Canvas LMS by Instructure does not currently have a built-in dark mode on its desktop website. To make Canvas dark on a Windows PC, Mac or Chromebook, install the Night Eye browser extension, open your school or university’s own Canvas website, and choose Dark in Night Eye. The Canvas Student apps for iPhone, iPad and Android have separate, built-in dark-theme settings.
This guide covers Canvas LMS, the learning management system used by schools and universities for courses, assignments, discussions and grades. Sign in using the Canvas URL or portal supplied by your institution—not Canvas Network at canvas.net, which is a different service.
Canvas dark mode: desktop, iPhone and Android
| Device | How to enable Canvas dark mode |
|---|---|
| On desktop Windows, Mac, Chromebook | Use Night Eye. Canvas LMS has no native web dark-theme switch. Install Night Eye in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari, open your institution’s Canvas site and select Dark. |
| On iPhone / iOS Also iPad | Native app setting: Canvas Student app → Dashboard → Menu → Settings → Appearance → Dark Theme. For the Canvas website in Safari, use Night Eye instead. |
| On Android | Native app setting: Canvas Student app → Dashboard → User Menu → Settings → App Theme → Dark. For the Canvas website in a supported Android browser, use Night Eye. |
Table of contents
- Canvas dark mode: desktop, iPhone and Android
- How to enable Canvas dark mode in Safari on Mac
- How to turn on Canvas dark mode in Chrome, Edge or Firefox
- Does Canvas LMS have a built-in dark mode?
- How to enable Canvas dark mode on iPhone or iPad
- How to enable Canvas dark mode on Android
- What to check on Canvas course pages in dark mode
- Canvas dark mode troubleshooting
- Canvas dark mode FAQ
- More dark-mode guides for studying
- Dark mode for Canvas LMS and other websites
How to enable Canvas dark mode in Safari on Mac
Safari on macOS can display your institution’s Canvas website in dark mode using Night Eye. The important extra step is to enable the Safari extension and grant it access to your school’s Canvas domain.
Get Night Eye for Safari — Mac App Store
- Install Night Eye from the Mac App Store using the button above.
- Open Safari → Settings → Extensions. Find Night Eye and select its checkbox to enable the extension.
- Open your school or university’s Canvas LMS URL. In Safari’s extension permissions, allow Night Eye to access that website. If needed, return to Safari → Settings → Extensions → Night Eye → Edit Websites and choose Allow for your institution’s domain.
- Click the Night Eye icon in the Safari toolbar and select Dark. If Canvas was already open when you installed or enabled Night Eye, refresh the tab.
- Use Night Eye’s brightness, contrast, saturation or dim controls to fine-tune this website without changing every other site.
On a school-managed Mac, extension installation or website permissions may be restricted by your institution. Ask its IT team for approval if Night Eye cannot be enabled.
How to turn on Canvas dark mode in Chrome, Edge or Firefox
Install Night Eye from your browser’s official extension store, then open the Canvas LMS address provided by your school or university. You do not need to sign in through canvas.net.
Add to Chrome Add to Edge Add to Firefox
- Install Night Eye and permit the access needed to change website appearance.
- Open Canvas LMS from your school portal or institution-specific Canvas URL and sign in as usual.
- Open Night Eye from the browser toolbar or Extensions menu. Pin the icon if you use it frequently.
- Select Dark if it is not already active. Refresh the Canvas page once if it was open before installation.
- Adjust the Canvas site only if headings, buttons or course content need different brightness or contrast. You can leave other websites on their own settings.
Using a school-managed Chromebook? Night Eye works with Chrome where extensions are permitted. If your administrator blocks extension installs, request approval rather than attempting to bypass the restriction.
Canvas LMS light and dark appearance: the original before-and-after images are preserved below. Results may vary with your institution’s course design and embedded content.
Does Canvas LMS have a built-in dark mode?
On the website, no. Instructure’s current Canvas mobile features comparison lists the ability to change the app theme for iOS and Android, but not for Canvas web. Changing the Windows, macOS or browser interface to dark mode does not necessarily change Canvas course pages.
In the Canvas Student mobile app, yes. Both iPhone/iPad and Android have their own theme controls. These app settings are separate from the website you open in Safari, Chrome or another browser.
How to enable Canvas dark mode on iPhone or iPad
- Open the Canvas Student app and go to the Dashboard.
- Tap Menu, then Settings.
- Open Appearance and choose Dark Theme.
- Choose System Settings instead if you want the app to follow your iPhone or iPad appearance.
These instructions change the Canvas app, not the Canvas LMS website in Safari. If your institution requires the web interface on iPhone or iPad, you can use the Night Eye Safari extension after enabling it in Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions and permitting access to your school’s Canvas site. See Instructure’s iOS app guide for the native theme setting.
How to enable Canvas dark mode on Android
- Open the Canvas Student app and go to the Dashboard.
- Tap the User Menu, then Settings.
- Tap App Theme and select Dark.
- Select Same as device if you prefer the app to follow Android’s theme.
This changes the Canvas app. For the Canvas website in a compatible Android browser, use Night Eye rather than looking for the app’s theme menu. See Instructure’s Android app guide.
What to check on Canvas course pages in dark mode
After activating Night Eye, open the pages you actually use for learning. Canvas courses contain more than the dashboard, and not every embedded element is controlled by the same page styles.
- Dashboard: Check course cards, navigation, calendars and due-date text for readable contrast.
- Assignments: Check instructions, rubric tables, submission areas and file-upload controls before submitting work.
- Discussions: Confirm that posts, quoted text, reply buttons and the rich-text editor remain legible.
- Modules and course content: Inspect headings, linked readings, tables, quizzes and any custom content blocks supplied by your instructor.
- Editors, diagrams and embedded materials: Charts, screenshots, mathematical diagrams, external tools, video players, embedded documents and some PDF viewers may retain their original colors or appear in separate frames. Color-sensitive illustrations should be checked in their original appearance.
Night Eye changes the local display of a website rather than modifying your institution’s Canvas content or submissions. Because course designs, third-party integrations and embedded viewers differ, full conversion of every element cannot be guaranteed. If a diagram, assignment editor or embedded tool becomes hard to read, choose Normal for that site temporarily.
Canvas dark mode troubleshooting
Canvas is still white after installing Night Eye
Refresh the Canvas tab, open the Night Eye toolbar icon and confirm that Dark is selected. Verify that Night Eye is allowed to run on your institution’s Canvas domain. In Safari, review Safari → Settings → Extensions → Night Eye → Edit Websites. Also check that Canvas has not been placed on your Night Eye disallow list.
Only part of the course page changes color
Embedded PDFs, externally hosted quizzes, videos, diagrams, frames and third-party learning tools may be displayed by another service or viewer. If a resource opens on a different domain, it may need its own Night Eye website permission or mode. Some protected or embedded content cannot be converted completely.
Text, charts or assignment editors look unreadable
Try adjusting contrast or brightness for Canvas, or select Filtered to retain the original colors while softening the display. For a color-dependent graph or rich-text editor, select Normal and switch back to Dark afterward. Check a preview of any assignment before submitting it.
Another dark-mode extension conflicts with Night Eye
Avoid running two website recoloring tools on the same Canvas page. Temporarily disable the other extension or its Canvas-specific rules, then refresh. If the problem continues, use Night Eye’s built-in support button and share the affected Canvas page type and a screenshot without student or personal information.
How do I turn Canvas dark mode off?
Open Night Eye while viewing your institution’s Canvas page and select Normal to restore its original colors. You can do this for Canvas without switching off dark mode on your other websites. In the mobile Canvas Student app, return to the theme setting and select Light or your device-matching option.
Canvas dark mode FAQ
Can I make Canvas dark on a PC without changing Windows to dark mode?
Yes. Install Night Eye in Chrome, Edge or Firefox and select Dark on your institution’s Canvas LMS website. The website can be dark even if your operating system remains light.
Why is Canvas dark on my phone but white on my laptop?
The Canvas Student mobile apps have a built-in theme option. Canvas LMS on the desktop web does not currently offer the same native control, so use Night Eye for the browser version.
Does Night Eye change what my classmates or teachers see?
No. Night Eye processes webpage appearance locally in your browser. It does not change the course content stored in Canvas or the appearance seen by another user.
Will Night Eye darken every document and embedded learning tool?
Not always. Documents, rich-text editors, third-party tools and cross-domain frames can have their own rendering or access restrictions. Check important content and use Normal mode whenever accurate original colors matter.
More dark-mode guides for studying
Dark mode for Canvas LMS and other websites
Night Eye converts webpage backgrounds, text and interface elements instead of merely inverting the entire screen. You can adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, dimming and warmth, or apply a different mode to your institution’s Canvas domain. Conversion runs locally in your browser; Night Eye does not collect your browsing history.
Install Night Eye from your browser’s official store below. If your school controls browser extensions, check its IT policy before installing.
Install Night Eye dark mode extension
