Windows 10 Mail app finally gets real dark mode with the latest Release Preview update

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By Daniel Rubino
last updated

It's dark and just lovely in the updated Mail app for Windows 10.

Outlook vs Windows Mail
Outlook vs Windows Mail (Image credit: Windows Central)

Windows 10 dark mode can best be described as a journey, not a race, and that's evident with its default Mail app. For years, the app was able to go dark except for the actual page where you read the email, which remained white. That's now changing as spotted by WindowsUnited.

Starting with version 16005.11231.20142.0 for those in the Windows Insider Release Preview Ring the Mail app can now go completely dark (a restart or toggling the dark mode option may be required).

The new dark mode, along with a bevy of other UI changes, were first spotted on January 24, but only for those in the Windows Insider Fast Ring ("19H1"). Now, those on the October Update (1809) can get the new version as well.

For those who don't like the dark reading pane a toggle lets you easily turn it off.

For those who don't like the dark reading pane a toggle lets you easily turn it off.

While not a massive overhaul it's these little things that go a long way to making the native Mail app on Windows 10 rather fun to use.

There's no word on when this update will go to those on non-Windows Insider builds (aka Production), but with this final stage of testing, it is likely just a few weeks.

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.