- Turn on YouTube dark mode on a computer
- Switch on the dark theme in the YouTube app on Android
- Get YouTube dark mode on iPhone and iPad
- Device theme or dark theme in YouTube: which should you pick?
- The YouTube Studio app and dark mode
- YouTube dark mode on a TV
- Why the YouTube dark mode option is missing or not working
- What else switches on with YouTube dark mode
- Other YouTube viewing settings worth setting up with dark mode
- Dark mode for people who make YouTube videos
- Frequently asked questions
To turn on dark mode on YouTube on a computer, click your profile picture, click Appearance and select Dark theme. In the Android or iPhone app, tap your profile picture, then Settings, General and Appearance, and choose Dark or Use device theme.
If you spend a lot of time on YouTube in the evening, a bright white screen can feel like staring into a torch. Dark mode swaps it for a dark background that's easier on the eyes in a dim room, and it's the setting I'd switch on first on any device. YouTube calls it Dark theme, and the setting lives in a menu called Appearance. The steps differ slightly between computer, Android and iPhone, so I've followed YouTube's help pages for each.
Turn on YouTube dark mode on a computer
YouTube's help centre says Dark theme lets you tone down your screen's glare by viewing YouTube with a dark background. The computer steps are short:
- Click your profile picture.
- Click Appearance.
- Select Dark theme.
The same menu offers two other choices: Light theme and Use device theme. If you change your mind later, come back to the same place and pick another option.
Switch on the dark theme in the YouTube app on Android
For phones running Android 10 or newer, YouTube's help centre gives these steps:
- Open the YouTube app.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Settings, then General.
- Tap Appearance.
- Choose Use device theme to follow your phone's dark mode setting, or set the app to Light or Dark directly.
On earlier Android versions, the help article describes a simpler route: open Settings from your profile picture, tap General and turn on the Light or Dark theme in the app. The Appearance menu isn't mentioned for those versions.
Get YouTube dark mode on iPhone and iPad
The iPhone steps follow the same pattern for iOS 13 or newer, according to YouTube's help centre:
- Open the YouTube app.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Settings, then General.
- Tap Appearance.
- Choose Use device theme to follow your iPhone's Dark Mode setting, or select Light or Dark inside the app.
For other iOS versions, the help centre says to follow the first three steps, then tap Appearance and turn on Light or Dark in the app. Menus vary by app version, so look for the closest match if a label on your screen looks different.
Device theme or dark theme in YouTube: which should you pick?
This is the choice that trips most people up. YouTube's help articles explain it this way: Use device theme makes YouTube match your device's dark theme setting, so when your phone switches between light and dark, YouTube follows. If you'd rather set YouTube's theme independently of your phone, pick Light or Dark inside the app.
| Option in Appearance | What it does | Pick it if |
|---|---|---|
| Use device theme | YouTube follows your device's own dark or light setting | You want everything on your phone to change together |
| Dark theme | YouTube stays dark whatever the device is doing | You always want a dark YouTube |
| Light theme | YouTube stays light whatever the device is doing | You want a bright YouTube even when the device is dark |
The YouTube Studio app and dark mode
If you run a channel, there's a catch. YouTube's help article says that in the YouTube Studio app on iPhone, Dark Mode is set on the iPhone itself rather than inside the app. You do that in the phone's Settings under Display and Brightness, or in Control Center by holding the brightness control and tapping Dark Mode. So if your main YouTube app is dark and Studio isn't, that's where to look.
YouTube dark mode on a TV
The help pages I could read don't describe a dark theme setting for TV apps, so I won't invent a route. TV apps tend to keep their own look. If your TV offers a picture mode or a night mode, those are separate settings on the TV itself, and the manufacturer's help is the place to learn how they work.
Why the YouTube dark mode option is missing or not working
If you can't find Appearance or the theme won't change, run through these in order:
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- Check where you are. On a computer, Appearance sits in the profile picture menu. On a phone, it sits under Settings and General, not on the main screen.
- Check your version. On older Android or iOS versions, YouTube's help article describes a different, simpler route without an Appearance menu.
- Update the YouTube app. Open the Google Play Store on Android, or the App Store on iPhone, and install any waiting update.
- If you picked Use device theme, change your phone's own dark mode setting. YouTube will follow it.
- Close the app completely and open it again, or restart your phone.
- On a computer, make sure you're signed in, because the Appearance option comes from the profile picture menu.
If the whole app misbehaves, my checklist for when YouTube isn't working covers app, browser and device fixes in more detail.
What else switches on with YouTube dark mode
YouTube's help centre notes one knock-on effect. Ambient mode, a lighting effect that casts soft colours from the video onto the background around your screen, needs Dark theme to be turned on for your device first. On a computer, if you want to turn it off, the help article says to click Settings on the watch page, click Ambient mode and toggle it off, which applies to all videos. The article doesn't say why ambient mode might be unavailable beyond the dark theme requirement.
Other YouTube viewing settings worth setting up with dark mode
Once you've sorted the look, a few other settings make an evening viewing session more comfortable. If you find captions distracting on a dark screen, my guide to turning off subtitles on YouTube shows where they live. For long tutorials, changing the playback speed on YouTube lets you speed up the slow bits. And if the menus appear in the wrong language, changing the YouTube language puts that right.
Dark mode for people who make YouTube videos
If you publish videos, remember that many viewers watch in dark mode. A thumbnail or on-screen graphic with a white background can look harsh against a dark page, so it's worth checking how yours looks in both themes. Switching theme takes seconds, and it shows you what a good share of your audience will see.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn on dark mode on YouTube on a computer?
According to YouTube's help centre, click your profile picture, click Appearance and select Dark theme. The same menu has Light theme and Use device theme.
How do I turn on dark mode in the YouTube app?
On Android 10 or newer and on iOS 13 or newer, tap your profile picture, then Settings, General and Appearance, and choose Dark or Use device theme, according to YouTube's help centre.
What does Use device theme mean on YouTube?
YouTube's help centre says it makes YouTube match your device's dark theme setting. Choose Light or Dark in the app instead if you want to set YouTube's theme independently.
Why can't I find the dark mode setting on YouTube?
On older Android and iOS versions, YouTube's help centre describes a different route without an Appearance menu. Updating the app and checking Settings, then General, usually finds it.
How do I get dark mode in YouTube Studio on iPhone?
YouTube's help centre says Dark Mode for the Studio app on iPhone is set on the iPhone itself, in Settings under Display and Brightness or in Control Center.
