How to turn on dark mode on any device
Every major operating system now ships a dark theme, but each one buries the switch in a different section and calls it something slightly different. Here is where the setting lives on seven systems, how to put it on a schedule, and why some apps stubbornly stay bright.
Where dark mode lives on iPhone, iPad and Android
On an iPhone or iPad, the switch sits in Settings > Display & Brightness, under the Appearance thumbnails at the top. Tap Dark and it applies immediately across the system and every app that follows the system theme.
Android keeps the same control in Settings > Display, normally labelled Dark theme. Samsung's One UI lists it simply as Dark, and most Android skins also offer a Dark theme tile you can pull into Quick Settings for one-tap switching.
Version matters: system-wide dark mode arrived in iOS 13 and Android 10, so older builds only offer per-app themes. The dark mode guide shows the screens side by side, and the Android settings hub covers how Display is arranged in each release.
Dark mode on macOS, Windows 11, ChromeOS and Ubuntu
macOS Ventura and later give Appearance its own row in System Settings; on Monterey and earlier the same three options live in System Preferences under General.
Windows 11 splits the decision in two under Settings > Personalization > Colors. "Choose your mode" offers Light, Dark or Custom, and Custom is why some desktops end up half-dark: it lets the Windows mode for the taskbar and Start menu differ from the app mode. Set both to Dark unless you want that contrast on purpose, as the macOS versus Windows comparison explains.
ChromeOS keeps its dark theme in the personalisation section and, on recent builds, as a Quick Settings toggle. Ubuntu 22.04 and newer use Settings > Appearance > Style, with Dark beside the accent colours; earlier GNOME releases needed the separate Tweaks app, which the Ubuntu hub spells out.
Making it switch automatically
Apple handles scheduling in the same Appearance panel. Turn on Automatic, then choose Sunset to Sunrise, which relies on location services, or a Custom Schedule with your own start and end times.
Android hides the equivalent under Schedule inside Dark theme, offering sunset-to-sunrise or a custom window. macOS calls its version Auto and follows your time zone rather than exact clock times.
Windows 11 is the outlier: it has no built-in theme schedule at all. Night light sits nearby, but it only warms the screen's colour temperature and never switches the theme, so the two are easy to confuse.
Why some apps stay light anyway
Apps are not obliged to obey the system. Most keep their own theme picker with a "Follow system" default, and if that was ever changed to Light, the app ignores Settings until you change it back inside the app.
Websites work differently. A page turns dark only when its designers wrote a dark palette for the prefers-color-scheme rule browsers pass along, so a light site stays light whatever your phone says.
Android's developer options include an override that forces unconverted apps into dark colours. It works, but it often ruins contrast in image-heavy apps, so treat it as a last resort.
Quick reference for all seven systems
Use this as a shortcut when you move between devices.
| iOS and iPadOS | Display & Brightness, Appearance |
| Android | Display, Dark theme |
| macOS 13 and later | System Settings, Appearance |
| Windows 11 | Personalization, Colors |
| ChromeOS | Personalisation or Quick Settings |
| Ubuntu 22.04 and later | Appearance, Style |
One note on power: a dark theme genuinely saves battery on OLED screens because black pixels stay unlit, but it changes almost nothing on an LCD. The battery life guide covers the settings that actually help, and you can search any menu by name from the settings finder.
If you would rather practise first, open the real Settings menus in the simulator and click through the Appearance panels for any of these systems.
Try it yourself, on the real menusOpen any of 43 operating systems in your browser and walk the Settings tree exactly as it appears on the device. No download, no account.Frequently asked questions
Does dark mode actually save battery?
On OLED and AMOLED screens it does, because black pixels are switched off rather than lit. On LCD panels the backlight stays on regardless, so the saving is negligible.
Why is my taskbar still light in Windows 11?
You are likely on Custom mode under Personalization and Colors, which sets the Windows mode and the app mode separately. Set both to Dark to darken the taskbar and Start menu.
Can I schedule dark mode on Windows?
Windows 11 has no built-in schedule for the theme. Night light can be scheduled, but it only shifts colour temperature and does not switch between light and dark themes.