YouTube dark mode: How to activate YouTube’s new Dark Theme on your iPhone

YouTube added a so-called dark mode, called Dark Theme, to its website last year – helping users to limit the amount of white/blue light that hits their eyes while browsing videos late at night – and now it’s available on its mobile app too.

Google has added the Dark Theme to the iOS version of the app first, and has merely promised that it’s coming to the Android version “soon”. This isn’t unheard of – despite owning Android, Google often tests new apps on iOS first, as it did with Gboard.

YouTube dark mode: How to enable dark mode on YouTube (and turn off dark mode later)

To enable Dark Theme on iOS, all you need to do is make sure you’ve installed the latest version of the app and you’ll see a shortcut to enable it on the homescreen.

1. Switch it on and off by tapping your account thumbnail in the top-right corner, then opening the Settings menu.
   
2. Under Settings toggling the Dark Theme switch accordingly.
   

When you quit the Settings menu, you’ll immediately notice that the white background is replaced with a black one that’s much easier on your eyes. Unfortunately, there’s no option to automate the mode at sunset like in the Twitter app, so you’ll need to manually switch it on and of every time you want to darken or brighten it.

If you’ve found this page because you want to enable the Dark Theme in the web version of YouTube, the good news is that it’s an equally simple tweak. From any page, just click your account thumbnail in the top-right corner, then click Dark Theme and switch it to On. The setting is specific to the browser you’re using, so if you want to use it at all times, you’ll need to change it on every browser you use.

As soon as Dark Theme is added to the Android YouTube app, we’ll update this page with the appropriate instructions to enable it, but it’ll likely involve the same steps as those described above for the iOS app.

With any luck, the Android version might also come with the option to automate the Dark Theme at sunrise and sunset.

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