Chrome OS dark mode: Here's how to enable it

Chrome OS may finally get one of the most requested features from users: a dark mode.  Android Police first spotted a change in the Chrome OS Canary channel in October 2020 that indicated Google is working on a system-wide dark theme for Chromebooks. In March 2021, Android Police reported that the dark mode is available in the Chrome OS Beta version. It’s not clear when the company plans to roll out the feature to a stable build of Chrome OS, but provided you’re running a beta build of the operating system, you can check it out now.

Read more: How to turn on dark mode in Google apps

How to turn on the Chrome OS Dark Mode

In order to turn on the new feature, you will have to switch your version of Chrome OS to the beta channel, if you haven’t done so already. Here’s how to do that:

1. Sign into your Google Account on your Chromebook or Chrome OS device.
2. Select the time, located on the bottom right of the screen.
3. Then select Settings.
4. Then you will have to select About Chrome OS.
5. Click or tap on the Additional Details option.
6. Then select Change Channel, which should be next to the Channel option.
7. Then, tap on the Beta option, and select Change Channel once again.
8. You should see a prompt that shows that your device is downloading an update. When it is complete, it will ask you to restart the device.

Congrats, your Chrome OS device is now running the latest beta version. Now you need to turn on the new Chrome OS Dark Mode.

1. Go into the Developer Settings.
2. You should see a “dark theme” toggle. Click or tap on it to turn it on.

After that, you can play with the new system theme to your heart’s content. Keep in mind that the feature is still under development. You’ll likely encounter bugs. Also, keep in mind that not every app supports the new mode.

Still, the fact that Google is working on such a feature for Chrome OS is welcome news. Both Windows 10 and macOS have had system-wide dark modes for a while. Not to mention that it’s been a part of Google’s mobile operating system since last year’s release of Android 10. Hopefully we will see the new mode added to the final stable version of Chrome OS in the very near future.

See also: The best Chromebooks