How to enable Safari Dark Mode easily in 3 steps and for FREE?

Introduction

In the Apple Safari web browser, you have no Dark Mode theme packet option to install or to change the browser theme between the 1000 beautiful themes such as on the Google Chrome web browser (that can be found on the Chrome Web Store). However, you can choose for a light or dark mode built-in user interface that depends on your system appearance on your macOS. So you can get a Safari Dark Mode user interface.

Steps for Safari Dark Mode

To get the Safari Dark Mode, follow the steps here below to activate this in your macOS 10.14, macOS 10.15, and macOS11 Big Sur.

  1. From the Mac dock, click on the icon System Preferences
  2. New windows show up, and click on the button General
  3. From this panel, you can choose your Mac appearance between “Light“, “Dark“, and “Auto

This is what you see when it is a “Light” appearance selected.

System Preferences - Light selected
System Preferences – Light selected

But when you click on “Dark” Mac appearance you will see it converts instantly the color of the window user interface. That to a darker window panel on your Mac computer screen.

System Preferences - Dark selected
System Preferences – Dark selected

When you open the Safari web browser, you see that it converts from this default, bright, and light user interface.

Apple Safari web browser on a light user interface
Apple Safari web browser on a light user interface

And when you change the system preferences on the Mac, you see that everything becomes dark and the text color becomes white. And that includes the Apple Safari web browser. The toolbar, the search bar, and the Apple menu bar are dark.

Apple Safari web browser on a dark user interface
Apple Safari web browser on a dark user interface

With the Safari Dark Mode user interface, everything becomes so comfortable for your eyes, and no eye strain and no heavy headaches anymore from that bright light.

However, as you can see the web page is not converted to a darker theme. But there is a free solution to convert Apple.com and any websites to a Dark Mode website. That is thanks to the useful and just so simple Turn Off the Lights Safari extension. Herewith this free tool you can enable the Night Mode feature that converts each website stylesheet to your own personal chosen dark mode theme. And with a click on the switch, you can activate it but also deactivate it. That without destroying the reading experience or the element on the web page. Such as on the Apple iPad Pro technical specifications web page.

Apple iPad Pro technical specifications web page in Night Mode
Example Apple iPad Pro technical specifications web page in Night Mode

Follow the steps here below on how you can get the free Turn Off the Lights Safari extension and enable the Night Mode feature.

  1. Go and download the Turn Off the Lights Safari extension
  2. When the installation is complete:
    • for macOS 10.15 and lower:
      Click right on the gray lamp button, and select the menu item Options.
    • for macOS 11 and higher
      Click twice on the gray lamp button to get the mini settings panel, and click on the Options button.
  3. The Turn Off the Lights Options page show and from the sidebar choose the tab Night Mode
  4. On this tab, enable the first checkbox to see the night switch on all websites. Or enable the option to get a long-deep press to activate and deactivate the Night Mode on the current web page.

Customizable options

In the Turn Off the Lights Options page you can change the color of this Night Mode, you can change the background, text, and hyperlink color to your favorite dark color. From yet black, or to soft dark version of the web page.

Conclusion

Now you can have a Safari Dark Mode which is beautiful and coherent with the complete macOS theme. And with the help of the free and Open-Source Turn Off the Lights browser extension you can get control of the website stylesheet. And get all your favorite website in your dark theme colors. So you have the best web experience you want to see in your Apple Safari web browser.


Did you find technical, factual or grammatical errors on the Turn Off the Lights website?
You can report a technical problem using the Turn Off the Lights online technical error feedback form.

About The Author

Stefan Van Damme