How to Turn Dark Mode On or Off on a Mac
Dark Mode is easier on your eyes, helping many users deal with eyestrain. Apple introduced Dark Mode with macOS Mojave. While Dark Mode isn’t automatically enabled, it’s easy to turn on and off.
Using Dark Mode
The Apple-supplied apps, such as Photos, Mail, Maps, and Calendar, all support Dark Mode. However, if you were hoping for complete darkness to settle onto your Mac, there’s another step to take: tone down the Mac’s desktop. You can choose your own dark custom image for the desktop, but using one of the Dynamic desktop images or dark still images included with macOS Mojave and later is a better solution.
About Dynamic Desktop Images
Dynamic desktop images change appearance, tracking the time of day and producing darker wallpaper at night and brighter desktops during the day. However, the dynamic desktop images included with your Mac can be set to display a light or dark image continuously. If you choose the dark desktop image, you can further enhance the Dark Mode interface.
Night Shift Can Ease Eyestrain
Dark Mode isn’t the only feature built into macOS that can help relieve eyestrain. Night Shift adjusts your display’s brightness and white point balance depending on the time of day to reduce fatigue. It changes the colors of your display to be warmer after dark. Night Shift first appeared on iPhones and iPads and came to the Mac with macOS Sierra. It is often used with still desktop images, but when activated with a Dark Mode desktop, Night Shift keeps bright blue light at bay, easing eye strain and allowing you to feel more relaxed in the evening. Turn on Night Shift in System Preferences > Displays > Night Shift.
