How to Turn Mac Dark Mode On or Off

"Dark Mode's" new look is easy on the eyes and makes it easier to concentrate. Dark Mode uses a dark color palette and works with all of the built-in Mac apps. It can also be used by apps not made by Apple.

Dark Mode is easier on the eyes, which helps a lot of people with eyestrain. With macOS Mojave, Apple added Dark Mode. Dark Mode is not turned on by default, but it is easy to turn on and off. Here's how to make your Mac go into dark mode and how to easily switch back to light mode. When you turn on Dark mode, all of your Apple apps will have darker colors and themes.

How to make Mac Dark Mode

1. Go to the Apple menu and select System Preferences.

2. Click General on the System Preferences screen.

3. Next to Appearance, select Dark to turn on Dark Mode. 

When Dark Mode is turned on, it is used right away for menus, buttons, and windows, including the System Preferences window.

How to turn off Dark Mode on Mac

1. Choose Apple menu.

2. Select System Preferences.

3. Click General.

4. Select one of the Appearance options:

Light: to use the light appearance.

Auto: to automatically use the light appearance during the day and the Dark appearance at night.

Using Dark Mode on Mac

All of Apple's apps, like Photos, Mail, Maps, and Calendar, can be used with Dark Mode. But if you want your Mac to be completely dark, there is one more thing you can do: dim the desktop display. If you want a dark image on your desktop, it's best to use one of the dynamic desktop graphics or the dark static images that come with macOS Mojave and later.

How Dark Mode works with some apps and features

Specific Dark Mode settings or behaviors are available in some programs and features.

Mail

Open Mail, select Mail > Preferences, click the Viewing tab, and deselect Use dark backgrounds for messages to use a light background for email messages while Dark Mode is enabled.

Maps

Open Maps, go to Maps > select Preferences, and select Always use light map appearance to always display maps with a light background when Dark Mode is enabled. In older versions of macOS, you could uncheck Use Dark Map by clicking View in the Maps menu bar.

Notes

Open Notes, click Notes > Preferences, then uncheck Use dark backgrounds for note content to use a light background for your notes while Dark Mode is enabled.

Safari

If a website has been created to support it, Safari will display it in Dark Mode when you use it. Use Safari Reader to read articles in Dark Mode if the website doesn't support it.

TextEdit

When TextEdit's Dark Mode is active, select View from the menu bar, then deselect Use Dark Background for Windows to use a light background for documents. 10.14.2 or later versions of macOS Mojave are required.

Desktop Dynamic

If Dark Mode is turned on and Dynamic Desktop is used, the desktop may change to a dark image that stays still. In the Desktop and Screen Saver preferences, you can change this setting.

So, that's how to turn on Mac dark mode and how to easily turn it off. If you can't get dark mode to work on your Mac, just leave a comment below and we'll help you figure it out.