Brave Dark Mode: How to Make the Brave Browser and Every Website Dark
Brave can switch its own interface to a dark theme in seconds, but most websites still open with a bright white background. This guide covers both halves: Brave's built-in options and a dependable way to darken the pages themselves.
By Ivan Charad Updated First published 5 min read
Quick answer
For Brave dark mode, open Settings → Appearance and set Brave's color theme to Dark. That darkens tabs and menus, not websites. To make web pages dark, install the free Dark Mode extension from the Chrome Web Store (click Add to Brave), then press Alt+Shift+D on any site.
Does Brave have a dark mode?
Yes, Brave has a built-in dark theme, but it only covers the browser itself. On desktop, open the menu, choose Settings and go to Appearance. There you can set Brave's colors to Light, Dark or to follow your operating system (labeled, for example, "Same as Windows"). The exact wording has shifted between Brave versions, but the setting lives in Appearance.
On Android, Brave's Settings → Appearance page offers a Theme option (System default, Light, Dark) and an experimental Night Mode that tries to force page content dark too; Brave notes it can make some pages display incorrectly.
What the desktop theme does not do is change the websites you visit. Tabs, toolbar and menus turn black, while Wikipedia, Gmail or your work tools still glow white inside the dark frame. That is why many people searching for Brave dark mode end up adding an extension.
What about the force-dark flag in brave://flags?
Brave inherits Chromium's experimental Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents flag. Type brave://flags/#enable-force-dark in the address bar, set it to Enabled and relaunch the browser. In recent Brave builds the flag offers only Default, Enabled and Disabled; the older fine-grained inversion variants are gone, and some users report it reverting to Default after an update.
It works as a blunt instrument: every site is inverted, there are no per-site exceptions, no brightness or contrast controls and no schedule. If one site breaks, your only fix is to switch the flag off for all of them and relaunch. It is fine for a quick experiment, but it is not a daily tool.
How to enable dark mode for websites in Brave
Everything below happens inside Brave on Windows, macOS or Linux and takes about a minute.
- 1
Open the Dark Mode page in the Chrome Web Store
Brave installs extensions straight from the Chrome Web Store. Open the Dark Mode listing in Brave and click Add to Brave, then confirm the permissions prompt.
- 2
Pin the extension to the toolbar
Click the puzzle-piece Extensions icon next to the address bar and pin Dark Mode so its icon is always visible.
- 3
Turn dark mode on for websites
Open any site and click the Dark Mode icon, then flip the big On/Off switch. You can also press Alt+Shift+D (⌥⇧D on a Mac) to toggle it from the keyboard.
- 4
Tune Brightness, Contrast and Sepia
Use the sliders in the popup to get a comfortable dark theme. Brightness and Contrast control how deep the black background is and how crisp text looks; Sepia adds warmth for evening reading.
- 5
Set exceptions and a schedule
Press Alt+Shift+A on a site to add or remove it from your list. Optionally set active hours, Activate after sunset at location, or Use system color scheme so web pages follow your OS dark mode.
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Brave dark mode options compared
- Brave's Appearance theme. Darkens the browser interface only. Turn it on regardless; it pairs well with dark web pages.
- The force-dark flag. Experimental and all-or-nothing: every site gets inverted, with no exceptions or adjustments, and changes need a relaunch.
- Your OS dark mode. Websites that ship their own dark theme follow it automatically, but most sites do not, so many pages stay white.
- The Dark Mode extension. Darkens any page, with per-site control, sliders, four theme engines and scheduling. Desktop only, so on Android use Brave's own Night Mode.
Brave dark mode not working? Troubleshooting
- Images look inverted or colors are off. Switch the theme engine to Dynamic or Filter+, which preserves color saturation.
- Pages are inverted twice. If you enabled
brave://flags/#enable-force-dark, set it back to Default and relaunch so it does not fight the extension. - One site stays white. Check your site list mode ("Invert listed only" or "Not invert listed") and press Alt+Shift+A on that site.
- Settings pages or the store stay light. brave:// pages and the Chrome Web Store are protected by the browser, and no extension can darken them.
- The hotkey does nothing. Another extension may use the same shortcut. Reassign it at
brave://extensions/shortcuts, Brave's equivalent of chrome://extensions/shortcuts.
How to turn off dark mode in Brave
To pause dark websites, press Alt+Shift+D or flip the switch in the Dark Mode popup; to exclude a single site, press Alt+Shift+A. To remove the extension entirely, open brave://extensions and click Remove.
To bring back Brave's light interface, go to Settings → Appearance and choose Light (or follow your system). If you tried the flag, set brave://flags/#enable-force-dark back to Default and relaunch.
Why use dark mode in Brave?
Late-night browsing
A dark Brave interface plus dark web pages removes the white flash every time you open a new site at night.
Work tools that have no dark theme
Dashboards, docs and admin panels often lack a native dark option; the extension darkens them too, Google Docs and Slides included.
Privacy-minded setup
Brave users care about data; the Chrome Web Store listing states that the developer does not collect or use your data.
Less glare on long sessions
Lower brightness and a little sepia make hours of reading and research more comfortable on the eyes.
Best Dark Mode settings for Brave
Use system color scheme
Pair it with Brave's follow-system theme so the interface and web pages switch to dark together.
Dynamic engine as default
Dynamic is the default and suits most sites; try Filter+ on photo-heavy pages and Static if a page feels slow.
Brightness and Contrast
Drop Brightness slightly and nudge Contrast up for a deep background with sharp text.
Site list for native dark sites
Sites with their own good dark theme can go on the list so they are left untouched.
Hotkeys
Alt+Shift+D toggles everything and Alt+Shift+A toggles the current site, so you rarely need to open the popup.
Font and Text stroke
On thin or low-contrast fonts, pick a replacement font or add Text stroke to keep text legible on a dark background.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make Brave dark?
Open Settings → Appearance and choose Dark for Brave's colors. That darkens the browser; for the websites themselves, add the Dark Mode extension and press Alt+Shift+D.
Why are websites still white in Brave dark mode?
Brave's theme only recolors the browser frame. A website keeps its own colors unless it ships a dark theme, so pages without one stay white until an extension or the force-dark flag changes them.
Can I install Chrome extensions in Brave?
Yes. Brave supports Chrome Web Store extensions: open an extension's store page and click Add to Brave. Manage them later under the menu → Extensions.
Is brave://flags force dark better than an extension?
It is simpler but much less flexible. The flag inverts every page with no per-site exceptions, sliders or schedule, and it is experimental. The extension lets you exclude sites, pick an engine and fine-tune brightness.
Does the Dark Mode extension work in Brave on Android or iPhone?
No, it is a desktop extension. On Android, use Brave's own Appearance settings and the experimental Night Mode option.
Is it free to use in Brave?
Yes. All core features are free in Brave just like in Chrome. An optional Pro upgrade is available inside the extension; see pricing.
The bottom line
Brave dark mode comes in two layers: the Appearance theme for the browser and the Dark Mode extension for the websites you open. Turn on both and Brave stays dark from the tab strip to the last line of every page. For site-specific tips, browse our dark mode guides, such as the Yahoo dark mode guide.