Eclipse Dark Mode: How to Enable the Dark Theme in Eclipse IDE (and Keep Your Browser Dark Too)
Eclipse ships with its own dark theme, so the IDE itself needs no add-ons. This guide shows the native setting, how to fix editors that stay bright, and how to keep the browser half of your coding day dark as well.
By Ivan Charad Updated First published 6 min read
Quick answer
Eclipse dark mode is built in. Open Window → Preferences (Eclipse → Settings on macOS), go to General → Appearance, make sure theming is enabled, choose Dark in the Theme list, click Apply and Close, then restart Eclipse. A browser extension cannot darken Eclipse, but it can darken the docs and sites you read alongside it.
Does Eclipse have a dark mode?
Yes. Eclipse IDE has had a built-in dark theme for years, and it lives in the Appearance preferences. Pick Dark there, restart, and the workbench, views, toolbars and the default text editors switch to a dark background with light text. Depending on your system you may also see platform variants such as Dark [Mac OS X] or Dark [Linux] next to Light and Classic.
One honest note, because older articles (including an earlier version of this page) mixed this up: Eclipse is a desktop application, and no browser extension can change how Eclipse looks. Eclipse dark mode is configured inside Eclipse. Where a browser extension does help is everything you open in Chrome while you code: the Eclipse documentation, the Marketplace, Stack Overflow, GitHub and browser-based IDEs. We cover that after the steps.
How to enable dark mode in Eclipse IDE
These steps turn on Eclipse dark mode with the theme that ships with the IDE, so there is nothing to install.
- 1
Open Preferences
On Windows and Linux choose Window → Preferences. On macOS choose Eclipse → Settings (called Preferences on macOS versions before Ventura).
- 2
Go to General → Appearance
Expand General in the left tree and select Appearance. If you see an "Enable theming" checkbox, make sure it is ticked, otherwise the Theme list is not available.
- 3
Choose the Dark theme
Open the Theme drop-down and select Dark (or the Dark variant for your operating system).
- 4
Apply and restart
Click Apply and Close. Eclipse warns that a restart is required for the theme change to take full effect, so restart it to get a fully dark workbench.
- 5
Check editor colors
If an editor still has a white background, open General → Editors → Text Editors and adjust the Appearance color options, or look at General → Appearance → Colors and Fonts for the specific language or view.
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Are there better Eclipse dark themes than the default?
The built-in Dark theme is the safest choice because it is maintained with Eclipse itself. If you want a deeper black background or flat icons, the Eclipse Marketplace has third-party themes. The best known is Darkest Dark Theme with DevStyle, a free plugin now maintained by CodeTogether and listed for recent releases up to 2025-12. Its Marketplace page also shows recent install errors and reports of startup problems on some setups, so back up your workspace settings and check the comments for your Eclipse version before installing it.
Syntax colors are a separate layer from the workbench theme. You can change keyword, string and comment colors per language under the editor preferences (for Java, Java → Editor → Syntax Coloring), or install a color theme plugin from the Marketplace if you want a ready-made palette.
How to keep the rest of your developer workflow dark
A dark IDE next to a bright white browser is the classic late-night eye strain trap: you switch to look up an API and get a flash of white. The Dark Mode extension for Chrome fixes the browser side of the day:
- Eclipse documentation at help.eclipse.org and the Eclipse Marketplace pages.
- Stack Overflow, GitHub issues, Javadoc and library docs that have no dark theme of their own.
- Browser-based IDEs such as Eclipse Che and Eclipse Theia. They ship their own dark color themes, so it is usually better to switch to those and add the IDE's address to the extension's exclusion list than to darken a page that is already dark.
Install it from the Chrome Web Store, press Alt+Shift+D to toggle it, and turn on "Use system color scheme" so the browser follows the same dark setting as your desktop. Chrome's own dark theme and dark mode in Windows or macOS only darken the browser frame and sites that already have dark styles; the experimental chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark flag forces every site dark with no per-site control. Brave users can follow our Brave dark mode guide.
Eclipse dark mode not working? Common fixes
- Only part of the window turned dark: you skipped the restart. Close Eclipse completely and open it again.
- No Theme drop-down: tick "Enable theming" on the Appearance page, apply, and restart.
- Editor or console still white: some plugins and editors keep their own color preferences. Check General → Editors → Text Editors and General → Appearance → Colors and Fonts, and the plugin's own preference page.
- Unreadable syntax colors: a light-theme color scheme on a dark background can produce dark blue on black. Reset the editor's syntax colors to defaults after switching themes.
- Problems after a third-party theme: switch Appearance back to Dark or Light, restart, and uninstall the plugin through Help → About Eclipse IDE → Installation Details.
How to turn off dark mode in Eclipse
Go back to Window → Preferences → General → Appearance (Eclipse → Settings on a Mac), choose Light or Classic in the Theme list, click Apply and Close, and restart Eclipse. If you also changed editor colors by hand, use Restore Defaults on those preference pages. To turn the browser part off, press Alt+Shift+D or flip the switch in the Dark Mode extension.
Why use Eclipse dark mode?
Long coding sessions
A dark background with light text cuts overall screen glare when you spend hours in the editor.
Night-time debugging
In a dim room, a white IDE is the brightest thing around. Eclipse night mode keeps stack traces readable without the glare.
Reading docs between builds
With the browser dark too, jumping from the IDE to Eclipse help or Stack Overflow no longer means a white flash.
A consistent dev setup
Dark IDE, dark terminal, dark browser: one look across the tools you use every day.
Best settings for a dark Eclipse workflow
Eclipse Theme: Dark
Use the built-in Dark theme first; try Marketplace themes only if you need something it does not offer.
Syntax colors per language
Fine-tune keywords, strings and comments in the editor's Syntax Coloring page so code stays high-contrast.
Browser follows the system
In the Dark Mode extension, turn on "Use system color scheme" so docs go dark together with your OS.
Exclude browser IDEs
Add Eclipse Che or Theia URLs to the site list in "Not invert listed" mode and use their own dark themes instead.
Contrast for docs
Raise Contrast slightly in the extension so Javadoc tables and code samples on reference sites stay crisp.
Hotkeys
Alt+Shift+D toggles the extension, Alt+Shift+A adds the current site to the list; change them at chrome://extensions/shortcuts.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make Eclipse dark?
Open Window → Preferences (Eclipse → Settings on macOS), go to General → Appearance, select Dark in the Theme list, click Apply and Close, and restart Eclipse. No plugin is needed.
Can the Dark Mode extension make Eclipse IDE dark?
No. Eclipse is a desktop application, and browser extensions only change web pages. Use Eclipse's built-in Dark theme for the IDE and the extension for documentation, Stack Overflow, GitHub and other sites you read in Chrome.
Why is my Eclipse editor still white after choosing the Dark theme?
Usually Eclipse has not been restarted yet, or the editor uses its own color settings. Restart, then check General → Editors → Text Editors and General → Appearance → Colors and Fonts.
Is Darkest Dark (DevStyle) still available?
It is listed on the Eclipse Marketplace as a free plugin maintained by CodeTogether, with support listed up to Eclipse 2025-12. Recent reviews mention install and startup issues on some setups, so check compatibility with your version first.
Does Eclipse dark mode follow the macOS or Windows dark setting?
Do not rely on it. The theme you choose in General → Appearance is what Eclipse uses, so set Dark there explicitly and restart.
Is the Dark Mode extension free?
Yes, the core features are free. An optional Pro upgrade costs $3 per month or $20 lifetime; details are on the pricing section.
The bottom line
Eclipse dark mode is a built-in setting: General → Appearance → Theme: Dark, then restart. Fix any bright editors through the editor color preferences, and add the Dark Mode extension in Chrome so the docs, Marketplace and Q&A sites you read next to the IDE stay dark as well. More guides are on the blog.