[Fix] Excel theme not being applied

The Theme functionality alters the color and size of the Excel spreadsheet. The Theme bundle includes colors, fonts, and effects to modify the appearance of your spreadsheet. However, what if you suddenly discover that Excel themes are not being applied or the Excel theme feature is not functioning? In this guide, we will elucidate the solutions to resolve this problem.

Resolve Excel theme not being applied

If the Excel themes are not being applied or the Excel theme feature is not working, follow these suggestions to resolve the issue:

1. Remove the protection from the worksheet.
2. Erase the Conditional Formatting from the spreadsheet.
3. Repair Excel.
4. Update Excel.

1] Remove the protection from the worksheet

The Theme option will appear grayed out if the worksheet is password-protected. Therefore, you must remove the protection from the worksheet to enable the theme option.

Select the worksheet.

Go to the Review tab and click the Unprotect Sheet button in the Protect group.

Enter your password and press Enter.

The worksheet is now unprotected; navigate to the Page Layout tab to check if the Theme option is enabled.

Read: How to add or modify the Theme for Workbook in Excel

2] Erase the Conditional Formatting from the spreadsheet

If the worksheet contains conditional formatting, you will not be able to apply any themes to your spreadsheet. Thus, remove the conditional formatting from the worksheet.

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On the Page Layout tab, click the Themes button and select a theme.

On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the Conditional Formatting button, hover the cursor over Clear Rules, then select Clear Rules from selected cell.

Now, the selected theme will be displayed.

3] Repair Excel

The Theme feature may fail to function due to corrupted Excel files. You can utilize Windows Settings to repair or reset the app through the following steps:

Open Settings from Windows.

Click Apps.

Click Apps and Features on the left pane.

Click Microsoft 365 (Office) and click Advanced Options.

Click the Repair button.

Now, check if the Theme option is functioning in Excel.

4] Update Excel

To update Office:

• Click File.
• In the backstage view, click Account.
• Click the Update Options button and select Update Now.

Wait for the update to complete, then verify if the Theme option is functioning.

Why am I unable to change the theme in Excel?

In Microsoft Excel, you might encounter difficulty in changing the theme due to various reasons mentioned in the article, such as the protected worksheet, the presence of conditional formatting in the spreadsheet, a corrupted Excel installation, or the need to update Excel.

READ: Freeze Pane not functioning in Excel

How do I apply a Feathered theme in Excel?

Visit the create.microsoft.com website. In the search engine, enter “feather theme.” Search for the feather theme and press Enter. Click the Download button to download the theme.

Now, open Excel. Click the Page Layout tab, click the Themes button, and select Browse for Themes. A Choose theme or Theme document dialog box will appear. Go to Download on the left pane, select the template, and click Open. Now, we have the feather theme. You will notice that the font on the column header has changed.

If you wish to save the feather theme, click the Themes button and select Save Current Theme from the menu. A Save Current Theme dialog box will appear. Name the theme, then click Save. If you want to view the theme, click the Themes button to access the menu.

READ: Difference between Worksheets and Workbooks in Excel.