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If you spend a lot of time on your iPhone or Mac computer reading articles on the web, your eyes probably hurt after sitting in front of the screen for several hours. Bright light and small sources cause eye strain, headaches and decreased concentration.
Windows users have had Dark Mode for a long time and now it is finally available to Safari users on iOS devices. You can get an extension for your Safari browser and read articles all night. Read on and learn how to activate Dark Mode on your iOS device.
Safari’s native dark mode feature
Safari (even older versions) already has a built-in dark mode feature. This feature will not work for all websites because it is intended to help relieve eye strain while reading.
Users running a newer version of macOS can follow these steps:
- Click on the apple icon in the top left corner of your Mac.
- Click on System preferences.
- Click on General.
- Click Dark under the Topics option.
- Open Safari. Web pages will not appear in dark mode.
If you don’t have the option to use Dark Mode, you can use ‘Reader View’ within Safari. Here’s how you can use Reader View to darken your screen:
- Open Safari and visit a website.
- Tap on the Reader Taband then play AA. Select dark view.
If you don’t see the Reader tab, you can find it by clicking View and selecting Show reader.
Of course, this won’t work for all web pages. It will work for any blog or article you are trying to read, so we have a few more options listed below.
night eye for safari
This extension is another download available on the App Store due to Safari’s lack of dark mode options.
Although this app is free to download, it will cost you $39.99 per year to use. The free option, ‘NightEye Lite’, will limit you to five websites. This is perfect for someone looking to activate just a handful of pages. The extension offers full image support and the ability to use the features on multiple platforms.
Download Night Eye for Safari
Visit the App Store on your Mac and download the extension.
Activate the extension
Tap on the Night Eye extension and choose the dark mode option. If there is a website you want to view without dark mode, simply tap the extension again and choose “Normal.”
With great reviews and a 24/7 support team, this is definitely a plugin worth considering.
Safari Night Light
Another great option available for Safari is the Nightlight Browser Extension. The extension is free and available to those using macOS 10.13 or later. This is a great, lightweight addition to your browser.
With the optional timer setting, you can enjoy dark mode in Safari without having to turn it on or off. The night light will automatically change color patterns at night and then change again during the day.
Use dark mode in Safari on iPad and iPhone
On iPad and iPhone, Safari comes with a built-in reading mode designed to relieve pressure on your eyes during nighttime reading. Here’s how to activate it.
- Launch Safari from your iOS device.
- Go to the website you want to access in dark mode.
- Tap the “Reader Mode” button found in the search bar.
- Tap the “Text button.”
- Select the theme you want to use. The available options are Normal, Grey, Slightly Yellow and Dark.
- Select “Dark” and the screen will darken immediately.
Repeat the process for each website you want to read in dark mode.
Dark mode in macOS Mojave and Catalina
Most Mac users had to wait for the macOS Mojave update to activate dark mode on their computers. Previous versions had to use shortcuts and you had to make exceptions for each site you wanted to see in dark mode. So, if you have Mojave installed on your Mac, follow these steps to set up dark mode.
- Open the Apple menu and select “System Preferences.”
- Select “General.”
- Select “Dark” in the “Appearance” options and all websites in your Safari will change to a black background.
Dark mode and other applications
You can use dark mode for other apps, not just your Safari browser. If dark mode is enabled, some apps will turn it on automatically. Here is a brief guide on how to turn it on and off for the most popular apps on iOS.
Maps – If you want to use a dark background for maps with dark mode activated, open the app and select “View” and then select “Use dark map”.
Mail – If you want to use light mode when reading your emails, open your Mail and select “Mail,” then “Preferences.” Click the “View” tab and uncheck “Use dark backgrounds for messages.”
Grades – Your Notes will open with a black background if Dark Mode is activated. You can turn it off by selecting “Preferences” and then deselecting “Use dark backgrounds for note content.”
TextEdit – You can switch to dark mode when working in TextEdit by selecting “View” and then “Use dark background for Windows.”
Safari – With dark mode activated; All websites will be dark when you load them. If any website does not support dark mode, you can use Safari Reader.
Frequent questions
Here are the answers to more questions about Apple’s dark mode.
Can I use dark mode with Chrome on a Mac?
Yes, but unfortunately it is not a natively provided option. This means you will need to use a Chrome browser extension like the ones we mentioned above. If you follow the steps above to activate Dark Mode on your Mac, it will have no effect on third-party apps and browsers like Firefox or Chrome.
Can I enable dark mode with Mozilla Firefox on my Mac?
Fortunately, yes! Firefox simplifies many things than other web browsers and dark mode is one of them. Enabling dark mode in Firefox is the same on a Mac or PC. All you need to do is click on the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner of the browser. Then, click on “Plugins”. From here, you’ll see a Themes option on the left; click on it, then click on one of the options in the list that Dark Mode offers you.
There are several different color variations, so choose the one you like best. Now, the Firefox system will show up in dark mode, but not all of your websites will, so you may need to enable Night Eye for Mozilla or another plugin.
Relieves tension in your eyes
Reading texts all night can cause migraines, eye pain and unpleasant muscle tension; switching to dark mode is a great option. Your eyes will thank you and you will be able to concentrate for longer periods. Who doesn’t want to increase productivity while staying healthy?