These days, we spend an awful lot of our time on the internet, be it for work or pleasure; and a big part of that internet usage is undoubtedly our interaction with Google – the world’s most popular search engine.
For many of us – Windows and Android users especially – Google either is (or for a long time was) the default search engine, often built right into our devices, so that any time we interacted with the internet, it was through Google that we did so.
Even for Apple users, Google has become a greatly beloved search engine, thanks to its speed and user-friendliness. The name ‘Google’ has become synonymous with research. When you or your friend forget the name of the actor who’s just popped up on the screen, or can’t remember where your favorite takeaway restaurant is, you don’t say “look it up”, you say “Google it!”
To enable Dark Mode on your own device, just follow these simple instructions. First, though, ensure you have the latest operating system installed on your phone or PC, and the latest version of the Google Chrome app installed.
Table of Contents
Enabling Dark Mode in Google Search on a Windows PC
- Power-up your PC and log-in when prompted
- In the bottom left-hand corner, click the Windows logo
- Click the Settings wheel on the left-hand side
- Scroll down and click on Personalisation or Appearance
- In the left-hand sidebar, locate and click on Themes
- Under ‘Personalisation’ or ‘Appearance’ in the left-hand sidebar, click Colours
- On the ‘Colours’ page, scroll down to Choose your color, and from the drop-down menu, select ‘Custom’
- You will now be given the opportunity to personalize the default mode for both Windows itself and your apps (which, of course, includes Google Chrome/Search). If you select Dark for your default Windows mode, you will notice that the Settings window changes from white/light, to black/dark. Similarly, if you select Dark for your default apps mode, you will notice (when you navigate back onto your preferred web browser) that Dark Mode has now been enabled across the app, including on Google Search. You can tell by the way everything around the lighter search page is now dark grey or black. Do this now.
Note: In step 7, you can simply select ‘Dark’ from the drop-down menu (instead of ‘Custom’) and this will enable Dark Mode across your Windows PC and apps. But if you want greater control, I suggest following all of the steps above.
Enabling Dark Mode in Google Search on a Mac
- Power-up your Mac and log-in when prompted
- Click the Apple menu icon (shaped like a bitten-apple)
- Navigate to System Preferences and click General
- From the ‘General’ settings page, navigate to Appearance (it should be one of the first sections you come to)
- You now have a choice. You can select to make your Mac’s default appearance ‘Light’, ‘Dark’, or ‘Auto’. Selecting ‘Dark’ will immediately put your Mac into Dark Mode, changing the appearance of your computer’s various windows and screens, as well as automatically enabling Google Search to work in Dark Mode as well. Selecting ‘Auto’ will keep your Mac in ‘Light’ mode during the day, and only enable ‘Dark’ mode at night. Select ‘Dark’ now (unless you would prefer ‘Auto’)
- Open up your preferred web browser, and navigate to Google Search. You will not notice that Dark Mode in Google Search has been enabled
Enabling Dark Mode in Google Search on an Android Phone
- From your phone’s Home screen, navigate to the Settings app
- Scroll down to and tap on Display
- Scroll down to and locate Night mode and toggle it to On
- Though called ‘Night mode’, in essence you have now enabled Dark Mode across your phone and all apps which support a ‘Dark Mode’. This includes Google Chrome, which when you navigate to, you will now see opens in Dark Mode. Do this now.
Enabling Dark Mode in Google Search on an iPhone/iPad
- Navigate to Settings on your iPhone or iPad, then hit Display & Brightness
- Locate Appearance and beneath it, select the option Dark to turn on Dark Mode
- To have Dark Mode turn on automatically at sunset (or a specific time), select Automatic at this point, instead – then tap Options to set a specific schedule for the enabling of Dark Mode.
- You can also access Dark Mode from your iPhone or iPad’s Control Center. Open the Control Center, then hit the Dark Mode icon to turn it on or off.
- Now launch the Google Chrome app, and you will see that it has automatically adapted to your phone’s newly adjusted settings, and Dark Mode is enabled.
And there you have it! As simple as following the above steps, you can join the online community of people whose eyes don’t hurt as much, who don’t have to strain against the intense brightness of their screens, but who instead have enabled Dark Mode, and are able to search on Google to their hearts’ (and eyes’!) content.
Frequently asked questions
Why should I use dark mode for Google Search?
Staring at Google and using Google Search all day, however, can take a toll on our eyes. The glaring brightness of our screens, and the all-white background, all-white toolbars, and additional tabs and pages of our browsers can begin to wear us down, even give us headaches. Thankfully, this is not how it has to be. There is such a thing as ‘Dark Mode’, which drops the brightness of our screens, and in Google Search leaves only the pages we are reading white, whilst dropping everything else (toolbars, tabs, search bar) to black.
What are the benefits of using dark mode?
Not only does ‘Dark Mode’ save your eyes and make it easier to concentrate – especially at night and into the evening – it also looks pretty cool. The only thing is, it’s not something you can always enable directly through Google, or even through your preferred browser’s settings. It is in fact a mode that is more easily enabled through your phone or PC’s settings. Once you’ve done this, Google/Google Search will automatically adjust to your new settings, putting itself into either permanent or adaptive ‘Dark Mode’.
