How to Enable Dark Mode in Safari on Mac – Guide
Dark mode, or night mode, can help reduce eye strain and headaches caused by looking at a bright screen for extended periods of time. It can also improve concentration and sleep quality. For Apple users, dark mode is available on Safari or through an extension. Enabling it will help you avoid the negative effects of staring at a bright screen late into the night.
Enabling dark mode on Mac and iOS devices can help conserve battery life, especially if you have an OLED panel on your laptop. Here’s how to do it: instructions provided.
Enable dark theme for Safari
MacOS Catalina offers a built-in dark mode, allowing users to switch their entire operating system and native applications, such as Safari, to a darker color scheme. For those who know how to enable it, the next section awaits. For those who don’t, here’s how to turn it on.
Access System Preferences by opening the Apple menu.
Go to the General section by clicking on its block.
To give your operating system a darker look, click “Dark” in the Appearance section at the top.
Safari’s dark mode may not be the perfect solution for those seeking a fully immersive dark browsing experience. While some sites will automatically render in the dark theme, many still display a bright white background, leaving users to contend with a lot of glare.
The next step is clear: how can users enable dark mode on Safari across all devices?
Enable dark mode for websites in Safari
For those who don’t have access to a website’s native dark mode, there are two easy ways to get the same effect. Reader View can be used to render websites in dark mode, while extensions offer another option.
1. Use the reader view
Safari’s Reader View feature strips away ads and other distractions from web pages, presenting them in a clear format. It also lets you switch the background color to black, making it easy to take advantage of dark mode.
Reader View is not available everywhere, but it can be used on blog posts and articles. Let’s take a look at how it works.
The Safari address bar’s Reader View icon can be clicked to access web pages supported by the feature.
Click the aA icon in the Safari address bar to switch to a darker background color. Safari will remember your preference.
The page is now rendered in dark mode, perfect for those who prefer a darker aesthetic.
If you’re tired of manually enabling Reader View every time you visit a web page, you can set it up to start automatically. Here’s how.
To access Safari’s preferences, click the menu bar and select “Preferences.”
Go to the Sites tab, select Reader in the left pane, and you’re ready to go.
Users of Safari can quickly enable Auto Reader Preview for open websites by selecting Enabled from the menu next to each website listed in the Currently open websites section.
To enable reader view on other websites, click the menu next to “When visiting other sites” and select “Enabled”.
Safari users can now enjoy a simplified web browsing experience, as the browser will automatically switch to Reader View when visiting pages that support it. To enable this feature, simply exit the Preferences window.
2. Use the Safari extension
Dark mode with Reader View can be a great way to reduce eye strain when reading at night, but it’s not suitable for all websites and web pages. It’s best used for reading, not general web browsing.
If you’re looking for dark mode across your devices, a Safari extension may be the way to go. But be aware that many of these extensions come with a price tag - even Dark Reader, which is free on Chrome and Firefox.
After a search for an extension that wouldn’t require payment upfront, Night Eye was discovered. Here’s how to install and activate it.
Mac users can now enhance their viewing experience with Night Eye, a new app available for download from the Mac App Store.
To access Safari’s settings, open the Preferences window.
Check the box next to Night Eye in the Extensions tab to enable it.
Most websites now must be displayed in dark mode, with only a few exceptions such as Google Docs.
Night Eye, an extension for web browsers, offers users the ability to customize their browsing experience with options such as adjusting brightness, contrast and saturation. To access these features, simply click on the Night Eye icon located to the left of the address bar.
Night Eye’s free version offers dark mode for up to five sites, but users must pay to access advanced features after three months.
If you’re looking for a dark mode extension for Safari, Dark Reader is the way to go. It’s a one-time fee of just $4.99, compared to other extensions that cost up to $39.99 or require an annual subscription of $8.99. Alternatives like Safari Dark Mode can be found on the Mac App Store for only $1.99.
Final note
If you’re looking to enable Dark Mode in Safari on Mac, this guide has you covered. Got questions? Reach out for help. And don’t forget to share the love and spread the word!
