How to Activate YouTube Dark Mode

By Marc Thomas / 04/24/2017 / 16 Comments / How-To, Sites

Cool YouTube Darkness

Apparently Google is working on a not-so-secret Dark Mode for YouTube and you can activate it yourself in just three easy steps. Personally, I find a darker background to be easier on the eyes and certainly hope that Google incorporate this feature into YouTube on a permanent basis.

How to Activate Dark Mode

Open a YouTube page, hit CTRL + SHIFT + I or F12 to bring up the development window on the right hand side of the page (or at the bottom, depending on your browser), select the CONSOLE TAB if it isn’t already selected , then copy and paste this text into the console:

document.cookie=”VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=fPQ4jCL6EiE”

Close the developer window by clicking the cross at the top right and then refresh your browser by hitting the F5 Key. Then click your account icon (top right) in YouTube and a Drop-down menu will appear with Dark Mode added as an option.

With that option now available you can toggle Dark Mode on and off.

I’ve tested this method with Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Edge with no problems. It’s also worth pointing out that the console command, in my case anyway, appears to make the Dark Mode option always available on future YouTube visits in new browsing sessions.

How cool is that?

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About The Author

Marc Thomas

Marc is an avid traveler, motorcyclist, entrepreneur, and gamer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. His interest in computers and technology began in the early 1990's when he was introduced by a friend to a Zenith Data Systems computer running DOS. In the years following he has experienced all versions of the Windows operating system, built hundreds of systems, and fixed many more for his customers. Marc also has an interesting forum you might like to check out at Argentina Expats

16 thoughts on “How to Activate YouTube Dark Mode”

carbonterry2
04/29/2017 at 4:32 am
My Console tab is completely empty. I get an error notice after pasting the script. ???
1. Marc Thomas
  04/29/2017 at 7:13 am
  Carbonterry, which browser are you using?
  1. carbonterry2
    04/29/2017 at 8:58 am
    Chrome
paul
04/29/2017 at 7:20 am
Marc, here is the correct sintax: document.cookie=”VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=fPQ4jCL6EiE” + enter
1. carbonterry2
  04/29/2017 at 3:29 pm
  does not work for me either. Using Chrome 58. somethin or other
lgehr
04/29/2017 at 1:30 pm
not working on chrome or opera for me.
lgehr
04/29/2017 at 1:31 pm
Is this for paid accounts only?
Boomer928
04/30/2017 at 1:35 am
It doesn’t work in Firefox either.
Marc Thomas
04/30/2017 at 7:53 am
I’ve amended the line in the article showing the syntax, even though the previous entry worked for me.
Try it and see how it looks.
1. lgehr
  04/30/2017 at 8:25 am
  this is what I get on opera:
  document.cookie=”VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=fPQ4jCL6EiE”
  VM598:1 Uncaught SyntaxError: Invalid or unexpected token
  sw.js:1 Service Worker termination by a timeout timer was canceled because DevTools is attached.
2. lgehr
  04/30/2017 at 8:28 am
  Chrome:
  document.cookie=”VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=fPQ4jCL6EiE”
  VM162:1 Uncaught SyntaxError: Invalid or unexpected token
lgehr
04/30/2017 at 8:32 am
I am not able to use toggle keys on firefox even thought it is checked, so, cant check firefox.
Boomer928
04/30/2017 at 11:25 am
VM358:1 Uncaught ReferenceError: fPQ4jCL6EiE is not defined
at :1:20
This is what I get in (updated) Chrome.
Boomer928
04/30/2017 at 11:48 am
Now my browser is broken. Every time I got to a new page it shows up blank until like refresh the page. How do I undo these changes in Firefox?
Boomer928
04/30/2017 at 12:46 pm
Also the scrolling and typing is now really jerky in FF. Am I going to have to go through the entire lengthy process of uninstalling FF and reinstalling it to get rid of this now? I guess I should have waited on trying this since it will come out at some point for everyone.
Boomer928
04/30/2017 at 1:09 pm
I seemed to have fixed my FF issues by disabling my script blocker (NoScript), restarted the system, then opened the browser to see that the jerkyness is gone and so was the blank page issue. Then enabled the NoScript addon and restarted the system again. So far this fixed it. Lesson learned. Sounds like it was a conflict in scripts but I’m not a programmer so what do I know.

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