Google has finally brought a native dark mode support to its Chrome web browser. The new interface change was previously confirmed to arrive to MacOS Mojave, and now, starting with version 74 and later, Chrome in dark mode is available to Windows 10.
On Windows 10, there are two ways to enable the dark mode on Chrome. You can enable the system dark mode using the “Personalization” settings page in the Settings app, which will trigger the dark theme for Chrome automatically. Or you can use the --force-dark-mode flag to enable the dark mode every time you start the browser.
In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to enable the dark mode for Google Chrome on Windows 10.
- How to enable dark mode on Chrome using flag
- How to enable dark mode on Chrome using Settings
- How to disable dark mode Chrome using flag
How to enable dark mode on Chrome using flag
To enable the new dark mode for Chrome on Windows 10, use these steps:
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Download and install Chrome version 74 (if applicable).
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Open Chrome.
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Right-click the app button in the taskbar.
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Select the Pin to taskbar option.
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Right-click the app button again.
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Right-click the Google Chrome item and select the Properties option.
Taskbar app context menu -
Click the Shortcut tab.
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In the “Target” field, append the following flag at the end of the path:
--force-dark-mode
The Target should look like similar to this line:
"C:\Users\xboxl\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome SxS\Application\chrome.exe" --force-dark-mode.
Chrome flag to force dark mode -
Click the Apply button.
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Click the OK button.
Once you complete the steps, every time you start Google Chrome using the taskbar button you’ll get to use the new dark mode.
If you want to revert the changes, use the same instructions, but on step No. 8, make sure to remove the --force-dark-mode flag from the “Target” field.
How to enable dark mode on Chrome using Settings
Use these steps to enable Chrome dark mode when switching to the Windows 10 dark mode using Settings:
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Open Settings.
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Click on Personalization.
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Click on Colors.
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Under the “More options” section, select the Dark option. (If you’re running Windows 10 version 1903, you need to use the Choose your color drop-down menu located at the top of the page.)
Windows 10 Colors settings dark theme option
Once you complete the steps, open Chrome, and you should now see the dark mode enabled.
Chrome should switch to its dark mode when switching to the Windows 10 dark mode using the Settings app, but Google is rolling out this feature gradually, as such this guide, shows you the steps to enable the new color scheme using both ways.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.