Say Goodbye to Eyestrain: How to Enable Dark Mode on YouTube

Do your eyes ever start to strain and squint after binge-watching too many YouTube videos? As an experienced tech user myself, I feel your pain. The bright white background typical of apps like YouTube can seriously aggravate eyesight when used for extended periods.

Luckily, there‘s an easy fix to create a more eye-friendly viewing experience on YouTube: dark mode.

Enabling a darker theme cuts down the harsh blue-light glare. According to optometry research, dark mode reduces eye fatigue for over 80% of frequent smartphone users.

As darker themes catch on across platforms like iOS, Android, Windows and MacOS, YouTube has responded by offering its own integrated dark mode option with a simple black background and sleek white text.

But what exactly does YouTube‘s dark mode do, and how can you enable this vista-saving option? I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know.

Why Should You Use YouTube Dark Mode?

Beyond just looking stylish and modern, switching YouTube to dark mode offers some key practical benefits:

Less Eyestrain

Staring at bright white screens in the dark overworks your retinas. Darker themes literally take the strain out of YouTube binging.

Improved Sleep

White light from screens can actually disrupt healthy sleep patterns. Dark mode helps nighttime YouTube marathons interfere less with your circadian rhythm.

Longer Battery Life

For OLED display devices, dark mode pixels require less energy than white pixels. Enabling YouTube‘s dark theme could extend video streaming on a single charge.

With over 50% of smartphone owners now using dark mode whenever possible, YouTube finally caved to popular demand.

Now let‘s walk through how to enable this eye-friendly option on every device!

Enabling YouTube Dark Mode on iPhones & iPads

As an Apple device owner myself, I was thrilled when YouTube rolled out official iPhone and iPad support for dark mode.

Switching the YouTube app itself to a darker scheme only takes a few taps:

Step 1: Access Account Settings

First, open up the YouTube app on your iPhone or iPad. Make sure you‘re logged into your Google/YouTube account. Tap on your profile icon in the top right corner:

This opens up a dropdown menu.

Step 2: Choose Settings

Within the dropdown menu, choose the Settings option:

This will open up the full YouTube account settings.

Step 3: Select General Settings

In the menu, select the General option to access appearance and theme controls:

Step 4: Choose Appearance

Within General settings, tap on Appearance to adjust light vs. dark mode:

Step 5: Enable Dark Theme!

Finally, tap the Dark theme button to instantly convert the YouTube app to a sleek, blacked-out style:

And just like that, you can enjoy strain-free YouTube browsing anywhere, anytime on your iPhone or iPad!

Pro Tip: If you want YouTube‘s theme to automatically match iOS dark mode settings, choose Use device theme instead. Then when you toggle dark mode system-wide, YouTube will follow suit!

Switching to Dark Mode on Android Devices

As a fellow Android user, I‘m thrilled Google also included a simple dark theme toggle for its YouTube app.

If you want to reduce eye fatigue for late night YouTube binges on your Android phone or tablet, here‘s how:

Step 1: Tap Profile Icon

Inside the YouTube app, tap your Google account profile icon in the top right corner:

Step 2: Choose Settings

Select Settings in the dropdown menu:

Step 3: Open General Settings

Tap on General to access appearance options:

Step 4: Select Appearance

Then choose Appearance to pick light or dark themes:

Step 5: Enable Dark Theme

Finally, toggle Dark theme to active night mode across YouTube:

That‘s all it takes to eliminate glare and enjoy a more mellow YouTube experience on your Android phone or tablet.

Pro Tip: Like iOS, choosing Use device theme instead will sync YouTube with system-wide Android dark mode settings for even more convenience.

Activating Dark Mode on Desktop browsers

For full-size desktop monitors, the harsh luminous white of YouTube‘s default theme can be especially jarring.

Luckily, it only takes seconds to enable dark mode on Mac, Windows or any desktop web browser:

Step 1: Click Profile Picture

While signed into YouTube in your browser, click your Google account profile icon:

Click profile picture

Step 2: Choose Appearance

In the dropdown menu, select the Appearance option:

Open Appearance menu

Step 3: Toggle Dark Theme

Finally, click the Dark theme button to change every interface element to soothing dark grays:

Switch theme to Dark

Comparison of YouTube Dark Mode Activation

To quickly see the steps side-by-side, here‘s an overview of enabling YouTube‘s eye-friendly dark mode on popular platforms:

While each platform calls things slightly different names, the general process remains intuitive and consistent across all devices.

Now you can surf YouTube comfortably even in the darkest room without sacrificing your precious eyesight!

Additional Tips for Seamless Dark Mode

Beyond the basics, here are some extra pro tips:

Keep Apps Updated

To ensure dark mode functions properly, keep the YouTube app fully updated through the Play Store or App Store. Outdated versions may bug out.

Restart Apps After Changing Themes

For settings changes to apply properly, completely restart any open YouTube apps after toggling light/dark modes. This refreshed all cached theme data.

Match System Theme Settings

For convenience, choose the "Use device theme" option to have YouTube match light & dark modes set system-wide on your OS.

This saves you from changing the scheme individually in every single app. Personally, I just toggle Android and Windows to nocturnal themes at night for easy viewing across the board.

I don‘t know about you, but I love having the choice to browse YouTube for hours without a vicious migraine by the end.

So do your eyes a favor and enable dark mode! Just follow this guide‘s simple steps to reduce headaches on any device.

Have you tried YouTube‘s dark mode yet? Have any other useful tips? Let me know in the comments!