Scrolling in bed with a bright white screen is a bit like having someone shine a torch in your face. Dark mode swaps those white backgrounds for dark grey or black, which many people find easier on the eyes in a dim room. On phones with OLED screens, which includes most iPhones and many Android phones, it can also save a little battery.
Here is how to turn on dark mode on all the devices and apps you use most, and how to make it switch on automatically at sunset.
Windows 11
- Open Settings (Windows + I).
- Go to Personalization > Colors.
- Next to Choose your mode, select Dark.
The Start menu, taskbar, File Explorer, Settings and most built-in apps go dark straight away. Prefer a light taskbar with dark apps, or the other way round? Choose Custom instead, then set default Windows mode and default app mode separately.
Windows 11 does not have a built-in schedule for dark mode. If you want it to switch automatically, the free, open-source Auto Dark Mode app from the Microsoft Store does the job well.
Android
The wording varies a little between brands, but it is always in Display settings.
- Open Settings > Display.
- Turn on Dark theme (on Samsung phones, tap Dark at the top of the Display screen).
To schedule it, tap the setting name rather than the toggle and choose Turns on at custom time or Turns on from sunset to sunrise. Samsung calls this Dark mode settings.
There is usually a shortcut in Quick Settings too. Swipe down twice from the top of the screen and look for a Dark theme or Dark mode tile. If it is missing, tap the pencil icon to add it.
iPhone and iPad
- Open Settings > Display & Brightness.
- Under Appearance, tap Dark.
- Turn on Automatic and tap Options to choose Sunset to Sunrise or a custom schedule.
For a quick switch, open Control Center, press and hold the brightness slider, and tap the Dark Mode button.
Google Chrome
On computers, Chrome follows your system setting, so if Windows is in dark mode, Chrome will be too. You can also set it directly:
- Open Chrome and go to Settings > Appearance.
- Set Mode to Dark (or Device to follow your system).
On Android and iPhone, Chrome follows the phone’s theme. On Android you can override it from Settings > Theme inside Chrome.
Note that this darkens Chrome itself, its menus and tabs, but most websites still decide their own colors. Many popular sites now follow your system theme automatically.
Popular apps
Most big apps follow your device’s setting by default, but a few let you choose separately:
- YouTube: tap your profile picture, then Settings > General > Appearance (on the website, click your profile and choose Appearance).
- WhatsApp: on Android, Settings > Chats > Theme. On iPhone, it follows your system setting.
- Google Search: on the website, open Settings (the gear or Quick settings menu) and select Dark theme.
- Microsoft Office: in Word or Excel on Windows, go to File > Account > Office Theme and pick Black or Dark Grey.
Does dark mode really save battery?
It depends on the screen. On OLED displays, each pixel lights itself, and a black pixel is switched off, so dark mode can make a noticeable difference at high brightness. On LCD screens, which most budget laptops and some cheaper phones use, the backlight stays on regardless, so the battery saving is minimal. Either way, it is worth combining with the other tips in our guide on making your phone battery last longer.
Is dark mode better for your eyes?
It can feel more comfortable in low light, and it reduces glare in a dark room. In bright daylight, though, many people find dark text on a light background easier to read. There is no single right answer, which is why scheduling it for the evening is a nice middle ground. Apple and Google both document these display settings on their support sites, such as Apple Support.
Quick recap
To turn on dark mode, go to Personalization > Colors on Windows 11, Display > Dark theme on Android, and Display & Brightness > Dark on iPhone. Chrome follows your system, and most apps do too. Turn on a sunset-to-sunrise schedule on your phone and you will never have to think about it again.
