How to enable auto dark mode for all websites on Google Chrome

Google's Chrome browser now has a feature to force dark mode on web content automatically, and these are the steps to enable it.

Chrome force dark mode for websites
Chrome force dark mode for websites / Image: Mauro Huculak
  • To enable auto dark mode for web content on Chrome, open “chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark,” choose “Enabled” for the “Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents” option, and click “Relaunch.”
  • To turn on dark mode for search results, open Google.com > Settings > Other settings > Dark mode, choose “On,” and click “Confirm.”

On Google Chrome, you can force every website (including search engines like Google) to load in dark mode, regardless of their color theme support, and in this guide, I’ll show you how to complete this configuration.

The “Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents” option is an experimental feature designed to automatically apply a dark theme to websites that do not natively support dark mode, enhancing the browsing experience in low-light conditions and providing a consistent appearance across all web content when dark mode is enabled in the browser or Windows 11 (or 10) settings.

When the feature is enabled, Chrome analyzes the page’s colors and inverts them where necessary to create a dark theme. This process includes adjusting text colors, backgrounds, and other elements to ensure readability and reduce eye strain. The feature aims to maintain the original design and readability of the website as much as possible, even while applying the dark theme.

If you don’t want to force enable the color scheme for all websites, you can always change the settings so that only Google search results load always in dark mode.

The ability to force enable a dark mode theme is particularly beneficial during nighttime browsing or in environments with dim lighting. It’s also helpful for users who prefer dark mode settings to reduce the screen’s bright light, which can be harsh on the eyes.

In this guide, I’ll teach you how to enable dark mode for web content in the Chrome browser on Windows 11, 10, macOS, or Linux. (If you use the first method, you don’t have to turn on the dark mode for Google results.)

Force dark mode for web content on Chrome

To force dark mode for web content on the Chrome browser, use these steps:

  1. Open Chrome.

  2. Type the following path in the address bar and press Enter:

    chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark
  3. Choose the Enabled option in the “Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents” setting.

    Auto dark mode for web contents

  4. Click the Relaunch now button.

Once you complete the steps, the browser will continue to use the color mode for its appearance, but Google and Bing search results and virtually every website you visit will load in dark mode by default, regardless of whether the site supports the feature.

The feature includes different options for inverting colors. If the sites you frequently use don’t look correctly with the default “Enabled” option, you should try the different options:

  • Enabled with simple HSL-based inversion.
  • Enabled with simple CIELAB-based inversion.
  • Enabled with simple RGB-based inversion.
  • Enabled with selective image inversion.
  • Enabled with selective inversion of non-image elements.
  • Enabled with selective inversion of everything.

Force dark mode for Google results on Chrome

To enable the dark mode for Google search results, use these steps:

  1. Open Google (web).

  2. Click the Settings option at the bottom-right of the page.

  3. Select the Search settings option.

    Google search settings

  4. Click on Other settings.

  5. Click the Dark mode setting from the right side.

    Google search other settings

  6. Choose the On option.

    Google search enable dark mode

  7. Click the Confirm button.

Once you complete the steps, only Google.com and search results will open with a dark color scheme. The rest of the internet will load using their default color scheme.

Update February 26, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.