How to Turn On Dark Mode on Google Search

Get the Google dark theme when you search

By
Evan Killham
Evan Killham Lifewire
Evan Killham
Writer
  • University of Nebraska
Evan Killham has been writing about tech and pop culture since 2008. His work has appeared in publications that include Fandom, VentureBeat, and ScreenRant.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on February 1, 2022
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher headshot
Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • On the Google search main page, go to Settings > Dark Theme.
  • On a search results page, click the Settings gear > Dark Theme.
  • Because you turn it on manually, Google can use Dark Mode even if your computer doesn't have it active.

If you're used to using a dark mode on your computer, you've probably missed it when you opened a Google page with its decidedly not-dark default appearance. Luckily, you can change it.

How Do I Turn On Google Search Dark Mode?

You can turn on the dark theme for Google search with a few clicks. Here's how to do it.

  1. On the Google home page, click Settings in the lower-right corner.

    Settings on the Google home page

  2. Select Dark Theme: Off.

    The "Dark Theme: Off" setting on the Google home page

  3. Enjoy the new theme, which will be active whether or not you have Dark Mode turned on for your device.

    A Google search results page with the dark theme active

How to Turn On Google's Dark Theme From Search Results

You don't have to be on the main page to turn on Google's dark theme. Here's how to do it from search results.

  1. On a search results page, click the Settings gear.

    The Settings gear on a Google search page

  2. Click Dark theme: Off.

    The "Dark Theme" option in Google settings

  3. The dark theme will turn on until you deactivate it using the same menu.

    You can turn on the dark theme from any search results, including news, videos, and images.

    Google search results with the dark theme active

Why Can't I Get Google's Dark Theme?

Because Google updates its platform on its own, you shouldn't have any issues turning on the dark theme, regardless of which program you're using or whether it's running the most current version. The dark theme should also detect which setting your computer is using and match it by default. If, for some reason, you can't activate the dark theme on either the main Google page, however, try a different browser or by checking for an update.

FAQ
Was this page helpful?