How to switch youtube to dark mode

Bored of the white background in your YouTube app? Here’s how you can turn YouTube’s new dark mode on your Android phone.

YouTube has begun rolling out dark theme for Android users. The dark theme essentially inverts the colour of the YouTube app UI, replacing the white background with black. The feature is already available for desktop users.

The dark theme essentially allows users to watch the videos on YouTube for a longer period of time without straining the eyes. The inverted theme has become quite popular on several applications such as Twitter. According to YouTube, the dark theme has been one of the most requested features for the mobile versions.

Note that the feature is being rolled out gradually. So if you haven't received the feature yet, you should in the coming days. Here's how to enable YouTube dark mode on your Android phone.

Step 1: Launch the YouTube application.

Step 2: Tap on your profile icon that appears on the right top corner

Step 3: Go to Settings > General

Step 4: Tap on the toggle for "Dark theme" to enable it

Step 5: Tap on the back button, the theme is automatically saved.

Bonus tip: How to jump 60 seconds with double tap

You can jump through a video by double tap up to 10 seconds. But did you know you can customise the jump time as well?

In order to customise the fast forward time on YouTube, go to Settings > General, and choose "Double-tap to seek".

Here, you can choose between 5 seconds to 60 seconds depending upon your preference.

On YouTube, dark mode is available for the desktop app, Android devices, iPhone and iPad. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to turn on YouTube dark mode.

YouTube is possibly one of the first widely used platforms that offered dark mode. As YouTube explains it, “Dark theme allows you to tone down your screen's glare and experience YouTube with a dark background.” Dark mode or dark theme is also known to help in reducing power consumption on smartphones. At present, almost all popular apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter offer dark mode.

On YouTube, dark mode is available for the desktop app, Android devices, iPhone and iPad. YouTube's dark mode feature works similar to other apps. You have the option to switch between dark and light theme anytime you want from the YouTube app. Another option is to sync device themes that will change YouTube's theme according to your phone's settings. So if your phone is on dark mode then the YouTube app will also appear in dark mode.

If you're a frequent YouTube user, and you're not aware of the dark theme then here's a step-by-step guide that shows you how to turn on dark mode on YouTube.

YouTube dark mode on desktop

Open YouTube on the desktop.

Then click on your profile picture.

Select Appearance from the list of options available.

Then choose dark theme.

YouTube dark mode on Android

Android 10 or newer users can click on your profile picture.

Tap Settings, and then General.

Then select Appearance and choose device theme or dark theme.

Other Android users can follow the same steps but choose only between light and dark theme.

YouTube dark mode on iPhone and iPad

iOS 13 or newer users can head to the YouTube app and select their profile picture.

Tap on Settings, Appearance and choose device theme or dark theme.

Other iOS users can also follow the same steps then choose light or dark theme from the YouTube app.

Google is rolling out a dark mode to its YouTube mobile apps. Last year, it added the previously hidden ability to change YouTube's background from white to black to YouTube on desktops and laptops. Dark mode is available now for iOS and is now rolling out to Android devices, XDA Developers reports. 

Here's how to enable it on iOS:

• Launch the YouTube app and tap your account icon in the top-right corner.
  
• Tap Settings.
  
• Tap to toggle on Dark theme.
  

The process is similar for desktops and laptops: Click your account icon in the top-right, click the Dark theme line directly above Settings and then click the toggle switch to turn on Dark theme.

For Android, you will find the Dark theme toggle switch by going to Settings > General. If you don't see it there, check you have the latest update from the Play Store, then try closing and opening the app a few times, as Redditors suggest here. That worked for (at least some of) us.

For both mobile apps and desktop site, YouTube remembers your light or dark preference for future visits.

Now playing: Watch this: How to turn on dark mode for Gmail and Chrome

1:30

Originally published on April 14, 2017.
Update, Sept. 5: Added information about the rollout to Android devices.