Wattpad Dark Mode: How to Read Wattpad in the Dark on PC, App and Reader
The Wattpad app has a dark theme and a dark reading page, but wattpad.com in a browser is white. Here's how to get Wattpad dark mode on a computer with the Dark Mode extension, and how the app's settings work.
By Ivan Charad Updated First published 6 min read
Quick answer
Wattpad dark mode is only in the iOS and Android apps: set it in Settings from your profile, and set the reading page separately with the Aa menu in a story. Wattpad says dark mode isn't available on the web. To read wattpad.com in dark mode on a computer, install the free Dark Mode extension in Chrome and press Alt+Shift+D.
Does Wattpad have a dark mode?
Yes, in the apps, but not on the website. Wattpad dark mode is available in the Wattpad app for iPhone, iPad and Android. On a computer, Wattpad's Help Center says dark mode is not currently available on the desktop or mobile web version of Wattpad. The reading preferences you know from the app (background color, font size, font style) aren't available on the web either.
Wattpad's own suggestion for the web is to use a dark mode extension from the Chrome Web Store. That fits how people actually use the site: reading long chapters late at night, writing and editing your own story, scrolling comments. A white page around every paragraph is a lot of light after the first hour.
The Dark Mode extension redraws wattpad.com with a dark background and light text, and adds sliders and font options that the website doesn't offer.
How to turn on dark mode in the Wattpad app and reader
The app has two separate settings: one for the app itself and one for the reading page.
- The app. On iOS and Android, Wattpad follows your device's dark or light setting (the app needs to be version 8.64 or newer, and dark mode on iPhone requires iOS 13 or later). To choose manually, open your profile, tap Settings, select Dark Mode and turn it on, off, or set it to mirror your device.
- The reading page. Open a story, tap the middle of the screen and tap Aa in the top-right corner. Pick the colored square for white text on a black background. The other choices are black on white (the default) and black on sepia.
In the same Aa menu you can change the font size and font style. These settings are app-only. The Dark Mode extension is a desktop browser extension, so it can't change the app; it's for wattpad.com in Chrome and other Chromium browsers on your computer.
How to enable Wattpad dark mode on PC in Chrome
These steps make wattpad.com dark in Chrome, or in any Chromium browser that installs extensions from the Chrome Web Store.
- 1
Install the Dark Mode extension
Open the Dark Mode page in the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome. It's free. Pin the icon from the puzzle-piece menu so it's always within reach.
- 2
Open a story on Wattpad
Go to wattpad.com, log in and open the story you're reading. The home page, library, story pages, comments and the writing editor are regular web pages, so the extension can restyle them.
- 3
Turn dark mode on
Click the extension icon and flip the big On/Off switch, or press Alt+Shift+D. The page background turns dark and the text turns light.
- 4
Set Brightness, Contrast and Sepia
Use the sliders in the popup. Lower Brightness for bedtime reading, raise Contrast if the text looks faint, and add some Sepia if you like the warm tone of the app's sepia page.
- 5
Change the reading font
The website has no font options, but the extension does: use "Select a font" to replace the page font, or turn on "Text stroke" if thin light text is hard to read. Use Chrome's zoom (Ctrl++, or Cmd++ on Mac) for bigger text.
- 6
Choose where and when it applies
Use the site list to darken only the sites you pick, or everything except them; Alt+Shift+A adds or removes wattpad.com. Active hours or sunset activation can switch it on for your evening reading.
Turn on Wattpad dark mode now
Free Chrome extension · works on every website · no account needed.
Other ways to make Wattpad dark on a computer
- Chrome's dark theme. Choosing dark under Settings → Appearance only darkens the browser frame: tabs, toolbar and menus. Since wattpad.com has no dark theme of its own, the story page stays white.
- Chrome's "Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents" flag. This experimental setting at
chrome://flagsforces dark colors on every website. It's all or nothing, with no per-site list, sliders or font options, and it may change in future Chrome versions. - Your operating system's dark mode. Windows or macOS dark mode darkens the system and many apps, but wattpad.com doesn't follow it. Turn on the extension's "Use system color scheme" option and Wattpad goes dark whenever your OS does.
- The app on a tablet or phone. If you mostly read rather than write, the Wattpad app's dark reading page is a native alternative.
Wattpad dark mode not working? Quick fixes
- Story covers or images look odd. Open the extension settings and keep the Dynamic engine (the default) or try Filter+, which preserves color saturation.
- Long chapters scroll slowly. Switch to the Static engine, which generates a simple, fast theme.
- Wattpad stays white. wattpad.com may be excluded by your site list. Press Alt+Shift+A to toggle the current site, reload the tab, and check that "Only for" isn't applying your settings to another website.
- The app is dark but the story page is white. The reader is set separately: open a story, tap the middle of the screen, tap Aa and pick the black background.
- Wattpad is light on your phone's browser. Wattpad doesn't offer dark mode on mobile web, and the extension is desktop-only. Use the app for dark reading on a phone.
How to turn off Wattpad dark mode
In Chrome, press Alt+Shift+D or flip the On/Off switch in the popup to turn the extension off everywhere. To restore Wattpad's normal look but keep other sites dark, click the per-site button ("Change mode on current site") on wattpad.com, or press Alt+Shift+A. In the app, go to Settings from your profile, select Dark Mode and turn it off; for the reading page, tap Aa in a story and pick the white square.
Why use dark mode on Wattpad?
Late-night reading
"One more chapter" at midnight is more comfortable when the screen isn't a bright white page in a dark room.
Writing your own story
Drafting and editing chapters in the browser can take hours; a dark editor matches the rest of a dark desktop.
Fonts that suit you
The website has no reading preferences, so the extension's font options make long stories easier to get through.
Reading next to someone
A dark page gives off far less light, which helps if you read in bed while someone else is trying to sleep.
Best Dark Mode settings for Wattpad
Sepia for long chapters
A little Sepia warms the page, close to the app's sepia reading background.
Lower Brightness at night
Dim the page for bedtime reading, then raise Contrast slightly so the text stays crisp.
Select a font and Text stroke
Replace the page font with one you find easier to read, and add Text stroke if light text looks thin.
Activate after sunset
Set your location and Wattpad goes dark in the evening without you touching anything.
Hotkeys
Alt+Shift+D toggles dark mode; Alt+Shift+A adds or removes wattpad.com from your site list.
Frequently asked questions
Does Wattpad have dark mode on PC?
Not natively. Wattpad's Help Center says dark mode isn't currently available on the desktop or mobile web version. The free Dark Mode extension makes wattpad.com dark in Chrome and other Chromium browsers.
Why is my Wattpad app dark but the story page still white?
Because the reader has its own setting. Open a story, tap the middle of the screen, tap Aa in the top-right corner and choose white text on a black background.
Can I change the font on Wattpad's website?
Wattpad's reading preferences are app-only. In Chrome, the Dark Mode extension's "Select a font" option replaces the page font, and Chrome's zoom makes the text bigger.
Can I get Wattpad dark mode on my phone's browser?
Not from Wattpad, and the extension only works on desktop browsers. On a phone, use the Wattpad app, which has both an app-wide dark mode and a dark reading page.
Is the Dark Mode extension free?
Yes. The free plan includes all the core features used in this guide. An optional Pro plan is available; see pricing.
Does it work on other reading sites?
Yes, it works on any regular web page. See our guides to New York Times dark mode and Coursera dark mode.
The bottom line
Wattpad offers dark mode only in its apps, with a separate dark background for the reader. On a computer, the free Dark Mode extension gives you Wattpad dark mode in Chrome in a few clicks, plus Sepia and font options the website doesn't have.