Official Turn Off the Lights Blog

🎉 Turn Off the Lights Is 16 Years Old. And Still Free!

This year marks a very special milestone for the Turn Off the Lights browser extension. The project is now 16 years old (the first version went online on 15 December 2009), and after all these years, it is still free, Open-Source, and independent.

There is no subscription, no in-app purchases, and no hidden paywalls. Just a simple goal that has guided this extension since day one: to make your web browsing experience more comfortable, focused, and enjoyable.

From watching videos without distractions to reducing eye strain and improving focus, Turn Off the Lights has grown alongside the web itself. What started as a small idea has become a trusted companion for millions of users around the world, and that is something worth celebrating together.

🗣️ Help Shape the Future of Turn Off the Lights

Even after 16 years, there is always room to improve. The web keeps evolving, browsers continue to change, and users expect the best possible web experience. That is why your feedback is incredibly important. So you shape the future of the next version.

Now is the perfect time to tell us:

• What do you love about the extension?
• What feels annoying or confusing?
• What features would you like to see improved or added?
• Have you encountered any bugs or compatibility issues?

Shape the future now. You can share anything, from small suggestions to big ideas. Feedback can be submitted through our feedback form, and you may leave your email or stay completely anonymous. Every message is appreciated and carefully read.

Help Shape the Future and Send your feedback here

🛠 What Makes Good Feedback?

Helpful feedback is specific, constructive, and actionable. Here are a few examples:

• Specific:
  “The extension crashes every time I try to use it on a specific website, such as www.example.com.”
• Constructive:
  “The extension works great, but it would be even better if I could customize keyboard shortcuts.”
• Actionable:
  “The extension isn’t working correctly on my browser version. Could you provide a fix or a workaround?”

Details really matter. If possible, please include:

• Your browser name and version
• Your operating system
• The website where the issue happens

This information makes it much easier to identify, reproduce, and fix problems.

Suggestions for new features are also welcome! Just keep in mind that Turn Off the Lights is maintained with limited time and resources. Not every idea can be implemented immediately, but all ideas help shape future development.

❤️ A Community-Driven Project

Turn Off the Lights is built and maintained with care, passion, and many late nights. Like many Open-Source projects, it relies heavily on community support.

If this extension has helped you stay focused, reduced eye strain, or simply made watching videos more enjoyable, please consider supporting the project. A small contribution or donation helps cover development time, testing, and future improvements, and ensures that the extension can remain free for everyone.

Your support, whether through feedback, sharing the extension, or making a small contribution, truly makes a difference.

🌟 Thank You for 16 Amazing Years

Thank you for being part of this journey. Your trust, ideas, and encouragement have kept Turn Off the Lights alive for 16 years, and with your help, many more years are ahead. Do not forget to share your feedback to shape the future of the next browser extension version.

Let us keep improving the web together. 💛

Turn Off the Lights Browser Extension version 4.6

The Turn Off the Lights browser extension version 4.6 is here, bringing exciting new features, smarter performance, and better compatibility across all major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Naver Whale, Yandex, Samsung Internet, or any other supported Chromium browser.

Whether you use it for Night Mode, AutoStop, or video customization, this release takes your browsing experience to the next level, and it is 100% free and Open-Source.

Turn Off the Lights Browser Extension version 4.6 New Features

🎨 Advanced Night Mode Customization

You now have more control over Night Mode. Choose specific elements, such as background, text, hyperlinks, buttons, or borders, that you want to convert to dark mode or not, exactly how you want them.

• New Night Mode Standard Theme using CSS filter for universal compatibility (works on 100% of websites)
• Smart detection automatically skips Night Mode if a website already supports Dark Mode
• You can now choose to apply your Night Mode theme color only to dark or black text
• Create your own Night Mode theme using the Theme Creator. Here you can create your own Night Mode theme

• Browse pre-made themes here. Where you see it is categorized in Dark Themes, Light Themes, and Seasonal Themes

🖥️ Smarter Video Enhancements

• Option to fill the HTML5 video to the full screen, which can cut off the video content on the left and right sides
• If you use the Video Toolbar feature with the zoom side panel, it has an improved zoom engine to zoom smoothly in and out within the content of the video player
• Fixed initial video screenshot not visible when using the zoom in/out rotate buttons
• Improved the Zoom side panel in the Video Toolbar, allowing continuous zooming, rotation, and movement when you press and hold the control buttons
• Persistent Zoom Level even when entering/exiting full-screen mode
• Fixes for YouTube subtitles can be moved, and video screenshots are not displaying correctly
• Dynamic background fish tank for an extra touch of ambiance

⚙️ Better Control & Performance

• Open the specific Options page directly via URL (turnoffthelights://?action=options&tab=nightmode)
• Enhanced AutoStop feature now detects videos inside Shadow DOM
• Added a new Options context menu for the Safari and Firefox browsers, allowing quick access to the Turn Off the Lights Options page
• In the Options page in the Advanced Options tab, there is a new button to open the page where you can customize the shortcut keys
• AutoDim affects only videos that meet the specified minimum width and height
• Updated Chart.js library (v4) for accurate usage analytics

🍎 Safari Extension Improvements

Safari users get a big upgrade in this release! The Turn Off the Lights for Safari version 4.6 is fully optimized for macOS 26 with a sleek new main window that complements the Liquid Glass effect.

What’s New for Safari:

• Customize keyboard shortcuts for Light Off and Night Mode

• New Options menu when right-clicking the lamp icon. So you can instantly access the Turn Off the Lights Options page in Safari. Other web browsers such as Google Chrome, Opera, Microsoft Edge, and Naver Whale have already the “Options” since their first web browser version.

• When using the Safari web browser with the Atmosphere Lightning Vivid Effect, you saw previously time the glow effect is part cut off, where the outer box did not update the glow to match the video content. That is fixed in this latest release, so you have a smooth, realistic glow effect around the video player

Support Our FREE and Open-Source Work

The Turn Off the Lights browser extension is built for users like you to create the best video and web experience in your favorite browser. It is a unique extension, and no other browser extension offers the same experience for its users. The extension is completely free and Open-Source, available even on Safari, with no in-app purchases or hidden costs.

If you love what we do:

• ⭐ Leave a 5-star review in your browser’s extension store. Your support motivates us to continue improving and enhancing your browsing experience.
• 💵 Make a small contribution to support ongoing development and keep the extension available for everyone.
• 🌍 Join our translator community to help make Turn Off the Lights available in more languages.
• 🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for the newest updates, tips, and tricks to get the most out of Turn Off the Lights.

Thank you for being part of our growing community, and enjoy the Turn Off the Lights browser extension version 4.6!