How To Enable Dark Mode On Chromebook: 8 Easy Ways

Ever find yourself squinting against the blinding white light of your Chromebook screen in the midnight hour? Or perhaps you’re just a fan of that sleek, high-tech aesthetic that only dark mode can deliver. Whatever your reasons, it’s clear that dark mode has become an increasingly popular feature across a range of devices and applications.

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Today, I’ll guide you through the surprisingly simple steps to achieving this visual reprieve on your Chromebook. I’ve been down this road before, and I can tell you, it’s a walk in the park. So, let’s dive right into the 10 easy ways to enable dark mode on your Chromebook.

1. The Chrome Browser Flag Method

Let’s kick things off with one of my favorite approaches. This technique lets us enable dark mode within the Chrome browser itself, creating a more comfortable browsing experience. This involves fiddling with something called “flags,” but don’t worry – it’s safe and easy.

First, open Chrome and type chrome://flags into your address bar. Search for “dark” in the search bar that appears, and you’ll find the #enable-force-dark and #enable-web-contents-dark-mode flags. Simply switch these to ‘Enabled’, restart Chrome, and voila! You’re browsing in the dark.

Here’s a detailed guide by 9to5Google for those who wish to dig deeper into Chrome flags.

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2. The Chromebook’s Built-In Dark Theme

Did you know that Chrome OS now includes a built-in dark mode? It’s still in its early stages and may not be perfect, but it does provide a global dark mode that covers most system menus and pre-installed Google apps. Just head over to Settings > Personalization > Appearance > Theme and select ‘Dark’.

3. Dark Reader Extension

For those of us that like to live life on the edge, extensions can provide functionality that’s otherwise missing. One such extension is Dark Reader. It enables dark mode on virtually all web pages, with options to adjust brightness, contrast, and even sepia settings. Just download it from the Chrome Web Store, click ‘Add to Chrome’, and you’re good to go.

4. Just Black – A Google Chrome Theme

If you’re more into an all-encompassing solution, consider a comprehensive theme like ‘Just Black’. Created by Google, it turns your browser, including your home page and default tabs, into the sleek, dark-toned beast you’ve been dreaming of. You can grab this theme right from the Chrome Web Store.

5. Enable Dark Mode on Individual Sites

Here’s a fun fact: many of your favorite websites probably have a dark mode feature built-in. Let’s use YouTube as an example.

Open YouTube and click on your profile icon in the top right corner.
From the dropdown menu, find and click on ‘Appearance’.
Then, simply choose ‘Dark theme’.

There, the YouTube interface will now be in dark mode! Remember, the process can slightly vary from site to site, but it’s usually tucked away in the account or display settings.

6. Gmail Dark Mode

Gmail’s dark theme is a treat for the eyes. Here’s how you can switch to it:

Open Gmail and click on the three horizontal lines (the ‘hamburger’ icon) in the top left corner.
Scroll down and tap on ‘Settings’.
Then tap on ‘Theme’.
Finally, select the ‘Dark’ option.

Voila! Now your Gmail sports a dark, sleek look that makes sorting through emails a little less strenuous.

7. Alternative Dark Mode Extensions

While the Dark Reader extension is quite popular and effective, it’s not the only tool available for converting websites to a darker theme. There’s a plethora of alternative extensions available on the Chrome Web Store that offer a variety of features. Here’s a brief overview of some alternatives:

Midnight Lizard: This extension not only provides a dark mode but also offers a range of color schemes and customization options. It allows users to change the brightness, saturation, and contrast of websites. Its built-in scheduler can automatically switch themes based on predefined times.
Super Dark Mode: As the name suggests, this extension is focused primarily on providing a dark mode experience. It offers a no-frills, straightforward dark mode for websites, reducing the need for tweaking.
Dark Night Mode: Instead of just inverting colors, this extension tries to intelligently determine the color of each webpage element to offer a cohesive and readable dark theme.

When choosing an alternative, users should consider factors such as ease of use, customization options, and performance overhead. Some extensions might consume more system resources than others, which could slow down browsing speeds on certain websites.

8. Customizing Your Dark Mode Experience

The dark mode isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. What’s visually comfortable and appealing to one user might not be for another. Thus, many dark mode tools and extensions offer customization options to tweak the appearance according to personal preferences. Here’s how users can customize their dark mode experience:

Adjusting Brightness and Contrast: Some extensions, like Midnight Lizard, allow users to modify the brightness and contrast of the dark mode. By doing so, users can achieve the perfect balance between readability and comfort.
Playing with Color Schemes: While the default dark mode is typically grayscale, there are extensions that let users experiment with various color schemes. This means one can have a dark blue or even a dark sepia theme instead of the standard black and gray.
Whitelisting and Blacklisting: Some websites already offer native dark themes or may not look right when forced into dark mode. Many extensions provide an option to whitelist (exclude) or blacklist (include) specific websites, ensuring the best appearance and functionality.
Scheduling Dark Mode: Not everyone might want to use dark mode all the time. With scheduling features found in some tools, users can set dark mode to activate only during certain hours, like in the evening or night.
Font and Style Adjustments: For the ultimate readability, some users might prefer changing the default fonts or styles when in dark mode. Extensions that offer this level of customization can make reading long articles or browsing content-heavy websites much more comfortable.