To turn on YouTube dark mode on a computer, click your profile picture, select Appearance, and choose Dark theme. In the YouTube app on Android, iPhone, or iPad, open your profile menu and go to Settings > General > Appearance > Dark theme.
Choose Use device theme instead if you want YouTube to follow your phone or computer’s current light or dark appearance.
YouTube calls the setting Dark theme, but it is the same feature commonly described as YouTube dark mode. The built-in setting is the quickest way to get YouTube’s standard dark interface, so start there before trying any browser customization. These paths follow YouTube’s current Dark theme instructions.
| Device | Quick path |
|---|---|
| Computer or PC | Profile picture > Appearance > Dark theme |
| Android 10 or newer | Profile picture > Settings > General > Appearance > Dark theme |
| iPhone or iPad with iOS 13 or newer | Profile picture > Settings > General > Appearance > Dark theme |
How to Turn On YouTube Dark Mode on a Computer
These steps work on the YouTube website in a desktop browser on Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, or Linux:
- Open YouTube.
- Click your profile picture in the upper-right corner.
- Select Appearance.
- Choose Dark theme.
The YouTube UI should change immediately. The home page, menus, search results, comments, and the area around the video player will use darker colors.
If you want YouTube to change with your computer’s appearance setting, choose Use device theme instead. Choose Dark theme if you want YouTube to stay dark even when your device is set to a light theme.
To switch back, follow the same path and select Light theme.
How to Enable YouTube Dark Mode on Android
On Android 10 or newer:
- Open the YouTube app.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Appearance.
- Select Dark theme.
You can select Use device theme at the last step if you want the YouTube app to match Android’s current theme.
On an older Android version, the menu may be shorter. YouTube’s current help page says to open Profile picture > Settings > General, then turn Dark theme on from there.
How to Enable YouTube Dark Mode on iPhone and iPad
On an iPhone or iPad running iOS 13 or newer:
- Open the YouTube app.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Appearance.
- Select Dark theme.
Select Use device theme if you want YouTube to follow the appearance selected in iOS or iPadOS.
On an older iOS version, YouTube may show Appearance directly under Settings instead of placing it inside General.
Dark Theme or Use Device Theme: Which Should You Choose?
Both options can give you a dark YouTube interface. The difference is who controls when it changes.
| Setting | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Dark theme | Keeps YouTube dark until you choose another theme | You always want a dark YouTube UI |
| Use device theme | Matches your device’s current light or dark appearance | Your device changes theme automatically or you want one system-wide setting |
| Light theme | Keeps YouTube in its standard light appearance | You prefer a bright interface or want a clean starting point for a browser extension |
If Use device theme leaves YouTube in light mode, check whether the device itself is currently using a dark theme. You can also select Dark theme directly to confirm that YouTube’s built-in dark setting works.
How YouTube Dark Theme Works With Ambient Mode
Dark theme and Ambient mode are related, but they do different jobs:
- Dark theme changes the main YouTube interface from light to dark.
- Ambient mode casts soft colors from the current video into the background around the player.
YouTube requires Dark theme before Ambient mode can work. In its current Ambient mode guidance, YouTube says the effect is enabled automatically on a computer after Dark theme is turned on.
If you want to keep the dark interface without the colored effect:
- Open a video.
- Click the Settings gear in the player.
- Select Ambient mode.
- Turn it off.
In the Android, iPhone, or iPad app, open a video’s Settings, tap Additional settings, and use the Ambient mode control. Turning Ambient mode off does not require you to turn off Dark theme.
How to Turn On Dark Theme in the YouTube Studio App
Creators using the YouTube Studio app have a separate theme path.
YouTube Studio on Android
- Open the YouTube Studio app.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Settings.
- Under Device, turn Dark Theme on.
YouTube Studio on iPhone or iPad
YouTube’s current instructions direct the Studio app to the device theme:
- Open the iPhone or iPad Settings app.
- Tap Display & Brightness.
- Select Dark.
You can also open Control Center, press and hold the brightness control, and turn on Dark Mode there.
YouTube Dark Mode Not Working? Try These Fixes
1. Make sure you are in the appearance menu
The theme control is not inside the video player’s settings. On a computer, open the menu under your profile picture and select Appearance. In the mobile app, use Settings > General > Appearance on current Android and iOS versions.
2. Choose Dark theme directly
If Use device theme is selected but YouTube remains light, select Dark theme instead. If the interface changes, the dark theme is working and the mismatch is related to the device-theme setting.
3. Update and reopen YouTube
If Appearance is missing or the app does not respond, install the latest YouTube app update, close the app completely, and reopen it. On a computer, refresh the YouTube tab after changing the setting.
4. Check the shorter menu on an older device
Older Android and iOS versions can show the Light or Dark control one level earlier. Look under Settings > General on Android or directly under Settings > Appearance on iPhone and iPad.
5. Turn off Ambient mode if the area around a video looks distracting
A colored glow around the player is usually Ambient mode, not a broken dark theme. Open the player’s settings and turn Ambient mode off while leaving Dark theme enabled.
6. Avoid two theme systems changing YouTube at once
If you use a dark mode browser extension, both YouTube and the extension may try to change the website’s colors. They may coexist without a problem, but if text, controls, or backgrounds look unusually dark, let one system handle the page at a time:
- For YouTube’s native look, select Dark theme in YouTube and set Night Eye to Normal Mode for
youtube.com. - For Night Eye’s adjustable browser theme, select Light theme in YouTube and use Dark Mode in Night Eye.
Refresh the page after changing either setting.
When Night Eye Adds Value to YouTube Dark Mode
YouTube already has a capable native Dark theme. For most people, it is the fastest and simplest choice.
Night Eye becomes useful when you watch YouTube in a browser and want more control than YouTube’s fixed themes provide. It can also keep the browser experience more consistent when you move between YouTube and websites that are still bright.
Night Eye’s current browser controls include:
- Brightness, contrast, dimming, and warmth adjustments
- Separate appearance settings for individual websites
- Dark mode schedules and supported system-theme synchronization
- Normal Mode when you want a website to keep its original appearance
Night Eye changes websites inside a supported browser. It does not change the native YouTube app on Android, iPhone, iPad, smart TVs, or streaming devices. For those apps, use YouTube’s built-in Dark theme.
How to use Night Eye for the YouTube website
- Install Night Eye for your browser.
- Open
youtube.com. - Set YouTube to Light theme so only one system is converting the page.
- Open Night Eye and select Dark Mode.
- Adjust brightness, contrast, dimming, or warmth if needed.
You can return Night Eye to Normal Mode for YouTube at any time. See the Night Eye features page for the current customization options.
YouTube Dark Mode FAQ
Does YouTube have a built-in dark mode?
Yes. YouTube calls it Dark theme. It is available on the website and in the Android, iPhone, and iPad apps.
How do I make YouTube dark on a PC?
Open YouTube, click your profile picture, select Appearance, and choose Dark theme. The same path works in desktop browsers on Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, and Linux.
Why can’t I find dark mode in YouTube settings?
On a computer, the control is under the profile menu rather than the main video settings. On a current mobile app, look under Settings > General > Appearance. Update and reopen the app if the Appearance option is missing.
Does turning on YouTube Dark theme enable Ambient mode?
On a computer, YouTube says Ambient mode is enabled automatically when Dark theme is on. You can turn Ambient mode off from the video player’s settings without switching YouTube back to Light theme.
Can Night Eye turn on dark mode in the YouTube mobile app?
No. Night Eye changes the YouTube website in a supported browser; it does not alter the native YouTube mobile app. Use the app’s built-in Dark theme or Use device theme setting instead.
How do I turn YouTube dark mode off?
Open the same Appearance menu and select Light theme. If YouTube is following your device, either choose Light theme directly or change the device’s appearance setting.
