Chrome Dark Mode: How to Turn It On, Force It on Every Website, or Switch Back to Light
Chrome dark mode is really three separate settings living in three different places, and picking the wrong one is why so many people end up with a dark toolbar and blinding white web pages.
The short answer: open chrome://settings/appearance, find the Mode setting and choose Dark. Chrome's toolbar, tabs, menus and new tab page go dark immediately, with no restart. On Android it is the three dot menu, then Settings, then Themes, then Dark. Neither one darkens the websites you visit, which is a separate setting covered below.
Start here: which one do you actually want
1. The browser itself is still light. Tabs, toolbar, address bar, settings pages, new tab page. This is Chrome's own interface, and it is the setting almost everyone means first. Go to Chrome dark mode on desktop or Chrome dark mode on Android.
2. The browser is dark but websites are still white. That is normal. Chrome does not repaint page content unless you tell it to. Go to dark mode for all websites.
3. You want a black theme, not grey. Chrome's built in dark mode is a dark grey, and the new tab page has its own separate appearance controls. Go to black themes for Chrome.
Or you want it gone. Everything went dark and you did not ask for it. Go to how to turn Chrome dark mode off.
On this page
Does Chrome have a dark mode?
Yes. Chrome has a built in dark mode on Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Android and iOS, and it has had one for years. There is no extension needed and nothing to install.
What Chrome does not do out of the box is darken the websites you visit. A page renders in whatever colours its own CSS specifies. If a site ships a dark theme, you usually get it automatically, because Chrome passes your preference to the page through the prefers-color-scheme media query. If the site has no dark theme, it stays white no matter what Chrome's toolbar looks like. Forcing those sites dark is a separate job, covered further down.
How to turn on dark mode in Chrome on desktop
Recent versions of Chrome have an appearance control inside the browser, so you no longer have to change your whole operating system just to get a dark browser. This is the fastest route and it is the same on Windows, macOS and ChromeOS.
The Chrome dark mode setting (Windows, Mac, ChromeOS)
- Open the Chrome appearance settings. Type
chrome://settings/appearancein the address bar and press Enter. You can also get there through the three dot menu at the top right, then Settings, then Appearance. - Find the Mode setting. It sits near the top of the Appearance section and offers three choices: Device default, Light and Dark.
- Select Dark. The toolbar, tab strip, bookmarks bar, menus, settings pages and new tab page all switch immediately. There is no restart and no relaunch prompt.
- Confirm it applied. Open a new tab. If the new tab page is still light, you almost certainly have a custom theme installed, which overrides this setting.
Choose Device default instead of Dark if you want Chrome to follow whatever your computer is doing, including automatic switching at sunset. Choose Dark if you want Chrome dark while the rest of your desktop stays light.
Turning on dark mode for the whole system instead
If you want everything dark, not just the browser, set it at the operating system level and leave Chrome on Device default.
- Windows 10 and 11: press Win and I to open Settings, go to Personalization > Colors, then set "Choose your mode" to Dark. To keep the taskbar light, choose Custom and set only the app mode to Dark.
- macOS: open System Settings > Appearance and choose Dark. Choosing Auto switches with the time of day, and Chrome follows it.
- ChromeOS: open Settings > Personalization > Set wallpaper and style and turn on the dark theme. ChromeOS and the browser share the same shell, so they switch together.
Worth knowing: the Mode setting is not only cosmetic. Chrome reports it to websites through prefers-color-scheme, so any site with its own dark theme, including Gmail, YouTube, GitHub and Reddit, follows it automatically. Setting Chrome to Dark quietly darkens a large slice of the web before you touch a single flag or extension.
Chrome dark mode on Android and iPhone
Mobile Chrome is a genuinely different path from desktop, and it has one feature desktop does not: a built in toggle that darkens the websites themselves, not just the browser.
Android: dark theme for the Chrome app
- Open the Chrome menu. Tap the three dot menu in the top right corner. On some Android builds the menu sits at the bottom right instead.
- Open Settings, then Themes. Older releases label this item Theme rather than Themes. Either way it is in the same list, usually under the Basics group.
- Choose Dark. The three options are System default, Light and Dark. Picking Dark keeps Chrome dark even when the phone is in light mode.
- Go back to browsing. Tap the back arrow. The toolbar, tab switcher, menus and new tab page turn dark at once, with no restart.
If you would rather have the phone drive it, choose System default here, then turn on Settings > Display > Dark theme in Android itself. Android's own dark theme also supports a schedule, so you can have it switch on at sunset and off at sunrise. Chrome inherits that schedule.
Android: darkening the websites too
Once Chrome on Android is running in dark theme, a second option appears that has no desktop equivalent:
- Open the three dot menu, then Settings, then Accessibility.
- Look for the "Darken websites" checkbox and tick it. Some Chrome versions label it "Dark theme for websites" or place it under the Themes screen itself as a sub option rather than under Accessibility, so check both if you do not see it.
- Reload a page you know is white to confirm. Backgrounds should now render dark with light text.
This is the same underlying engine as the desktop force dark flag, so it carries the same trade offs: some sites double invert, some images look wrong, and maps and charts can become hard to read. Untick it if a specific site becomes unusable.
iPhone and iPad
Chrome on iOS has no in app theme picker at all. It follows the system appearance and nothing else. Open the iOS Settings app > Display & Brightness and choose Dark. Chrome switches with every other app that respects the system setting. There is also no chrome://flags on iOS, so the force dark trick below does not exist there.
How to make all websites dark mode in Chrome
This is the request behind searches like "chrome dark mode for all websites" and "force dark mode chrome", and it is a completely different mechanism from the setting above. There are two realistic ways to do it on desktop, plus the Android toggle already covered.
Option 1: the force dark flag
Chrome ships an experimental flag that runs a colour transformation over page content before it is painted. White backgrounds become near black, dark text becomes light, and coloured elements keep their hue.
- Type
chrome://flagsin the address bar and press Enter. Read the warning banner at the top. These are unreleased features and they can misbehave. - Search the flags page for "dark". The one you want is called Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents, and its internal name is
#enable-force-dark. - Open the dropdown next to it and choose Enabled. Several variants are offered. "Enabled with selective image inversion" is the one most people should pick, because it darkens page colours while leaving photos and logos alone. The plain HSL, CIELAB and RGB inversion variants are cruder and tend to produce odd colour casts on complex layouts.
- Click Relaunch at the bottom of the page. Chrome restarts and reopens your tabs. Unlike the appearance setting, this one does require a relaunch.
Be honest with yourself about this flag. It is experimental, it is not a supported product feature, and Google removes flags between releases without warning. If #enable-force-dark is not on your flags page, it has been retired in your version of Chrome and there is no way to bring it back. Flags also reset when Chrome updates.
Expect breakage. Sites that already have a dark theme but do not declare color-scheme properly get inverted twice and come out washed out. Maps, dashboards and data charts often become unreadable. Some CAPTCHA images stop being solvable. Embedded PDF viewers can invert document contents. The flag is all or nothing, with no per site exceptions.
Option 2: a dark mode extension
An extension is the more controllable answer, and the reason is per site rules. A dark mode extension lets you keep a site list, so anything with a decent native dark theme is left alone and only the stubbornly white sites get rewritten. That single feature solves the double inversion problem that makes the flag frustrating.
Dark Reader is the best known option here. It is open source under the MIT licence, it generates its own stylesheet rather than applying a blunt filter, and it exposes brightness, contrast, sepia and greyscale sliders plus a per site allow and block list. Like every extension of this type it needs permission to read and change data on all websites, because rewriting page colours is exactly what it does. That scope is inherent to the job, but it is a reason to install one such extension rather than four. Rewriting CSS on every page also costs load time, so if a heavy site drags, exclude it rather than living with the lag.
For a side by side comparison, see our roundup of the best dark mode extensions for Chrome. If you have already settled on Dark Reader and want to know what else covers the same ground, we keep a list of Dark Reader alternatives, and a direct Dark Mode vs Dark Reader comparison for the two most installed options. Note that Chrome for Android supports no extensions at all, so on a phone the Darken websites toggle is the only option.
Option 3: let the site do it
Before reaching for either of the above, check whether the site has its own switch. Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs, GitHub, X, Reddit and most modern web apps ship a dark theme built by people who knew what the layout was meant to look like, and a native dark theme always beats an automated inversion. In Gmail it is the settings gear, then Theme, then View all, then the dark theme, then Save, entirely independent of what Chrome's toolbar is doing.
Black themes for Chrome and the new tab page
Chrome's dark mode is a dark grey, not true black. If you searched for a Chrome black theme rather than dark mode, this is the section you wanted, because grey and black are set in different places.
Changing the theme
Go to chrome://settings/appearance. Below the Mode setting is Theme, with a button that opens the Chrome Web Store theme gallery. Themes control the colour of the frame and tab strip and the background image on the new tab page, and plenty of them are black rather than grey. That matters on an OLED screen, where fully black pixels are simply switched off.
You can also open a new tab and use the Customize Chrome button in the bottom right corner. That panel offers colour swatches and background images without leaving the page, and it is the quickest way to get a black tab strip.
The catch that trips everyone up: an installed theme overrides the Mode setting. If you have a Web Store theme applied, changing Mode to Dark may appear to do nothing at all. On the Appearance page, click Reset to default next to Theme, then set Mode again. This is the single most common cause of "Chrome dark mode not working".
How to turn Chrome dark mode off and go back to light mode
Turning it off is not simply the reverse of turning it on, because dark can be arriving from three different sources at once. Work down this list in order and stop when the browser goes light.
- Set Chrome's own Mode to Light. Open
chrome://settings/appearanceand change Mode from Device default or Dark to Light. This is the direct answer to "how to change Chrome to light mode", and it wins over your operating system's setting. It also tells websites you prefer light, so sites that were auto switching to dark will go back to light too. - Turn off system dark mode if you want everything light. On Windows, Settings > Personalization > Colors, set mode to Light. On macOS, System Settings > Appearance, choose Light. On Android, Settings > Display > Dark theme, off. On iOS, Settings > Display & Brightness, choose Light.
- On Android, set the in app theme back. Chrome menu, Settings, Themes, then Light. If pages themselves are dark, also go to Settings, Accessibility and untick Darken websites.
- Disable the force dark flag if pages are still inverted. Go to
chrome://flags, search for dark, set Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents back to Default or Disabled, then click Relaunch. If a page looks dark but the browser frame is light, this flag is almost always the reason. - Disable any dark mode extension. Open
chrome://extensionsand toggle off anything that darkens pages. A dark mode extension keeps working even after every Chrome setting says light, which is why people conclude the light mode setting is broken. - Remove a dark theme. Back on
chrome://settings/appearance, click Reset to default beside Theme.
People often reach for a force light mode Chrome extension at this point. You almost never need one. Chrome's Mode set to Light already sends the light preference to sites, and steps 4 through 6 remove the three things that override it. An extension that forces light on a site designed only for dark will fight the site's CSS and usually looks worse than what it replaced.
Which method should you actually use
| What it does | Chrome Mode setting | Force dark flag | Dark mode extension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darkens the browser frame | Yes | No | No |
| Darkens website content | Only sites with their own dark theme | Yes, all sites | Yes, all sites |
| Per site control | No | No | Yes |
| Needs a relaunch | No | Yes | No |
| Works on Android | Yes | Yes, plus the Darken websites toggle | No, Chrome for Android has no extensions |
| Works on iOS | Through the system setting only | No | No |
| Survives Chrome updates | Yes | Not reliably, flags can be removed | Yes |
| Extra permissions required | None | None | Read and change data on all sites |
The setup that gives the least trouble is Chrome's Mode set to Dark for the browser frame, no flag, and one dark mode extension with a site exclusion list. On Android, where extensions are not available, use Themes set to Dark plus the Darken websites toggle, and turn that toggle off for any site it ruins.
Troubleshooting Chrome dark mode
Chrome stays light after you enable dark mode
Check three things in order. First, a Web Store theme on chrome://settings/appearance, which overrides everything: click Reset to default. Second, the Mode dropdown itself, which may be pinned to Light. Third, your Chrome profile, since appearance is stored per profile and a work account carries its own setting.
The browser is dark but every website is still white
That is Chrome working as designed. The Mode setting never repaints page content that has no dark styling of its own. See dark mode for all websites.
Sites look washed out or half inverted
Classic double inversion: the site already had a dark theme and the force dark pass darkened it again. Exclude that site in your extension's site list, or switch the flag to the selective image inversion variant, or turn force dark off and let the site's own theme do the work.
Images, charts and CAPTCHAs look wrong
Use the selective image inversion variant of the flag, which leaves image pixels alone, or an extension that preserves images. Maps and data charts are the hardest case because their colours carry meaning, and excluding them is more practical than tuning the algorithm. Chrome's built in PDF viewer has no dark mode at all, and forced dark inverts diagrams along with the text.
Incognito windows ignore your settings
Chrome's own dark UI applies in Incognito, and Incognito windows are dark by default anyway. Extensions are the exception: they are disabled there unless you allow them. Go to chrome://extensions, open the extension's Details, and turn on Allow in Incognito.
Web pages stopped being dark after a Chrome update
The Mode setting and your theme persist through updates. Flags do not always survive, and chrome://flags entries can be removed entirely between versions. Check the flag first.
FAQ
Does Chrome have a dark mode?
Yes. Chrome has a built in dark mode on Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Android and iOS. On desktop and Android you set it inside Chrome itself, and on iOS Chrome follows the system appearance setting.
How do I turn on dark mode in Chrome?
Open chrome://settings/appearance, find the Mode setting, and choose Dark. The toolbar, tabs, menus and new tab page change immediately with no restart. Choose Device default instead if you want Chrome to follow your operating system.
Where is the Chrome dark mode setting?
On desktop it is at chrome://settings/appearance, under Appearance, in the item labelled Mode. On Android it is the three dot menu, then Settings, then Themes.
How do I change Chrome to dark mode on Android?
Open Chrome, tap the three dot menu, tap Settings, tap Themes, then choose Dark. To darken the websites as well, go back to Settings, open Accessibility, and tick Darken websites.
How do I make all websites dark mode in Chrome?
Two ways on desktop. Enable the experimental Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents flag at chrome://flags, internal name #enable-force-dark, and relaunch. Or install a dark mode extension, which is slower but gives you per site control so sites with their own dark theme are left alone. On Android, use the Darken websites option under Settings and Accessibility.
How do I change Chrome back to light mode?
Open chrome://settings/appearance and set Mode to Light. If pages are still dark, disable the Auto Dark Mode flag at chrome://flags and relaunch, then disable any dark mode extension at chrome://extensions. On Android, set Themes to Light and untick Darken websites under Accessibility.
Is there a force light mode Chrome extension?
You rarely need one. Setting Chrome's Mode to Light tells websites you prefer a light colour scheme, so sites that auto switch will render light. The remaining causes of unwanted dark pages are the force dark flag, a dark mode extension, or an installed dark theme, and each of those is switched off directly rather than fought with another extension.
Why is Chrome dark mode not working?
Almost always an installed Chrome Web Store theme, which overrides the Mode setting. Go to chrome://settings/appearance, click Reset to default next to Theme, then set Mode to Dark again. If that is not it, check that Mode is not pinned to Light, and remember the setting is stored per Chrome profile.
Can I get a black theme for Chrome instead of dark grey?
Yes. Chrome's built in dark mode is dark grey. For true black, install a black theme from the Chrome Web Store through chrome://settings/appearance, or use the Customize Chrome panel on a new tab page. Be aware that any installed theme overrides the Mode setting.
Does Chrome dark mode work in Incognito?
Yes, Chrome's dark interface applies in Incognito windows, which use a dark scheme by default in any case. Extensions are the exception, since they are switched off in Incognito unless you open the extension's Details page at chrome://extensions and turn on Allow in Incognito.
Can I schedule dark mode to turn on at night?
Not inside Chrome, but through your operating system. Set Chrome's Mode to Device default, then use macOS Appearance set to Auto, or Android's Dark theme schedule under Settings and Display. Chrome follows whatever the system decides.
About the author. Michael Lip builds and maintains Chrome extensions at Zovo. Menu paths in this guide reflect current Chrome on desktop and Android. Google moves settings between releases, so if a label does not match yours, search the Settings page for the word "theme" and you will land in the right place.