To turn on dark mode in Microsoft Edge, open Settings and more (the three-dot menu) → Settings → Appearance, then choose Dark under Overall appearance. Choose System default instead if you want Edge to follow your computer's light or dark appearance.
That setting changes the Microsoft Edge interface, including tabs, menus and Settings. It does not make every website dark.
For webpages, you have three options: use the website's own dark theme, use a website dark-mode extension such as Night Eye, or try Edge's experimental Auto Dark Mode flag if it is available in your browser version.
Last reviewed: August 8, 2026.
Table of contents
- Microsoft Edge Dark Mode: Quick Answers
- How to Turn On Dark Mode in Microsoft Edge
- Microsoft Edge Dark Theme vs Website Dark Mode
- Use Night Eye for Dark Mode on Websites in Edge
- How to Install Night Eye on Microsoft Edge
- Edge Dark Mode vs Night Eye
- How to Force Dark Mode on Websites in Edge
- How to Make Microsoft Edge and Websites Darker
- How to Turn Off Dark Mode in Microsoft Edge
- How Windows 11 Dark Mode Affects Microsoft Edge
- How to Change the Microsoft Edge Theme
- Microsoft Edge Dark Mode FAQ
- Darken Microsoft Edge and the Websites You Visit
Microsoft Edge Dark Mode: Quick Answers
| What you want | What to use |
|---|---|
| Dark Edge tabs, menus and Settings | Edge → Settings → Appearance → Dark |
| Let Edge follow Windows or macOS | Edge → Settings → Appearance → System default |
| Dark mode on a website that already supports it | Use the website's native dark theme |
| Dark mode across websites | Use Night Eye |
| Experiment with forced webpage dark mode | Use Edge's Auto Dark Mode flag, if available |
| Return Edge to light mode | Edge → Settings → Appearance → Light |
How to Turn On Dark Mode in Microsoft Edge
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Select Settings and more (the three-dot menu) in the upper-right corner.
- Select Settings.
- Select Appearance.
- Under Overall appearance, choose Dark.
If you choose System default, Edge follows the light or dark appearance selected in your operating system.
Microsoft Edge Dark Theme vs Website Dark Mode
Microsoft Edge dark mode and website dark mode are separate.
Edge's built-in Dark appearance controls the browser interface. It changes areas such as the tab bar, menus and Settings, but a website can still appear with a white background.
Website dark mode changes the content inside the browser tab. A website can provide its own dark theme, or a browser extension can convert the page when the site does not provide the appearance you want.
This is why turning Edge itself dark can still leave many webpages bright.
Use Night Eye for Dark Mode on Websites in Edge
Night Eye is built for the webpage layer. It converts website colors instead of simply changing the Edge interface, so you can keep your browser and the sites inside it in a more consistent dark environment.
With Night Eye on Microsoft Edge, you can:
- apply dark mode to most websites;
- choose different settings for individual websites;
- switch between Dark, Filtered and Normal modes;
- adjust brightness, contrast, dimming and warmth;
- follow supported system-theme changes automatically;
- leave a website unchanged when its own theme works better.
Night Eye performs webpage color conversion locally on your device. Night Eye does not receive the URLs, domains, webpage content or browsing history used during webpage conversion. See the Night Eye Privacy Policy for the full extension privacy details.
Explore the controls on the Night Eye Features page.
How to Install Night Eye on Microsoft Edge
- Open the Night Eye page in the Microsoft Edge Add-ons Store.
- Select Get and confirm the installation.
- Open a website you want to view in dark mode.
- Open Night Eye from the Edge toolbar.
- Select Dark mode and adjust the appearance if needed.
Night Eye works independently from Edge's built-in appearance. You can use a dark Edge interface with Night Eye, a light Edge interface with Night Eye, or let Edge follow your system theme while Night Eye controls website appearance.
Edge Dark Mode vs Night Eye
| Feature | Edge built-in Dark appearance | Night Eye |
|---|---|---|
| Darkens Edge tabs, menus and Settings | Yes | No |
| Applies dark mode to website content | No, not by itself | Yes, on most websites |
| Per-website settings | No | Yes |
| Brightness and contrast controls for websites | No | Yes |
| Warmth and dim controls for websites | No | Yes |
| Can leave selected websites unchanged | Not applicable | Yes |
The two features are complementary: use Edge's Dark appearance for the browser interface and Night Eye when you want control over the webpages you visit.
How to Force Dark Mode on Websites in Edge
Microsoft Edge has also exposed an experimental Chromium feature commonly called Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents. If it is available in your current version of Edge, you can test it from the flags page.
- Enter
edge://flags/#enable-force-darkin the Edge address bar. - If Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents appears, change it to Enabled.
- Restart Edge when prompted.
This is an experimental option, not the normal Edge dark-theme setting. Flags can change or disappear between Edge releases, and forced rendering can produce incorrect colors or hard-to-read elements on some websites.
To reverse the change, return to the same flag and choose Default or Disabled, then restart Edge.
How to Make Microsoft Edge and Websites Darker
If Edge is already using its Dark appearance but webpages are still too bright, the browser-interface setting is not the control you need.
For a website, first check whether the site has its own dark theme. If it does not, Night Eye can convert the page and lets you adjust brightness, contrast, dimming and warmth without changing your Edge interface.
If only Edge itself looks light, check Settings → Appearance → Overall appearance and make sure Dark is selected instead of Light or System default.
How to Turn Off Dark Mode in Microsoft Edge
To turn off Microsoft Edge dark mode:
- Open Settings and more → Settings.
- Select Appearance.
- Under Overall appearance, choose Light.
If Edge keeps becoming dark automatically, check whether System default is selected. In that mode, Edge follows your operating system's appearance.
If Edge is light but a webpage remains dark, check the website's own theme, Night Eye or another dark-mode extension, and the experimental Auto Dark Mode flag separately.
How Windows 11 Dark Mode Affects Microsoft Edge
If Edge is set to System default, changing the Windows color mode can also change Edge's appearance.
In Windows 11, open Settings → Personalization → Colors. Under Choose your mode, select Light, Dark or Custom.
If you want Windows to stay dark while Edge stays light, leave Windows as it is and set Edge's Overall appearance directly to Light.
How to Change the Microsoft Edge Theme
For the main Edge appearance:
- Light: Settings → Appearance → Overall appearance → Light
- Dark: Settings → Appearance → Overall appearance → Dark
- Follow your computer: Settings → Appearance → Overall appearance → System default
Microsoft can change or add appearance options between Edge versions, so some additional controls may look different from the ones shown here.
Microsoft Edge Dark Mode FAQ
How do I turn on dark mode in Edge?
Open Settings and more → Settings → Appearance, then choose Dark under Overall appearance.
How do I make Edge darker?
Use Edge's Dark appearance for the browser interface. If you mean webpages, use the site's own dark theme or Night Eye to control website appearance.
How do I turn dark mode off in Microsoft Edge?
Go to Settings → Appearance → Overall appearance and choose Light.
Why does Microsoft Edge turn dark automatically?
Edge may be set to System default, which makes it follow your operating system's appearance. A website's native theme, a dark-mode extension or an experimental Edge flag can separately make webpages dark.
How do I switch Edge from dark mode back to normal?
Select Light under Overall appearance. If only websites remain dark, check their own theme settings, extensions and Edge flags.
How do I activate dark mode for websites in Edge?
Edge's Dark appearance does not darken every webpage. Use the website's native dark theme when available, or use Night Eye for dark mode across most websites.
How do I change the Microsoft Edge theme?
Open Settings → Appearance and choose Light, Dark or System default under Overall appearance.
How do I change Edge to a black or dark color?
Select Dark under Overall appearance. Edge controls the exact interface colors used by its built-in dark theme.
How do I disable dark mode in Windows 11?
Open Settings → Personalization → Colors and select Light under Choose your mode. Edge will follow this change when it is set to System default.
How do I change Solid Edge to dark mode?
If you mean Siemens Solid Edge, that is a separate engineering application. This guide covers the Microsoft Edge web browser.
Darken Microsoft Edge and the Websites You Visit
Use Microsoft Edge's built-in Dark appearance for tabs, menus and Settings. Use Night Eye when you also want dark mode on websites, with per-site controls and additional appearance settings.
Install Night Eye from the official Microsoft Edge Add-ons Store.
