chrome flags experimental dark mode

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How to force dark mode on every website in google chrome.

Like dark mode?

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This is a brute-force solution, how to force dark mode on all websites, key takeaways.

Enter "chrome://flags" into Google Chrome's address bar and enable the "Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents" flag to force Google Chrome to display all websites in dark mode. You can also use a browser extension to force sites into dark mode.

Google Chrome can forcibly enable dark mode on every website you visit, putting an end to those blinding white backgrounds on your nice dark desktop.

Google Chrome already has a built-in dark mode. Websites can automatically switch to dark mode if you're using it, assuming the site supports this. But most websites, even Google's own Calendar website , don't have automatic dark mode—or any dark mode.

Rather than waiting for millions of websites to jump on the dark mode bandwagon, Chrome's "Force Dark Mode for Web Contents" option will turn all those bright websites dark. It's a little like using "Smart Invert" on an iPhone —light colors will turn bright, but it'll leave images alone.

This is a brute-force solution, and it won't be as pretty as waiting for websites to enable their own shiny new dark themes. But it'll turn the web dark everywhere. Previously, you could download and install browser extensions that automatically turned light websites dark . Now, it's built into Chrome.

Enabling this option won't turn on dark mode on Chrome—for that, you'll need to enable your operating system-wide dark mode option . For example, on Windows 10, head to Settings > Personalization > Colors and select "Dark" under Choose Your Default App Mode. On Windows 11, go to Settings > Personaliztion > Colors > Choose Your Mode, and set it to "Dark."

On macOS, activate dark mode from System Preferences > General .

Want to try it out? This option has been available as a hidden flag since Chrome 78. Like all flags, it's an experimental option that may change or be removed at any time. It one day may graduate to a proper option on Chrome's Settings screen, or it may vanish completely.

To find it, type chrome://flags into Chrome's Omnibox and press Enter.

Enter dark mode in the search box at the top of the Experiments page that appears.

Click the box to the right of "Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents" and select "Enabled" for the default setting.

Click "Relaunch" to relaunch Chrome. Chrome will close and relaunch all your open web pages. Be sure to save any content on those pages—for example, things you've typed in text boxes—before relaunching the browser.

Browse and see how it works. If you don't like it, head back to Chrome's Experiments screen, change this option back to "Default," and relaunch the browser. Chrome will stop messing with website colors after you disable this option.

You can also try other Force Dark Mode options. The different modes will produce different results on web pages. Some of them will even invert light images, turning those images dark. This will make images look different, of course, but it may be convenient if you want a consistently dark desktop.

Don't feel compelled to use dark mode if you don't like it. Dark mode is trendy, but it may not actually be better for you. Despite that, we love dark mode anyway .

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What are Chrome flags?

Activate additional debugging tools, or try out new or experimental features.

Chrome flags are a way to activate browser features that are not available by default.

For example, Chrome wanted to allow users to try picture-in-picture video features, before rolling it out to everyone.

The feature was made available behind a flag, so any user could try it out and give feedback. The code and design were tested and polished based on the feedback, so now you can use picture-in-picture by default in Chrome—and it works really well.

Understand the risks

Most Chrome users will never need to use Chrome flags .

If you do set Chrome flags, you need to be careful. By activating or deactivating features, you could lose data or compromise your security or privacy—and features you toggle with a flag may stop working or be removed without notice.

If you're an enterprise IT administrator, you shouldn't use Chrome flags in production. You might want to take a look at enterprise policies instead.

...and proceed with caution

Having said all that, if you're a web developer who needs to try out new technology—or just a curious geek—then getting to know Chrome flags can be really worthwhile.

There are a large number of flags for many different types of features. Some flags affect the way Chrome looks or works, and some activate features such as new JavaScript APIs. The availability of flags depends on which version of Chrome you're running.

There are two ways to set Chrome flags:

• From the chrome://flags page.
• By opening Chrome from the command line in a terminal.

chrome://flags

To set a flag from the chrome://flags page in Chrome, you need to find the flag, toggle the setting for the flag, then relaunch the browser. For example, to activate Chrome's heads-up display for performance metrics:

Now you can use the heads-up display that shows technical information about web page performance.

Command-line flags

If you're a web developer, you may want to set flags by opening Chrome from the command line in a terminal. You run the command to open Chrome, and add the flags you want to set. There are a lot more Chrome settings you can configure from the command line than those available from the chrome://flags page.

For example, to run Chrome Canary from a terminal on a Mac, with the Topics API activated and epoch length set to 15 seconds, use the following command:

That's just one example! There are hundreds of other flags for activating, deactivating and configuring less well-known features.

If you regularly use different Chrome channels with command-line flags, you might want to create a function for each channel, and add these to your shell RC file. For example, on macOS:

• Open a terminal.
• Create a function: cf(){ open -a 'Google Chrome Canary' --args $*; }
• Use the function: cf --enable-features=TrackingProtection3pcd

Set the Chrome user data directory

In Chrome engineering language, Chrome user refers to an "individual human user of Chrome".

A Chrome client refers to an individual installation of Chrome on a device.

More precisely, a Chrome client corresponds to an individual user data directory . Each Chrome profile is stored in a subdirectory within the user data directory.

If you run Chrome from the command line, you can set the user data directory with the --user-data-dir flag .

That means you can have a separate user data directory for development, with its own profile subdirectories. Creating a new user data directory makes Chrome behave as if it had been freshly installed, which can be helpful for debugging profile-related issues.

To run Chrome from the command line with a new temporary user directory, use the following flag:

You might also want to add the following flags to avoid the browser check and first run UI:

Beware of flag conflicts

It's possible that the flags you set could conflict with each other. chrome://flags settings override command-line settings for the same flag, and the defaults for a chrome://flags setting might, in some cases, override your command line configurations. If the flags you set running Chrome from the command line don't work as expected, you should check your chrome://flags page.

Note that the settings shown on the chrome://flags page don't reflect flags set from the command line. Instead, take a look at the chrome://version page. The Command Line section shows flag settings.

Two other ways to try out experimental features

You can enable a range of experimental features that don't have their own flag, by toggling the chrome://flags#enable-experimental-web-platform-features flag. Documentation for new features will explain when this is an option.

In Chrome Beta you can try out featured experiments and give feedback, by toggling Experiment settings and relaunching the browser. Test experimental features in Chrome provides more detail.

Which features get a flag?

Not all experimental features get their own Chrome flag:

• Some features only become available when they ship in Chrome Canary, and can't be activated by a flag before that. This is quite rare.
• For 'smaller' features that require no more than 1–2 quarters of work, experimental availability is provided by enabling the following flag: chrome://flags#enable-experimental-web-platform-features This activates multiple minor features.
• Major features are made available for experimentation with flags specific to the feature, using chrome://flags or command line switches.

What about Chrome settings?

Chrome settings and Chrome flags serve different purposes.

Chrome flags enable the user to activate or deactivate experimental features, whereas the controls available from the chrome://settings page allow the user to customize their experience for features that are available by default.

What about origin trials?

Origin trials are a way for developers to test a new or experimental web platform feature at scale, and give feedback to the web standards community before the feature is made available to all users.

Features undergoing an origin trial are activated on all pages that provide a valid token for that trial. This allows website owners to activate an experimental feature for all their users, without requiring users to change browser settings or set flags. By comparison, Chrome flags allow individual users to activate or deactivate an experimental feature, on all websites they visit. Getting started with Chrome's origin trials provides more detail.

Find out more

• The chromium.org website explains how to set flags from the command line , for mobile and desktop on different platforms.
• Learn about features, flags, switches, and other patterns for browser experimentation.
• Chrome Flags for Tooling documents flags relevant to tools, automation, and benchmarking.
• List of Chromium Command Line Switches is automatically updated with all available flags and, last time we checked, there were more than 1400 of them!
• Chromium Flag Updates is a bot that tweets changes to the chrome/browser/flag-metadata.json file.
• There are even more flags available to configure individual JavaScript API features. You can find out more about them from API documentation and proposal explainers.
• Experimental features in Firefox

Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License , and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License . For details, see the Google Developers Site Policies . Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Last updated 2023-02-08 UTC.

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How to force enable Google Chrome Dark Mode for web content?

I am trying to enable the new experimental dark mode feature in Chrome for web content. I tried looking into my Chrome settings but I found no straightforward way of doing so.

• google-chrome

To enable Forced Dark Mode in Chrome 78 and later, follow these steps:

• Enter the following address in your URL bar: chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark
• This will bring up a hidden Chrome settings menu and the Force Dark Mode option.
• Go the drop-down menu next to Force Dark Mode and select Enabled.
• At the bottom, hit the Relaunch button to restart your browser.

Source: How to force Google Chrome to show any website in dark mode

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How to force chrome to show any site in dark mode.

Dark mode makes your battery last longer, and it's easier on the eyes at night. Here's how to activate it in your Google Chrome browser.

Key Takeaways

• Easily switch Google Chrome into dark mode on any device for a more comfortable browsing experience.
• Follow simple instructions to enable dark mode for Chrome on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, providing a fresh new look and reducing glare.
• For a more comprehensive dark mode experience, force websites to display inverted colors by following a few additional steps in Chrome settings.

No matter whether you're using a desktop platform or a mobile phone, Google Chrome can be easily switched into dark mode, giving you an experience that's far easier on the eyes for those late-night Google searches . If you want to go a step further, you can even force websites with a light theme to display inverted colors, giving you a dark background and light-colored text.

If you're looking to conserve battery life on your mobile , reduce the glare from your desktop monitor , or just want a fresh new look, here are some step-by-step instructions on how to enable it on Windows, macOS, Android, and iPhone.

I tried 7 Chrome alternatives to see which browser is better

How to turn on chrome dark mode on windows, go to personalization in settings to change interface and menu colors.

• Enter the Windows Settings menu.
• Click Personalization .
• Choose Colors .
• Scroll down to the switch marked Choose your color , or on Windows 11, Choose your mode .
• Change this to Dark to enable dark mode on all apps with native support, including Google Chrome.

This will only affect the browser's interface and menus.

If you want to change the appearance of web content, in effect forcing light-colored web pages to show a dark background and white text, follow the next steps.

How to turn on Monochrome theme in Android 14

How to force dark mode for all chrome sites, change the appearance of web content.

• Enter the following address in your URL bar: chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark .
• This will bring up a hidden Chrome settings menu and the Force Dark Mode option.
• Go to the drop-down menu next to Force Dark Mode and select Enabled .
• At the bottom, hit the Relaunch button to restart your browser.

In Step 3 above, you'll see several options in the drop-down menu; they all work similarly, simply switching up the color combinations. You can test them all if you want. It just boils down to your personal preference.

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How to turn on chrome dark mode on macs, go to appearance in system preference to choose dark.

• Open System Preferences .
• Choose General .
• Then select Appearance .
• Click on the Dark option. Similar to Windows, all apps with a native dark mode will switch over.

The 9 best Android phones right now

How to turn on chrome dark mode on android, previously an experimental feature.

Dark mode on Android used to be enabled the same way as web content on the desktop. It was an experimental feature, but now official support has rolled:

• Open Chrome on your Android device.
• Tap More (three dots) at the top right, then go to Settings > Theme.
• You'll also see the option to darken websites.
• Dark: Enables Chrome's Dark theme.
• Light: Keeps Chrome in Light theme.

Does Dark Mode save battery?

How to turn on chrome dark mode on iphone, go to settings to choose dark mode.

Since the launch of iOS 13, Apple has offered a dark mode option for the whole operating system on both iPhone and iPad. Selecting this option will automatically switch Chrome into dark mode, too.

• Go to your Settings , then to Display and enable Dark Mode .
• When you next open Chrome, it should reflect these changes.

Should you use dark mode in Chrome?

There are lots of good reasons to use dark mode, especially on a battery-powered device with an OLED screen, as displaying black pixels draws less power than displaying white. As we've mentioned, it's much easier on the eyes in dimly lit situations. If you need to check something on your phone at night quickly, you can do so without waking up your partner or melting your eyeballs with a glowing white home screen.

There are downsides, however. Not so much with having the Chrome interface in dark mode, but if you use the forced dark mode option, it can often make websites look a bit strange -- and in extreme cases, it may make them completely unreadable. Thankfully, disabling forced dark mode only takes a few seconds. You'll quickly figure out whether you like it and can continue from there.

If you want to know more handy tips and tricks for Google Chrome, we have some great guides that can tell you everything you need to know. Maybe you'd like to customize your browser , you could try adding some awesome Chrome Extensions , or you could search the web with Google Lens right from your browser .

• Help Center
• Google Chrome
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• Submit feedback

Test experimental features in Chrome

You can test features before they’re added to Chrome and give feedback.

Turn features on or off

To use experimental features, download Chrome Beta .

• Open Chrome.

• Restart your browser.

Give feedback on features

If you test any features, you can give feedback about:

• Your experience with the feature
• Issues or problems
• Suggested improvements

To give feedback:

• Next to the feature's name and description, select Send feedback .

To send general feedback about Chrome, learn more about how to report an issue or send feedback in Chrome .

Related resource

• Try experiments in Search Labs

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Want to test out experimental features? Here’s how to enable flags in Chrome

There’s a good reason why Google Chrome remains the most popular browser, despite arguably being the most resource-hungry option (at least for computers). The versatility offered by Chrome is unmatched, and it has even led Chrome competitors like Opera and Microsoft Edge to build their browsers on the same framework as Chromium. While Chrome for the desktop and your Android phone is already pretty powerful, you may want to try out some extra features that aren’t found in the Settings.

Why would you want to enable flags in Chrome?

The Google Chrome team is constantly working on new features and additions all of the time. Many of these features, such as the reincarnation of Google Reader, make their way to the final version eventually. But sometimes, development takes much longer and they remain in the Canary or Chrome Beta builds. But even then, you won’t be able to just download those versions and use the features.

Instead, you’ll need to enable flags in Chrome in order to access these experimental features. Chrome Flags are essentially the backend switches that need to be turned on before features will be made available. Google hides features behind flags if they aren’t ready for primetime just yet.

How to enable flags in Chrome

If you are okay with tinkering around with flags and want to try and improve your browsing experience, you’ll want to dive into Chrome Flags. You won’t find an option to load the flags in the Settings of the app, and instead need to head into the specific landing page. Here’s how to enable flags in Chrome.

• Open the Google Chrome app on your Chromebook, Windows, Mac, or Android device.
• In the URL bar, type  chrome://flags .
• In the search box, type the flag name.
• Find the Chrome Flag that you want to enable.
• Click the drop-down menu next to the flag.
• Select  Enabled .
• Click the Relaunch button at the bottom of Chrome to restart the app.

Some examples of features available if you enable flags in Chrome

If you’ve never looked through the Chrome Flags landing page before, you might be a bit overwhelmed with the number of options listed. The number of options is constantly changing and varies depending on what version of Chrome you are using (Stable, Beta, or Canary). But if you are looking for some new features to try out, we’ve rounded up some Chrome Flags for you to try out.

Reader Mode (#enable-reader-mode)

You might be asking yourself why you would want to browse a website in a “Reader Mode” instead of like normal. The biggest reason is that any of those egregious ads will be removed and you’ll just be presented with the content, including images. Think of it like reading articles in something like Feedly or an RSS reader, but in Chrome.

Read Later (#read-later & #read-later-reminder-notification)

If you come across an article that you don’t have time to read at the moment, you might rely on something like Pocket or Instapaper to save it for later. Surprisingly, Chrome includes a Read Later functionality that is hidden behind a Chrome flag. Once enabled, you can save articles straight to this area, and check them out when you have the time to invest in those articles.

Smooth Scrolling (#smooth-scrolling)

From time to time, you may notice that scrolling through Chrome results in a janky and stuttery mess. With the Smooth Scroll flag, Chrome improves this experience, which is the perfect flag to complement phones with faster refresh rates.

Force Dark Mode (#enable-force-dark)

Dark Mode is a way of life for many, but the web is an enormous place, and not all websites have been designed with a dark mode feature. Just like how you can force dark mode on Android through the Developer Options, you can force Dark Mode in Chrome. Your eyeballs will definitely thank you if you tend to browse a lot at night.

No more notification requests (#quiet-notification-prompts)

A lot of websites have started prompting you to receive notifications every time something new is posted. And while some may think this is useful, the truth is that it’s an annoyance that gets in the way of just browsing the web. This Chrome flag ditches those notification requests, so you won’t see the pop-up appear at the top of the page anymore.

Import passwords (#PasswordImport)

Google has done wonders when it comes to making it easy for users to manage passwords and accounts. They have gone so far in this regard that some have suggested Google should just release a password manager client of its own. Alas, that’s not available yet, but if you want to use Chrome to store all of your passwords, this flag makes it easy to import from another client.

Reset Chrome – chrome://settings/reset

This isn’t exactly a flag, but instead is the reset button that you may end up needing to use. Since Chrome Flags are experiment features, they can be temperamental and could ruin the browsing experience for you entirely. So if you need to get back to normal, enter chrome://settings/reset  into the Omnibox and everything will be set back to default.

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How To Enable Flags In Google Chrome: A Step-By-Step Guide

Google Chrome, like other major web browsers , rolls out new features frequently. And there is a way to get a sneak peek at the latest features in your Chrome browser or test out experimental functionalities before they become mainstream –- through flags.

Chrome flags are experimental features and settings that you can use to access and test new functionalities. Their purpose is to allow users to try out features that are still in development or undergoing testing before they are officially rolled out as stable features in the browser. The Chrome development team uses flags to introduce and gather feedback on new features, optimizations, or changes to the browser's behavior.

Below we explain how you can enable flags in Chrome to try out upcoming features. It's important to note that experimental features enabled through flags may not be fully polished, and they might have bugs or issues. If you set up flags, you should exercise caution and be aware that there are potential risks.

Are Chrome flags safe to enable and use?

When considering whether to enable Chrome flags, it's crucial to be mindful of the risks associated with them.

Firstly, understand that Chrome flags are experimental features still in development. As such, they may not be as stable or reliable as standard browser features. Additionally, these options may not undergo the same thorough security testing as stable features, meaning your browser could be more susceptible to vulnerabilities. If you handle sensitive information online, trying out experimental features might not be the best option.

In some cases, flags can also bring about website compatibility issues as well as interfere with the proper functioning of the browser. This can result in the loss of bookmarks, browsing history, or other saved data.

Lastly, Chrome flags are subject to frequent updates and changes. The experimental features you enable today may be modified, moved, or removed in browser updates. This can lead to inconsistencies and unexpected behavior if you come to rely on flags for your browsing preferences. If you're uncertain or uncomfortable with the potential downsides, it might be best to stick with the stable, default settings of the browser.

How to enable flags in Chrome

Enabling flags in Chrome is straightforward. However, before you proceed, it is best to check for documentation or community feedback related to the specific flags you intend to enable. Experiences, tips, and potential issues shared by users on online forums can provide valuable insights into the stability and compatibility of certain experimental features.

If you want to enable multiple flags, adopt a selective approach. Enable one, assess their impact on your browsing experience, and gradually incorporate additional flags based on your observations. We also recommend backing up browser data like  saving and transferring bookmarks before enabling Chrome flags. This will ensure that in case of unexpected issues or data loss, you have a recent backup to restore your preferences, bookmarks, and other essential information.

To enable flags in Chrome:

• Launch Chrome and enter chrome://flags/ in the address bar.
• Click Enter.
• In the Available tab, look for the flag you want to enable.
• Expand its dropdown and choose Enabled. Do the same for all the other flags you want to enable.
• Once done, click Relaunch.

To disable Chrome flags, expand the dropdown for the targeted flag and choose Disabled. Alternatively, click on the Reset all button and select Relaunch. This will simultaneously disable all the flags.

Best flags to enable in Chrome

If you want to try out the flags feature but aren't sure which flags to enable, below are some common Chrome flags that users have found useful. You can also create a temporary user profile on Chrome to see if they are compatible with your browser version.

• Smooth Scrolling : This flag is designed to enhance the scrolling experience when navigating web pages. When this flag is enabled, it modifies the default scrolling behavior, making it smoother and more visually appealing. You can enable it by heading over to "chrome://flags/#smooth-scrolling" in Chrome.
• Parallel downloading : This flag divides your downloads into multiple chunks to speed up the downloading process. The files are downloaded in parallel, faster than the usual time. You can enable it by heading over to "chrome://flags/#enable-parallel-downloading" in Chrome.
• Auto Dark Mode : Dark mode is easier on the eyes of a lot of users, especially in low-light conditions. This flag forces a dark theme on all web pages, even if they don't support it natively. You can enable it by heading over to "chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark" in Chrome.

Remember that while these flags are commonly recommended, they are still experimental, and their effectiveness may vary. Additionally, the availability of flags can change with browser updates.

Chrome 78 Is Here With Full Dark Mode: How to Get It

The internet is about to get much darker for Chrome users, literally. Google on Tuesday released Chrome 78 for Mac, Windows , Linux and iOS , bringing with it a Forced Dark Mode feature that enables Dark Mode on every website, whether they support one or not. 

Dark Mode using Chrome's color theme extensions. 

The feature doesn't tamper with a websites' source code; Instead, it uses color inversion theory to swap light interfaces with chromatic dark ones. The change might appear jarring at first, but there are several benefits to using Dark Mode. Studies have shown that Dark Mode can protect your eyes from the strain put on them by a bright white screen. Dark mode can also prolong the battery life of your device, especially if your laptop or smartphone has an OLED panel. 

It's worth noting that this is different from the color themes Google added to Chrome earlier this year. If you want Dark Mode on your browser today, you can install one of many color theme extensions uploaded by The Chrome Team. 

Apart from Dark Mode, Chrome 78 brings with it several quality-of-life improvements to the internet's most popular browser. Google's Password Checkup extension will now be integrated into the browser. This feature tells you if you're logging in to a website with credentials that have been compromised in a data breach. Another experimental feature will give you information about a tab when you hover over it, which is especially helpful for folks who keep dozens of websites open and have trouble navigating their crowded browser bar. 

How to enable forced Dark Mode in Chrome

Once you've downloaded the Chrome 78 update, you'll be able to enable Forced Dark Mode by using the Chrome flag:  chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark . If you haven't tinkered with these flags before, don't worry, the process is pretty simple. First, either paste the above URL into your address bar or go to  chrome://flags/ .

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Note the warning at the top of the screen that the list below contains experimental features, and that enabling them could cause browser disruptions. If you're OK with the risk, scroll down until you find the #enable-force-dark flag (or do a keyword search to save time) and enable it. The websites you visit should now appear in Dark Mode.

• Chrome Dark Mode: How to Get It and Other New Themes
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Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.

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10 Google Chrome flags you need to turn on right now

By David Nield , Sandra Gutierrez G.

Posted on Nov 11, 2021 2:00 PM EST

4 minute read

There are two settings panels in Google Chrome for desktop : One appears when you choose Settings from the application menu, and one pops up when you type chrome://flags into the address bar and hit Enter .

These Chrome flags are more experimental settings aimed at power users, but anyone can use of them. They let you control the appearance of the browser, tweak performance, speed up downloading, and plenty more.

To find the ones you’re interested in, use the search box at the top of the flags list, and enable or disable them using the drop-down menus on the right-hand side. Here, we have some suggestions. 

1. Force dark mode

When it comes to dark mode , Google Chrome will follow the lead of the operating system you’re running it on by default: If Windows or macOS is set in its dark mode configuration, then Chrome will adapt accordingly.

If you’d rather use Chrome in dark mode all the time, find the #enable-force-dark flag and set it to Enabled . Every site you visit from then on will get the message to show its contents in dark mode, no matter what the rest of your software is doing.

2. See quick previews of open tabs

Enable the #tab-hover-card-images flag in the list and navigating between large numbers of tabs will suddenly become much easier. 

As you hover the cursor over the tab, you’ll not only see the title of the webpage contained within it, but you’ll also see a pop-up thumbnail of the content it’s showing as well.

3. Keep more web pages in the cache

Locate the #back-forward-cache flag , set it to Enabled , and Chrome will keep more pages cached locally on your computer as you make use of the forward and backward buttons in the browser. 

This improves browsing speed on slower or less stable internet connections (if you’re going forward and backward a lot, at least) because pages won’t have to be loaded from the web each time.

4. Speed up downloads

Parallel downloading is where an application requests a download several times, which should speed up transfer times in a lot of cases. If you don’t mind the extra bandwidth this can take up, you can switch on the feature by finding the #enable-parallel-downloading flag and switching it to Enabled .

5. Browse faster

Any type of snag or delay can ruin your browsing experience, which is why you should turn on the #enable-quic flag. This setting activates Google’s QUIC protocol whenever you go to a website that supports it, which can result in speedier navigation. 

[Related: Explore the internet faster with these browser keyboard shortcuts ]

A warning, though—QUIC protocol is an experimental tool, so you may stumble upon a well-known but not serious error when enabling this flag. If that happens to you, disabling it should easily return Chrome to normal. 

6. Fill out forms faster

To save you time when filling out forms and making payments on the web, Chrome will keep information such as addresses and credit card details stored for you if you want. By default, it will suggest details as you move through a form, giving you the option to select suggestions as you go.

But if you switch the #how-autofill-type-predictions flag to Enabled , then these suggestions will automatically be put in for you, no typing required. Assuming Chrome identifies the form fields correctly, it should save you time.

7. Get more privacy with incognito mode

Google Chrome’s incognito mode allows you to surf the web at your leisure without leaving any trace in the cache, history, and other browsing information. But when you’re playing a piece of audio or video, your device’s media player gets involved, and it might disclose the content you are consuming to others via your gadget’s lock screen, for example. 

To keep your operating system out of the equation, enable the #hide-incognito-media-metadata flag and ensure your incognito session is actually as private as it can be. 

8. Enable live captions on Chrome

There are several apps out there with their own live caption capabilities , but for everything else you play on Chrome, you can use the ​​ #enable-accessibility-live-caption flag. This setting will generate captions for media playing on Google’s browser, even if the website you’re visiting doesn’t support them. 

This feature is only available in the desktop version of Google Chrome, which means you cannot use it on your mobile device. Luckily, if you have an Android phone, you won’t have to worry about that because these gadgets have a built-in live caption feature you can use.

9. Optimize Chrome for touchscreens  

Some laptop models include touchscreens, turning these devices into computer-tablet hybrids . Unfortunately, not all desktop programs and apps, including Google Chrome, are optimized to work on touchscreens. 

[Restore: How to clean a computer screen without destroying it ]

This is where the #top-chrome-touch-ui can help. The setting bridges the gap between your shiny new touchscreen laptop and the desktop version of Chrome, making scrolling and navigating more fluid. 

10. Restore old flags—temporarily 

As we mentioned at the beginning of this story, Google Chrome flags are experimental. This doesn’t just mean that they might glitch, but also that they come and go: Some become part of the browser’s built-in features, while others disappear into oblivion. 

Currently, Chrome allows you to turn back the clock when you turn on the #temporary-unexpire-flags-m114 and the #temporary-unexpire-flags-m115 flags. As you can see by their names, enabling either or both of these flags will temporarily bring back settings that might have been discarded in the browser’s two latest updates, like reader mode. 

Google hasn’t been upfront about what “temporary” means exactly, but when you miss a feature, any extra time you can have with it is a gift. 

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2021.

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How to get Google Chrome dark mode on iOS, Android and Windows

Get Google Chrome dark mode on any device, and enjoy a new look for more comfortable browsing at night time

Switching to Google Chrome dark mode on any device is not only incredibly easy but well worth doing. Not only does it decrease the risk of eye strain in low light conditions, but it also reduces screen glare and saves energy - what's not to love?! 

Dark mode is a supplemental mode that allows you to change the user interface (UI) on any of your devices from light to dark. While the light reduces, making for a more comfortable reading experience at night, the minimum color contrasts required for readability are still maintained, so you'll get exactly the same experience you would in the day, just with far fewer risks to your eye health.

Bursting onto the scene in 2016, dark mode first appeared as part of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, but Apple were quick to jump on the bandwagon with their own launch in 2018 and Google Chrome dark mode dropped in 2021. Fast forward to 2022 and it doesn't matter whether you want to use Instagram in dark mode to scroll through all those jaw-droopingly beautiful images or use YouTube dark mode to watch those must-see videos, it's widely available across all your favorite platforms. 

Whether you're using one of the best windows laptops or you're more a fan of the best MacBook and Macs , you'll find Google Chrome dark mode super beneficial when you're browsing first thing in the morning or late at night. While more research is needed, studies are showing that using dark mode may improve your sleep and cause less disruption to your circadian rhythm than blue light does. 

But while Google Chrome dark mode can be set up on some PC operating systems , it's mobile users who will get the most benefits, with switching to dark mode resulting in less energy usage and therefore, longer battery life. Although it's hard to say how much battery savings are up for grabs, it's estimated that you can conserve anywhere between 15% and 60% of screen energy depending on the level of screen brightness you choose while in dark mode - which is pretty impressive!

Whether you're wanting to save your device’s battery life or protect your eye health, you’ll find switching to the dark side brings with it all kinds of benefits. If you find these reasons compelling to turn on Google Chrome dark mode, then read on to find out how to make the switch in Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.

Get more from Chrome with a VPN In addition to keeping your data encrypted and online identity anonymous to prying eyes, downloading a VPN can improve your Chrome experience. Among its many uses, the software can help you avoid blocked websites, use banned apps, stream TV and sport from abroad, and torrent safely. ExpressVPN is has the best Chrome extension out there and TechRadar readers get 3 extra months free on an annual plan and can give it a try first with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Changing Chrome to dark mode for Windows 11

1. Enter the Settings menu, choose 'Personalization' click 'Colors' and scroll down to the switch marked 'Choose your default app mode'.

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2. Change this to 'Dark' and all apps with a native dark mode, including Chrome, will change color. There's no need to restart your browser.

Changing Chrome to dark mode for macOS

1. Open 'System Preferences', click 'General', select 'Appearance'.

2. Select the 'Dark' option. As with Windows, all apps with a native dark mode will change automatically with no further input from you.

Changing Chrome to dark mode for Android 12

1. Dark mode is still an experimental feature in Chrome for Android, so bear in mind that some design elements might look a little strange. To activate it, enter chrome://flags in the browser's address bar. 

2. Tap the 'Search flags' box and enter the work dark . You'll find two options here: 'Android web contents dark mode' and 'Android Chrome UI dark mode'. If you activate the first option, Chrome will detect if a site's developers have created a dark version and select it automatically. If there's no dark version available, the browser will invert the site's colors. Activating the second option means that the browser interface itself will turn dark.

3. Tap the drop-down menu under each of these options and change the setting to 'Activated', then restart Chrome.

4. Now open the settings menu, tap 'Themes' and select 'Dark'. If you can't see the Themes option, restart Chrome again and it should appear.

Changing Chrome to dark mode for iPhone and iPad

When Apple released iOS 13, it introduced dark mode to the whole operating system, both for iPhone and iPad.

Since then, Google Chrome for iOS has been updated to accommodate this.

You only need to make sure that Dark Mode is enabled in Settings > Display > Dark Mode, and Chrome will reflect this.

Are there other Google apps that support dark mode?

There's plenty of other apps from Google that can also switch to a dark mode. Gmail dark mode lets you view your inbox without the glare of the standard white interface, and there's now a universal dark mode for Google Maps too, alongside a dark mode in Android .

This is particularly handy for mobile devices, as it lets you conserve a little extra energy while using your phone's battery-hungry GPS navigation.

• How to enable dark mode in WhatsApp

Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he's written a book, ' The Making of Tomb Raider '. His second book, ' 50 Years of Boss Fights ', came out in June 2024, and has a newsletter, ' Springboard '. He's usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that's about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.

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chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark: Force Dark Mode on Chrome

chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark can help you force dark mode on every web content in Google Chrome. This post from MiniTool tells you how to do that on a Chrome desktop and mobile browser. Keep on your reading.

Chrome makes it easy to switch to dark mode for a more comfortable late-night Google search experience. Besides, Chrome can even force sites with a light theme to display inverse colors, giving you a dark background and light text. How to force dark mode on every web content in Google Chrome on Windows and Android/iOS?

The chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark URL can help you do that. It is available as a hidden flag in Chrome 78. Like all flags, it is an experimental option and may be changed or removed at any time.

This post teaches you how to turn on dark mode on Google Chrome on Windows 11/10, Mac, Android phones, and iPhones with detailed steps.

How to Force Dark Mode on Every Website in Google Chrome on Windows

Here is how to force dark mode on every website in Google Chrome with chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark on Windows.

Step 1: Open Google Chrome. Enter chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark in the address bar.

Step 2: Then, you can see the hidden Chrome settings menu and the Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents option.

Step 3: Click the drop-down menu next to  Force Dark Mode  and select  Enabled . You can also try other Force Dark Mode options. Different modes will produce different results on a web page. Some of them even invert bright images, making those images darker. You can choose one of them based on your needs.

• Enabled with simple HSL-based inversion
• Enabled with simple DLEAB-based inversion
• Enabled with simple RGB-based inversion
• Enabled with selective image inversion
• Enabled with selective inversion of non-image elements
• Enabled with selective inversion of everything

Step 4: Click the  Relaunch  button at the bottom to restart your browser. Your changes will take effect the next time you relaunch Chrome.

After restarting the browser, your Google Chrome has been changed to dark mode. If you don’t like it, you can go back to Chrome’s Experiments screen, change the Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents option back to Default and restart the browser. When this option is disabled, Chrome will stop confusing website colors.

How to run Chrome safety check with chrome://settings/safetycheck on Windows? How to run Chrome safety check on mobile phones? Here are the details.

How to Force Dark Mode on Every Website in Google Chrome on Android

Here is how to force dark mode on every website in Google Chrome on Android.

Step 1: Open Google Chrome on your phone and enter  chrome://flags  in the address bar. 

Step 2: Hit the  Search flags  box and enter dark mode . Then, you can see two options:  Android web contents dark mode  and  Android Chrome UI dark mode . 

Step 3: Tap on the drop-down menu under each option and change the setting to  Activated , then close and restart the app.

Step 4: Open the settings menu, select  Themes , and then  Dark .

Final Words

Now, you have known how to force dark mode on Chrome with chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark. Besides, you can also know how to force dark mode on every web content on Android. I hope that this post can be helpful to you.

About The Author

Position: Columnist

Everything needs a Dark Mode now that OLED is everywhere

It's 2023. Let's say goodbye to white backgrounds for good

• How to force Chrome Dark Mode

The year is 2023, and I am here to say everything needs a dark mode. 

I'm tired of straining my eyes staring at blinding white backgrounds while browsing the web all day, and I know I'm not alone. More people than ever are working from home and staring at screens all day, most of which feature islands of text and images laid out across an endless ever-scrolling ocean of white space.

Designers and developers still seem to gravitate to bright white as the default background color choice, even though the shade can become absolutely excruciating to look at on a bright OLED."

And while I would never dare dispute the vision of a web developer who's truly on one, there's no reason I can fathom why every website on the Internet today doesn't offer something akin to a dark mode. I have to assume it's a significant amount of work to implement, because even a billionaire-backed titan like Amazon doesn't seem interested in making a dark mode easily accessible.

I know my poor eyes feel the lack of a dark mode on Amazon's website while scouring it to find this year's best Black Friday deals . That surprises me because I'd bet offering a dark mode would increase, on average, the amount of time people spend on a website, and thus maybe cause a concomitant rise in people buying things on said website. It's certainly true that having the option to view a site or storefront in a more muted color palette makes the prospect of browsing it seem a lot more comfortable to me.

And yet, try as I might there's no dark mode to be found on Amazon, eBay and other major websites. Instead, I had to figure out my own way of forcing it in Chrome (more on that later). The lack of a dark mode on these commonly-visited sites felt strange a decade ago, but nowadays it just seems rude. I say that because display tech is finally getting to the point where stuff like HDR support and OLED screens are becoming, if not commonplace, at least broadly accessible. 

Now I love this tech because it really makes a difference in image quality. I love OLED displays on laptops, monitors and TVs because OLED tends to deliver deeper blacks, brighter whites and more impressive contrasts than LCD screens. And HDR support is great because it helps you see a whole new spectrum of shades between light and dark, giving games and videos more of the depth of light and shadow you get in real life. In general, I think the experience of looking at stuff on screens is better than it's ever been.

Yet designers and developers still seem to gravitate to bright white as the default background color choice, even though the shade can become absolutely excruciating to look at on a bright OLED with HDR enabled. I don't know if you've had the chance to browse Amazon on an OLED monitor or launched a PS5 game with a white menu background on one of the best OLED TVs , but it can quickly become an eye-watering nuisance.

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I know it seems like a nit pick in the grand scheme of things, and it is. But the solution seems so obvious, so straightforward and so worthwhile to implement that in 2023 I have a hard time understanding why any digital product or service lacks a dark mode. 

For years we've read about concerns that we're harming ourselves by staring at screens too late at night, or for too long. It seems like ensuring every app, site and service offered a "dark mode" (or other alternative viewing options for more comfortable reading) would help with that, and even if it didn't it would surely make the experience of using technology and the Internet a lot more pleasant for everyone involved.

How to force Dark Mode in Chrome

If you've made it this far, let me share my simple trick for enabling Dark Mode on every website I visit in Chrome, even if they don't offer one. Note that this trick will make some sections of some websites look strange or unreadable, since it's forcing them into color configurations they weren't designed for.

1. Navigate to Chrome's Experiments page

You can enable Chrome's auto force dark mode feature by flipping on a flag in Chrome's Experiments page, where Google lists all of Chrome's experimental features. 

To get there simply type chrome://flags into the Chrome omnibar and press Enter . Alternatively, you can jump directly to the flag we want by typing chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark into the Chrome bar and pressing Enter . 

2. Enable "Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents"

Now you just need to set Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents to Enabled and restart Chrome and voilà, you should see everything in muted tones, even websites like Amazon and eBay.

Note that you can play around with this flag and try different options if you don't like the way things look in Chrome , as some will change the way images render and perhaps make them easier to see.

That's all there is to it! If you like the taste of power over Chrome this brief guide brings, you might like how it feels to learn how to block ads on Chrome , how to install Chrome extensions , how to lock incognito tabs on Chrome mobile and how to block a website on Chrome .

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Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine. A lifelong PC builder, he currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice. 

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• manlyfists Or, here me out here, you can simply turn your monitor down unless you're playing a game or watching something, instead of blasting your eyes for absolutely no reason? Reply
• mdulcey In the early days of the web I designed pages using a cream-colored background, reserving pure white as a highlight color. I never figured out why that didn't catch on; it was far less eye-searing than white. That was back in the days when we were still using CRTs. Reply
• MisterWhisker There is a program that might be of use to those who are forced to use legacy applications which do not support dark mode: https://darkmodeanyapp.com/ It is called "dark mode any app" and as the title suggests, it will make anything run in dark mode - even that 20 year windows program you can't live without. Reply
• View All 3 Comments

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Here are 12 Chrome Flags that will improve your web-browsing experience

Published on March 12, 2024

Chrome is known for its simplicity and speed. Despite this, there are a lot of extra tools under the hood. This includes several experimental features that can be accessed through special Chrome Flags.

Considering these are all test features that might not even make it to the stable version of Chrome, bugs are expected. Nonetheless, if you are willing to go through the occasional hiccup, some enable an improved browsing experience. Let’s take a look at some of our favorites.

What is a Chrome Flag?

Chrome Flags are experimental features Google hasn’t released yet, but you can access and try. Just remember these aren’t ready for an official release just yet. This means they may not work very well all of the time. You may encounter the occasional hiccup, bug, or crash.

How do you access Chrome Flags settings?

No matter how much you dig into menus and options, you won’t find them in the settings unless you know how to access this section. You need to know your way in!

How to access the Chrome Flags page:

• Open Chrome .
• Click on the address and delete any URL that might be in it.
• Type the following in the address bar: “chrome://flags/” (without quotation marks).
• Press Enter .
• You are in!

By the way, these steps work both on mobile and desktop. That said, not all Chrome Flags are available for all platforms. There are two primary tabs on the page: Available and Unavailable. Some of these experimental features are only available on specific devices. You can’t use features made for Android on devices like a laptop, for example.

How to enable a Chrome Flag:

• Once you find yourself within the page, go ahead and search for the Chrome Flag you want to try out.
• Select the drop-down menu under the Flag you want to use. It usually reads either Default or Disabled .
• Select Enabled .
• You’ll need to relaunch Chrome most of the time. Hit Relaunc h if the option shows up.

Note: These instructions were assembled using a Google Pixel 7 running Android 14. These steps are identical across all Chrome browsers, though. The same steps will work on desktop and iOS.

Are Chrome Flags safe?

Once in the Chrome Flags settings, you will see a warning message telling you about the dangers of using them. This is because experimental features can cause issues and hiccups in the browser. They are usually not too unstable, but some can be. Regardless, you can easily disable them.

How to disable Chrome Flags:

• Access the Chrome Flags settings as directed in the previous section.
• Find the experimental Chrome Flag you want to disable.
• Select the drop-down menu and select Disabled .
• Alternatively, you can press the button in the top-right corner that says Reset all to deactivate all of them.
• You’ll need to relaunch Chrome most of the time. Hit Relaunch if the option shows up.

The best Chrome Flags

Smooth scrolling, touch ui layout.

• QUIC Protocol
• Zero-copy rasterizer
• Force Dark Mode
• Parallel Downloading

Show autofill predictions

Live caption.

• GPU rasterization

Chrome Refresh 2023

Override software rendering list, partial swap.

Editor’s note: We’ll regularly update this list with new Chrome Flags. All instructions moving forward were put together using a custom PC running Windows 11 and Chrome version 122.0.6261.129, unless otherwise specified.

Ever notice your scrolling stutter or that it can get a bit sluggish? There could be many reasons it’s happening, but this Chrome Flag will likely improve the situation. Search for “Smooth Scrolling” in the search bar and enable the feature. It’s a great feature Android users should enable, but you can also use it on Windows, Linux, and Chrome OS.

Many convertible laptops, Windows tablets, and other devices now come with capable touch screens. This makes it possible to interact with content more naturally. Sometimes, the desktop interface doesn’t work well with touch commands, though. The browser has a touch-optimized UI hidden in the Chrome Flags.

In the search bar, search for “Touch UI Layout.” Click on the drop-down menu next to it and select Enabled .

Experimental QUIC Protocol

Certain Chrome Flags speed up your browsing experience. QUIC is Google’s protocol, and it’s designed to make the web faster. Enabling this one will speed things up, but only when websites have been optimized for it. Something is better than nothing, though!

On the main page, search for “Experimental QUIC Protocol.” Click on the drop-down menu next to it and select Enabled .

Enable Zero-copy rasterizer

If you want Chrome’s general performance to be faster, one neat trick is to enable Zero-copy rasterizer. This will allow Chrome threads to write directly to the GPU for tile management. In turn, Chrome should operate faster, at least theoretically. Whether you’ll actually notice a difference is another story. Also, it makes Chrome more prone to crashes. You can definitely give it a try, though.

Search for “Zero-copy rasterizer” and enable it in the drop-down Chrome Flags menu.

Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents

Dark Mode is pretty cool, both aesthetically and for eye comfort reasons . If you are also a fan of it, you want all website content to support it. Sadly, not all websites cooperate, but a secondary option forces the option on all websites.

Open the Chrome Flags page and search for “Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents.” Enable the feature through the drop-down menu next to it.

Parallel Downloading Chrome Flag

Waiting for large files to download can be a hassle. Let’s cut delays by dividing downloads into multiple files to be downloaded simultaneously.

Search for “Parallel Downloading” and enable the feature using the drop-down menu to the right.

Nobody likes filling out forms, so Google simplifies this process using autofill. Still annoying? You can automatically have Chrome autofill form information by enabling the “Show autofill predictions” feature.

Search for “Show Autofill Predictions” and enable the feature using the drop-down menu to the right.

Some video players and websites offer captions, but this isn’t a universal feature. Those who want transcripts for all recognized words in media can use the Live Caption Chrome Flag.

Search for “Live Caption” and enable it.

GPU Rasterization

Is Chrome simply not fast enough for you? We know how you can harness the full power of your computer to speed things up. There’s a trick, though; you need to have a dedicated GPU for this one to make any improvements to Chrome’s performance. GPU Rasterization allows Chrome to take some of the workload off the CPU and have your GPU take care of it.

Here’s how to do it. Search for “GPU rasterization” and enable the feature using the drop-down menu.

Chrome is starting to look a bit outdated, right? Everything is kind of square and dull. If you want a more modern design, go into the Chrome Flags and enable “Chrome Refresh 2023.” The new design hasn’t been pushed out to all users, but Google has been working on it. It resembles Material You, with more colorful and playful hues and rounded corners. Additionally, it will feel better on touchscreen devices, as Material You is a mobile-focused design language.

GPU acceleration on Chrome is usually only available for supported devices. But, of course, there is a Chrome Flag for nearly everything. You can force Chrome to use GPU acceleration, even on unsupported devices. Just be warned that this may cause compatibility issues, as systems are often not supported for a reason.

Just look for “Override software rendering list” and enable the Chrome Flag.

Partial Swap improves memory management, and can supercharge your browser’s performance. It basically swaps memory usage, prioritizing tabs and tasks you are using at the moment. The thing is, this can also cause issues from time to time.

Partial swap comes enabled by default, so search for “Partial swap” to disable it. Or, if it’s disabled, you can try to enable it and see if it helps.

Using Chrome Flags is safe, but it can make your experience a bit buggy. The team also warns you could lose data and compromise privacy. This is just Google being careful, though. The worst that can usually happen is that you’ll need to relaunch Chrome and turn off the Chrome Flags, if anything goes wrong.

Chrome Flags are experimental features the Google team is testing. The team will make these official Chrome features once they are in good working order, if they are deemed worthy. This isn’t always the case, though. Additionally, Chrome Flags are often killed.

You can use Chrome Flags on both mobile and desktop browsers, but not all Chrome lags are available on every device. Some are desktop or mobile-specific. However, Chrome will separate unavailable Flags and put them into the Unavailable tab.

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4 Ways to Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs (Desktop and Mobile)

The dark mode is a lifesaver for your eyes. It makes the text more pronounced and saves some battery in the process. You can apply system-wide dark themes on Android and iOS, and even Windows now supports dark mode. But Google Docs doesn’t play nicely with desktops, which remain stark white even after applying a dark theme. We will discuss all the methods to enable dark mode in Google Docs on both desktop and mobile. Let’s begin.

Table of Contents

Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs Android App

Google Docs’ Android app can adapt to the system-wide theme. If you use dark mode on Android , Docs switch to dark mode automatically. But if you want to use dark mode in Google Docs only, you can change it using the app settings. Here’s how:

1. Open the Google Docs app on your Android phone.

2. Go to the upper top-left corner and tap on the hamburger menu icon to open the Navigation drawer . Then, tap on the Settings option in the menu.

3. Find the Theme section and tap on the Choose theme option. It will be set to the System default. Tap on the Dark radio button.

Google Docs app will switch to dark mode and stay in Dark mode irrespective of the system theme (dark or light).

Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs on Web Using Experimental Flags

Google Docs web version is a sour experience for dark mode lovers. The website doesn’t switch to dark mode even when you apply a dark theme on your Windows computer. Moreover, it doesn’t offer a dark mode setting as it does in the mobile app. But you can force the Chrome browser to apply dark mode on all sites. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Chrome browser and press the Ctrl key + T to open a new tab.

2. Type chrome://flags/ in the address bar and press Enter to open the Experiments section.

3. Click on the search bar, type Dark , and press Enter .

4. Go to the Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents section and click the arrow icon to expand the drop-down list. Select the Enabled option.

5. Chrome will request a relaunch. Click on the Relaunch button to apply changes.

6. Open Google Docs and some webpage elements will appear in dark mode. However, it still won’t change the document page to dark color.

Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs on Web Using Extension

The experimental flags in Chrome offer a subpar dark mode experience. But you can use a dedicated dark mode extension to turn Google Docs and also Sheets into dark mode completely. Follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Open the Chrome browser and visit the Chrome Store page of the Google Docs Dark Mode extension.

2. Click on the Add to Chrome button. A popup window will launch.

3. Click the Add Extension button to add the Google Docs Dark Mode extension to your browser.

4. Press the Ctrl key + T to open a new tab. Click on the Extension button located next to the address bar. Find the Google Docs Dark Mode extension and click on the pin button.

5. Now, open Google Docs in a new tab. Go to the top left corner and click on the Google Docs Dark Mode extension. Enable both toggles.

6. Reload the Google Docs document. It will change to dark mode. Unlike the Chrome Flags method, this extension darkens the document and page backgrounds completely.

Here is a list of dark mode extensions for Chrome that offer more granular settings.

Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs by Changing Page Setup

If you don’t want to use a third-party extension (privacy concerns) to change the Google Docs’ appearance, you can tweak the Page Setup instead. It isn’t the most effective option like the Google Docs Dark Mode extension, but it offers some respite from the awful white background. Here’s how:

1. Firstly, enable the dark mode in the Chrome browser using the Flags section we mentioned in the second method.

2. Then, open a Google Docs document. The background will be dark, but the document page will still be white.

3. To change this design scheme, go to the top left area on the Google Docs page and click on the File > Page Setup option.

4. A Page Setup window will open. Click on the arrow icon below the Page Color option. Select the Black color from the color picker and click the OK button.

5. The document background will become black, but there’s one more thing to do. You must change the text color to be visible on a dark background.

6. Press the Ctrl key + A to select all the text. Go to the Google Docs menu bar and click the Text color button.

7. Select the Grey color from the color picker and click the OK button.

Now, you can experience the dark mode on Google Docs without a third-party extension.

Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge is also a Chromium-based browser. Since it shares Chrome’s browser engine, you can tweak the same experimental flag to change the Google Docs appearance to dark mode. But the document page will still be white. You must change the Page color and text color to achieve the optimum dark mode experience.

Using a third-party extension is a fairly easier option. You can try the Dark mode for Google Docs extension to switch to the dark mode in Google Docs in a single click.

Go Dark in Google Docs

It is still a mystery why Google Docs and Sheets don’t adapt well to the system-wide dark mode settings on the desktop. The mobile app’s dark mode works fine; you will have no problem with that. You can use any of the three methods to switch to dark mode on the desktop in the Chrome browser. The tricks will work with all Chromium-based browsers like Opera, Vivaldi, Brave, and Edge.

Are you a Firefox user? Here are some dark mode add-ons for Firefox .

Abhishek Mishra

Abhishek likes to tinker with operating systems and is always hunting for apps that can improve his Windows and Android experience. He devotes his spare time to keeping track of the latest developments in anime and cinema. But he occasionally goes for short rides if the weather is forgiving enough.

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