Your eyes are not going to appreciate sitting in front of a bright screen all day. Apple makes it easy for you to turn down the screen of your Mac and change the colors in many programs. This article will show you how to activate Dark Mode on your Mac and how to quickly return to Light Mode.
How to enable dark mode on a Mac
Click the Apple logo at the top-left corner to enable Dark Mode for Macs. Next, select System Preferences. Finally, click the General link in the popup window. To enable Dark Mode, click Dark and Auto.
- Click on the Apple logo at the top-left corner.
- Then select System Preferences.
- Next, choose General.
- Select Dark. This will be located at the top right-hand corner of your window, just below Appearance. You can also choose Auto to automatically switch your screen between Dark Mode at night and Light Mode during the day.
After you upgrade to macOS Mojave, the Light and Dark Mode options will not be available. You can find our step-by-step guide to updating your Mac computer.
Only certain apps will turn dark once Dark Mode is enabled on your Mac. This includes Safari, Mail, and Maps. Third-party apps won’t have Dark Mode.
Safari may allow you to use Dark Mode to browse the web. However, only if they are designed for it. You will need an extension to enable Dark Mode in your browser.
How to switch between dark and light modes
Open the Control Center at the top-right corner to switch between Light Mode or Dark Mode on your Mac. Click Display to select Dark Mod or Mode.
- Open the Control Center on your Mac. Click the icon that looks like two sliders stacked on top. This icon will be located in the upper-right corner.
Notification: The Control Center icon will not appear unless your computer has been updated to macOS Big Sur. - Click Display. Click the word Display anywhere in the box, but not the slider.
- Click Dark Mod to turn it on or off.
How to make your Mac darker
Click the Control Center icon at the top-right corner and choose Display to make your Mac darker. To turn both Dark mode or Night shift on, click the Control Center icon in the top-right corner of your screen. Dark Mode reverses certain colors, but Night Shift makes the screen appear less blue and more yellow.
You can also click Show Preferences at the bottom of this pop-up window. Select Night Shift then drags the Colour Temperature slider to More warm. This will reduce the blue light that is coming from your screen. This helps to reduce eye strain especially when you are reading text at night.
You can also create a schedule to control when Night Shift is on or off from this page.
