4 Ways to Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs (Desktop and Mobile)
The dark mode is a lifesaver for your eyes. It makes the text more pronounced and saves some battery in the process. you may apply system-wide dark themes on Android and iOS, and even Windows now supports dark mode. But Google Docs doesn’t play nicely with desktops, which remain stark white even after applying a dark theme. We will discuss all the methods to enable dark mode in Google Docs on both desktop and mobile. Let’s begin.
Table of Contents
Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs Android App
Google Docs’ Android app can adapt to the system-wide theme. If you usedark mode on Android, Docs switch to dark mode automatically. But if you want to use dark mode in Google Docs only, you can change it using the app settings. Here’s how:
1.Open the Google Docs app on your Android phone.
2.Go to the upper top-left corner and tap on thehamburger menu iconto open theNavigation drawer. Then, tap on theSettingsoption in the menu.
3.Find the Theme section and tap on theChoose themeoption. It will be set to the System default. Tap on theDarkradio button.
Google Docs app will switch to dark mode and stay in Dark mode irrespective of the system theme (dark or light).
Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs on Web Using Experimental Flags
Google Docs web version is a sour experience for dark mode lovers. The website doesn’t switch to dark mode even when you apply a dark theme on your Windows computer. Moreover, it doesn’t offer a dark mode setting as it does in the mobile app. But you’re able to force the Chrome browser to apply dark mode on all sites. Here’s how to do it:
1.Open the Chrome browser and press theCtrl key + Tto open a new tab.
2.Typechrome://flags/in the address bar and pressEnterto open theExperimentssection.
3.Click on the search bar, typeDark, and pressEnter.
4.Go to theAuto Dark Mode for Web Contentssection and click thearrow iconto expand the drop-down list. Select theEnabledoption.
5.Chrome will request a relaunch. Click on theRelaunchbutton to apply changes.
6.Open Google Docs and some webpage elements will appear in dark mode. However, it still won’t change the document page to dark color.
Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs on Web Using Extension
The experimental flags in Chrome offer a subpar dark mode experience. But you can use a dedicated dark mode extension to turn Google Docs and also Sheets into dark mode completely. Follow the steps mentioned below:
1.Open the Chrome browser and visit the Chrome Store page of theGoogle Docs Dark Modeextension.
2.Click on theAdd to Chromebutton. A popup window will launch.
3.Click theAdd Extensionbutton to add the Google Docs Dark Mode extension to your browser.
4.Press theCtrl key + Tto open a new tab. Click on theExtensionbutton located next to the address bar. Find the Google Docs Dark Mode extension and click on thepinbutton.
5.Now, open Google Docs in a new tab. Go to the top left corner and click on the Google Docs Dark Mode extension.Enableboth toggles.
- Reloadthe Google Docs document. It will change to dark mode. Unlike the Chrome Flags method, this extension darkens the document and page backgrounds completely.
Here is a list ofdark mode extensions for Chromethat offer more granular settings.
Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs by Changing Page Setup
If you don’t want to use a third-party extension (privacy concerns) to change the Google Docs’ appearance, you can tweak the Page Setup instead. It isn’t the most effective option like the Google Docs Dark Mode extension, but it offers some respite from the awful white background. Here’s how:
1.Firstly, enable the dark mode in the Chrome browser using the Flags section we mentioned in the second method.
2.Then, open a Google Docs document. The background will be dark, but the document page will still be white.
3.To change this design scheme, go to the top left area on the Google Docs page and click on theFile > Page Setupoption.
4.A Page Setup window will open. Click on the arrow icon below thePage Coloroption. Select theBlackcolor from the color picker and click theOKbutton.
5.The document background will become black, but there’s one more thing to do. You must change the text color to be visible on a dark background.
6.Press theCtrl key + Ato select all the text. Go to the Google Docs menu bar and click theText colorbutton.
7.Select theGreycolor from the color picker and click theOKbutton.
Now, you can experience the dark mode on Google Docs without a third-party extension.
Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edgeis also a Chromium-based browser. Since it shares Chrome’s browser engine, you can tweak the same experimental flag to change the Google Docs appearance to dark mode. But the document page will still be white. You must change thePage colorandtext colorto achieve the optimum dark mode experience.
Using a third-party extension is a fairly easier option. you’re able to try theDark mode for Google Docsextension to switch to the dark mode in Google Docs in a single click.
Go Dark in Google Docs
It is still a mystery why Google Docs and Sheets don’t adapt well to the system-wide dark mode settings on the desktop. The mobile app’s dark mode works fine; you will have no problem with that. You can use any of the three methods to switch to dark mode on the desktop in the Chrome browser. The tricks will work with all Chromium-based browsers like Opera, Vivaldi, Brave, and Edge.
Are you a Firefox user? Here are some dark modeadd-ons for Firefox.
Abhishek Mishra
Abhishek likes to tinker with operating systems and is always hunting for apps that can improve his Windows and Android experience. He devotes his spare time to keeping track of the latest developments in anime and cinema. But he occasionally goes for short rides if the weather is forgiving enough.
