Your Apple Mac or MacBook features a dark mode that can help you operate more efficiently at night or in low-light conditions. Once enabled, supported apps and websites automatically switch to a dark background with white text.
The Mac Dark mode introduction was welcomed for various reasons, including users who desired a much darker desktop than macOS would previously allow.
However, this guide will show you how to make Mac dark mode in macOS Big Sur — Apple’s most recent version of macOS — as well as in previous versions of macOS.
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How To Make Mac Dark Mode
macOS includes a Dark Mode option that works across the entire system, from the dock and menu bar to all of your apps.
Here’s how to make Mac Dark Mode:
1. Choose System Preferences on the menu bar.
2. Select General.
3. In the “Appearance” section at the top of the window, located between the light and auto mode, click the “Dark” option.
Those are the steps required to make Mac Dark Mode. If you want to turn it off again, follow the same steps, but this time choose the “Light” option.
How to Turn on Dark Mode on macOS Big Sur
The system preference method used above is one of the simplest ways to make Mac dark mode on macOS big sur. However, there are also several ways to quickly make Mac dark mode on macOS big sur, and they’re all incredibly simple.
Here are two of them.
Make Mac Dark Mode Using Siri
Siri is probably the quickest and easiest way to enable Dark Mode if you have a compatible Mac.
Here are the steps to follow:
Make Mac Dark Mode Using Control Center
Another simple way to turn on Dark Mode on Mac, which sidesteps System Preferences, is to use Control Center by following these steps:
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How to Make Mac Dark Mode on older macOS versions
In older versions of macOS, not all of the above methods are supported. For example, the Control Center method only works in macOS Big Sur, the first operating system to receive a Control Center.
It’s also worth noting that in some earlier macOS releases — macOS High Sierra and earlier—Dark Mode only changes the system menu bar and Dock; it doesn’t adjust other user interface elements or apps. Only macOS Catalina and later have an automatic Dark Mode setting that activates and deactivates the feature at sunset and sunrise.
To enable Mac night mode in earlier macOS releases, follow these steps:
OS X Yosemite to macOS High Sierra
- Open the System Preferences app
- Click General
- Check the box alongside Use dark menu bar and Dock
macOS Mojave
- Open the System Preferences app
- Click General
- Alongside Appearance, select Dark
macOS Catalina
- Open the System Preferences app
- Click General
- Alongside Appearance, select Dark or Auto
Chrome Dark Mode settings
With Chrome, it’s not as simple as it is with macOS settings. When browsing at night, it is your right to request to dim the lighting. The good news is that there are a few options for making Chrome darker:
- Use Mac Night Mode on compatible sites. Chrome Dark Mode on Mac will work if you enable it via general settings on your computer. If you haven’t done it yet, go to System Preferences > General > Appearance > dark.
Using this method, the websites using Dark themes will automatically change the color scheme. However, not every website is compatible.
2. You can try to force Dark Mode on all websites > which means those Chrome will invent colors for incompatible sites. As you might guess, this doesn’t always look good. But you can still give it a try:
3. Another option is to use Chrome’s themes available from the Chrome Web Store. It has a minimalist “Just Black” theme that you might like > plus a few creative variations like “Galaxy View,” “Night Time in New York,” etc. You can access native themes in Chrome Settings > Appearance > Themes.
Dark Mode in Pages
Mac’s Dark Mode will prevent Pages from working properly. You will still be typing black letters and numbers on a white background, so don’t worry. When you create a document in Pages, it is automatically designed to be printed. Even better if you could get on board with that, too! At least it’s a nice excuse to avoid writing a novel late at night.
If you still insist on having a dark space for writing, you can customize the layout by changing the background color. Save the template, and you will be able to reuse it.
You can also use Notes for brief text notes because it is theme-aware. Ulysses is the best text editor out there if you require a lot of features. Light, dark, or system-matching themes are available in this excellent tool for distraction-free writing.
Enjoy the Dark News
This is for you if you are used to reading the news in the early morning or late at night. Rather than relying on a browser, install News Explorer for Mac, which features a stunning Dark Mode interface.
It’s easy to connect all of the feeds you follow and read them simultaneously. Setapp users have access to iCloud sync and the app for Mac and iOS.
Facebook Dark Mode
Maybe Facebook’s traditional white, blue, and grey colors no longer excite you. In this case, you should know a Dark Mode solution is coming. The chances are it might even be available on your device now.
If you are using the web version of Facebook on Mac > you don’t have to wait; it will work once you enable the theme for your browser. We’ve described how to set it in Chrome above.
Facebook is also planning to gradually roll out Dark Mode for mobile apps. Once the upgrade is available, you will receive a push notification.
Instagram Dark Mode
Just like Facebook, Instagram’s web version for Mac will allow you to convert to dark mode if you modify the browser settings. The good news is that Android 10 and iOS 13 both have a built-in dark theme. As soon as you enable it on your phone, Instagram will default to using dark colors.
YouTube Dark Mode
YouTube is another late-night activity that’s very popular. Maybe you are watching “The Late Night Show. Or any other show. Or not a show.
Anyways, you will need to keep your eyes comfortable. Luckily, YouTube made the Dark Theme settings very easy to toggle in the web version:
- Log into your account on YouTube and click on the profile
- Navigate to the Dark theme option.
- Set Dark theme to “On.”
How to turn off Dark Mode on Mac
Disabling night mode on Mac is as simple as reversing the steps you followed to enable it. Instead of selecting Dark, simply select Light instead. In later versions of macOS — Catalina and beyond — you can select Auto and then Dark Mode has toggled automatically; it will turn on at sunset and off again at sunrise.
How to Schedule Dark Mode on Mac
If you want to enable dark mode at a specific time, you can use a third-party app called NightOwl. It’s a free menu bar utility that works with macOS Mojave and higher.
The utility also serves as a quick switch for enabling and disabling dark mode from the menu bar. Simply right-clicking the “NightOwl” icon from the menu bar enables or disables dark mode.
After NightOwl is installed and you have approved permissions, you can click the “NightOwl” button and enable the “Scheduled” feature. Then, enter the time when you want to enable the Light or Dark mode.
How to Create Software that Matches Dark Mode for Mac
If you create apps for Mac, you have to ask yourself this question. If you install new apps on Mac, you have to ask for Dark Mode support. The overwhelming majority uses macOS Mojave and later, making dark UI a must.
There’s one app that helps ensure your software will look good both in light and dark colors. It’s called Sketch Export for Xcode, an easy link between design and development.
The app captures colors from a Sketch file and takes them to Xcode. The best thing, it allows you to export Dark-mode and Light-mode-ready color assets. Tick the box next to Dark Mode in Preferences, and the app will export both.
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How Dark Mode works with some apps and features
Some apps and features have special Dark Mode settings or behaviors.
Mail. To use a light background for email messages while Dark Mode is turned on, open Mail and choose Mail > Preferences, then click the Viewing tab and deselect “Use dark backgrounds for messages.”
Maps. To use a light background for maps while Dark Mode is turned on, open Maps and choose Maps > Preferences, then select ”Always use lightmap appearance.” In earlier versions of macOS, click View in the menu bar in Maps, then deselect Use Dark Map.
Notes. To use a light background for notes while Dark Mode is turned on, open Notes and choose Notes > Preferences, then deselect “Use dark backgrounds for note content.”
Safari. When you use Dark Mode, Safari automatically shows a website in Dark Mode if the website has been designed to support it. If the website doesn’t support Dark Mode, you can use Safari Reader to read articles in Dark Mode.
TextEdit. To use a light background for documents while Dark Mode is turned on, click View in the menu bar in TextEdit, then deselect Use Dark Background for Windows. (Requires macOS Mojave 10.14.2 or later.)
Dynamic Desktop. If you turn on Dark Mode while using Dynamic Desktop, the desktop may change to a dark still image. You can change this setting in Desktop & Screen Saver preferences.
Bottom Line
Mac’s dark mode is a feature that allows users to concentrate on the work they want to highlight. They also found the simplest way to enable it from various options. The most simple way is to turn it on from the notification panel. The mac iOS also has a custom time setting that automatically adjusts the modes to your preferences.
The main benefit of this feature is that it extends the battery life of a phone and decreases eye strain. Furthermore, macOS provides several options for enabling dark mode on your phone, which is advantageous to you and your job.
FAQ On How to Make Mac Dark Mode
Black screens might appear if your iPhone overheats, encounters a major error, or the screen itself breaks. You should also plug your iPhone into a charger to make sure that it isn’t simply out of battery.
If your Google dark mode is still dark grey it means the new pitch-black update hasn’t been sent to your device yet, but it should be in due course
Step 1: In the Google Phone app, tap on the three-dot icon at the top. Select Settings.
Step 2: Tap on Display options. Turn off the toggle next to the Dark theme.
A black Android Chrome screen is usually a sign that something is interfering with Chrome’s ability to “draw” its interface on your screen. It may be a hardware problem on your phone, corrupt files, or incorrectly configured parameters
The search-engine tech giant now lets users ditch the blindly white Google.com theme for a more understated, inky look. Dark mode implementations were once limited to Google app and Android users, but on Sept. 10, Google revealed that the dusky theme is now available for all Google Search users on desktop.
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