mode.