When I select text in Microsoft Word, it highlights the text in black, so I can't read what's selected. How can I change that to light gray?

Dan Webb -- Work (organization: danwebbdotcom) 0 Reputation points
2025-12-05T15:43:33.21+00:00

When I select text in Microsoft Word, it highlights the text in black, so I can't read what's selected. How can I change that to light gray?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. AI answer

    2025-12-05T15:43:42.4166667+00:00

    To change the selection highlight color in Microsoft Word, you can adjust the settings in the application. However, the specific method to change the highlight color to light gray is not detailed in the provided context. Typically, you would look for options in the Word settings under accessibility or display settings to customize the highlight color.

    If you are using a version of Word that supports it, you might also consider changing the Windows theme or color settings, as this can affect how selected text appears in Word.

    For more detailed instructions, you may need to refer to the official Microsoft Word documentation or support resources.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Harold Milan 17,595 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-12-05T16:33:42.64+00:00

    Hi,

    The black highlight when selecting text in Word isn’t a Word bug it’s caused by Windows High Contrast or accessibility settings overriding the default light gray selection color. Word itself doesn’t let you change this; you need to adjust your Windows theme or Office theme. Switching back to a standard theme will restore the normal gray selection.

    Happy to help!

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  3. Chris 5 Reputation points
    2026-09-15T05:10:10.6866667+00:00

    I never turn on accessibility and I've already made sure Contrast setting is turned off. This is also a new issue I was having. I'm commenting to offer an alternative to those searching. The below directions fixed the issue.

    Press Windows Key + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.

    1. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\Options (adjust version number if not using Office 16/365).
    2. Look for NoTranslucentSelection. If it is there, double-click it and set its value to 0. If it is not there, right-click the empty space, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it NoTranslucentSelection, and set the value to 0.

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