How to Enable Dark Mode in YouTube

Quick Links

Key Takeaways

To enable dark mode on the YouTube website, click your profile picture, then select Appearance > Dark Mode. On an iPhone or iPad, tap your profile picture, then go to Settings > General > Dark theme. On an Android device, tap your profile picture, then navigate to Settings > General > Appearance > Dark Theme.

YouTube's dark mode provides an easier-on-the-eyes viewing experience. It's particularly nice when watching videos in the dark or at night. YouTube's dark theme is available on the YouTube website and in YouTube's mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Enable Dark Mode On the Web

On YouTube's desktop website, click your profile icon found in the top-right corner of the page. Then select the "Appearance: Device Theme" option in the menu.

If you aren't signed in, click the menu button (it looks like three vertical dots) instead. You'll find the same "Appearance: Device Theme" option here.

By default, YouTube will follow your computer's system-wide theme settings. Choose "Dark Theme" from the following page. This setting applies to your current web browser only, so you'll have to enable the dark theme on each computer you use---it doesn't sync with your Google account.

To undo this change, click your profile picture or three-button menu button again, select "Appearance: Dark," and choose "Use Device Theme" (if your computer is using a system-wide light mode) or "Light Theme."

For a complete dark mode on your desktop, enable dark mode in your Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge browser. You can also enable a dark theme in Gmail, too. You can also activate Windows 10's built-in dark mode.

Enable Dark Mode On iPhone and iPad

The YouTube app for iPhone and iPad has its own dark mode option, too. To enable it, open the app and tap your profile icon in the top-right corner of your screen.

Next, tap "Settings" found at the bottom of the menu that appears.

Choose the "General" option.

Finally, toggle on "Dark Theme."

To use YouTube's normal light theme again, return to this submenu and toggle off the "Dark Theme" slider.

Enable Dark Mode On Android

As with the other platforms, the YouTube for Android app follows your device's system-wide theme settings. But if you don't want everything on your Android phone or tablet to be in dark mode, you can manually change it in the YouTube app.

Start by opening the app on your Android device and tapping on your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen.

Next, select the "Settings" option found at the bottom of the menu.

From there, choose "General."

Select "Appearance" from the list of options. This menu is where you can choose between a dark and light theme.

The "Use Device Theme" option will be highlighted by default. Select "Dark Theme" to instantly transform the YouTube app's interface.

Return to the Appearance menu anytime you want to revert back to the Light theme!

While you're enhancing your YouTube experience, did you know there are ways to listen to YouTube videos on your phone with the screen turned off, even without a Premium subscription?