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YouTube Has a Secret 'Dark Mode' (thenextweb.com)

Posted by msmash on from the diy dept.

It appears Google has quietly introduced a new "dark mode" for its video portal YouTube, several people are reporting. Here's how to activate it, via The Next Web:
1. Open the Chrome developer tools tab.
2. Windows users can do this by pressing Ctrl + Shift + I.
3. Mac users can do this by pressing Option + Cmd + I.
4. Select the Console tab.
5. Once in Console, paste the following text: document.cookie="VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=fPQ4jCL6EiE"
6. Hit enter.
7. Close the developer tools tab and refresh the page. Just a little heads-up: YouTube might look slightly different -- though still in white.
8. Click the main settings menu in the top right and find the 'Dark Mode' section.
9. Toggle 'Dark Mode' on and you're settled.

68 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. What if you don't have/user chrome? by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

    Is there a way to do this in FF or Safari?

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    1. Re:What if you don't have/user chrome? by Whatanut · · Score: 3, Informative

      Same way in Firefox. F12 for developer mode. Probably the same for IE.

      --

      yvan eht nioj
    2. Re:What if you don't have/user chrome? by pr0fessor · · Score: 1

      No clue, I have neither of those installed but it works in opera, edge, and vivaldi

    3. Re:What if you don't have/user chrome? by corychristison · · Score: 1

      Worked for me in Firefox on Linux.

      Followed steps exactly. Alternatively you can use F12 instead of Ctrl+Shift+i

    4. Re:What if you don't have/user chrome? by cdrudge · · Score: 1

      For Safari on Windows, you have to enable developer menu (Settings -> Preferences -> Advanced, check "Show Develop menu in menu bar). Then press Ctrl-Alt-i to bring up the developer toolbar, or Ctrl-Alt-c to show specifically the console.

      For Safari on Mac, you're on your own.

    5. Re:What if you don't have/user chrome? by corezz · · Score: 1

      Use STYLISH plugin in Firefox with the DarkTube or YouTube Umbra stylesheet has been the go to way for many years now.

    6. Re:What if you don't have/user chrome? by syntotic · · Score: 1

      Any similar magic to make YouTube work again in Windows 10 / IE11? Not even IE 8 emulation does the trick sometimes...

  2. Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...what? No one told us what "dark mode" is supposed to MEAN. Autism, much, subby?

    1. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 4, Funny

      ...what? No one told us what "dark mode" is supposed to MEAN. Autism, much, subby?

      Its to view videos from the dark web, of course.

    2. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by alvinrod · · Score: 4, Informative

      It just changes the white background black, presumably reducing the amount of light that your screen is throwing out which in a dark room or early in the morning when your eyes are just adjusting less pleasant to deal with. It's the same kind of mode a lot of readers have where it inverts the color scheme so you end up with white text on a black background which makes night reading easier.

    3. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      It's like DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION! It should be obvious when you know about it.

    4. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      I assumed it was to limit all the videos by white people. Live and learn.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    5. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by DickBreath · · Score: 4, Funny

      Dark Mode is something you see in more and more software that causes the software to behave in an evil manner. Microsoft users find this helps give the familiar feeling that it is genuine Microsoft software they are using rather than third party software.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    6. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by PPH · · Score: 2

      early in the morning

      I thought we all agreed not to get up until 11 AM

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    7. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by kamapuaa · · Score: 1

      Most Slashdot readers are 30 years past college age.

      --
      Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    8. Re: Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by easyTree · · Score: 2

      It only plays videos during the hours of darkness.

      --
      Requiem for the American Dream
    9. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      I find it funny that Slashdot just couldn't mention what it meant by Dark Mode. I was hoping that it being posted as a main article, that Dark mode would actually be a useful feature, such as watching videos without being tracked, or access to particular videos, or a way to avoid adds.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    10. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by war4peace · · Score: 1

      All videos now play as dark rectangles and all audio is brown noise.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    11. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by labnet · · Score: 1

      That would be an interesting poll.
      A histogram of an average /. readers age in say 10 year blocks.

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      46137
    12. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      It's to not blind stoners when they use Youtube on 65" smart TVs in a darkened room. That red is bad enough, when the glaring white kicks in, holy crap ;D.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    13. Re:Wow, detailed instructions to achieve by ausekilis · · Score: 1

      So MS and Google implemented the evil bit and didn't tell anyone?

      I have no idea who to trust anymore...

  3. Sure... by freeze128 · · Score: 2

    Hey, how about a screenshot of what it looks like before I try it?

    1. Re:Sure... by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

      Once you go dark, you'll never go bark.

    2. Re:Sure... by Swave+An+deBwoner · · Score: 1

      On the Internet nobody knows you're a dog. Woof.

  4. By definition... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    ...something isn't a secret if other people know about it.

    1. Re:By definition... by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Saying it is a secret is just a way to drive interest. Oh, it's a secret! I better check this out!

      Next, marketers will make their products (seem like) a "secret" so that people want to buy them.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    2. Re:By definition... by Altrag · · Score: 1

      "Secret" in terms of product features usually just implies "not explicitly announced." Its a totally different usage of the word than you would use it when discussing encryption or state secrets or something like that.

      Perhaps a bit of an abuse of language, but its hardly a new one nor would most people confuse the two usages to any great degree unless they were intentionally trying to take it out of context in order to make some logical fallacy of an argument (remember: copyright infringement is only piracy if you wear an eye patch while downloading! Right!? That'll hold up in court!)

  5. Pink mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I'm gay. I want a pink mode or rainbow mode.

    Seriously, this is gay.

    1. Re:Pink mode by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Maybe YouTube could introduce themes. This would prove useful to both gay and non gay people alike.

      But then the next thing you know, all development environments will have themes.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    2. Re:Pink mode by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · · Score: 1

      I'm gay. I want a pink mode

      One of these statements is a lie.

      --
      Time to offend someone
  6. No subject by Artem+S.+Tashkinov · · Score: 1

    It's been available for weeks already. I wonder how this post has made it to the front page. A slow news day?

  7. What year is it?! by Smidge204 · · Score: 5, Informative

    "Dark Mode" has been around for about a year now, at least, and I've gotten prompts to turn it on a few times... no arcane bullshit required.

    Just change any "www.youtube.com" URL to "gaming.youtube.com" and presto - Dark theme!

    Tune in next week when we discover, again, that some 9-volt batteries have six AAAA-sized cells in them!
    =Smidge=

    1. Re:What year is it?! by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 1

      Boy am I glad I closed the tab for the Stranger before this was put up on the main page. Do you guys seriously not consider whether people might be reading Slog while at work? My monitor faces the hallway (I wish it didn't but I have no choice in the matter) and could get in serious shit if the wrong person saw this

      Wait... This is just some THEME ?

      Slow news day, eh?

      --
      If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    2. Re:What year is it?! by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      Wait... This is just some THEME ?

      I don't mind having a dark theme for my PyCharm IDE for Python, as I grew up programming on a monochrome display. I just find it distracting for watching videos.

      Slow news day, eh?

      All the trolls are nursing the wounds after the beatings I gave them in recent days.

    3. Re:What year is it?! by corychristison · · Score: 1

      No these two themes are quite different.

      Also there is Youtube 'leanback' here https://www.youtube.com/tv that can be navigated without a mouse.

    4. Re:What year is it?! by irrational_design · · Score: 1

      Like Lego Batman, unless you are using a dark theme people won't know that you are a serious person.

    5. Re:What year is it?! by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      Tune in next week when we discover, again, that some 9-volt batteries have six AAAA-sized cells in them!

      Turns out there's a non-destructive way to test for this, too. Though technically, the 9V batteries don't use AAAA sized batteries (they're slightly smaller than AAAA). But it's very close.

      The other configuration is flat which is they're put in a plastic tube as a layer cake - a "pile" configuration.

      If you have a high-resolution multimeter (6 1/2 digits), observing the terminal voltage and giving the 9V battery a squeeze can tell you the construction. If the voltage increases, it's a pile construction. If it decreases or the slope of the discharge (the multimeter has enough resolution that its input impedance can clearly discharge the battery)

      EEV Blog #518 - https://www.eevblog.com/2013/0...
      EEV B;pcl #515 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

  8. works on Linux & Chromium too by FudRucker · · Score: 4, Informative

    screenshot
    http://i.imgur.com/60yed59.jpg

    --
    Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
    1. Re:works on Linux & Chromium too by Carewolf · · Score: 1

      screenshot

      http://i.imgur.com/60yed59.jpg

      Somebody is being fed a steady stream of clickbait :D

    2. Re: works on Linux & Chromium too by Notabadguy · · Score: 1

      Yeah; it's imgur.

    3. Re:works on Linux & Chromium too by LocalH · · Score: 1

      The font rendering on the tab titles is horrendous

      --
      FC Closer
  9. this has been around for a while. by nimbius · · Score: 2

    the dark mode extension for firefox has taken care of this for me.

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
    1. Re:this has been around for a while. by erapert · · Score: 1

      I've been using the Hacker Vision extension in the Chrome store (it also works, I've used it, with Vivaldi).

  10. Re:Journalism at its finest on Slashdot by bobbied · · Score: 1

    Well at least it's not "fake" news... This story is actually true, although I do see where being called "news" will likely draw a debate from some....

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  11. Browser extensions make this irrelevant by zedaroca · · Score: 1

    Stylish is the most popular extension to do that in every website (as well as other css themes). I'm using the dark mode of /. now.
    For youtube there are other extensions as well.
    It's strange that the few options a website gives you to see itself is considered "news". Specially since there are tools that give you many more options.

  12. Re:Secret dick mode by DickBreath · · Score: 1

    But would any YouTube users actually like that?

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  13. Screenshot by corychristison · · Score: 5, Informative

    Screenshot I just made in Firefox: http://i.imgur.com/orIZxEf.png

    1. Re: Screenshot by mnemotronic · · Score: 2

      NSFW!

      At least where I work.
      Used to work until just recently.

      --
      The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
  14. Next: Android by hackel · · Score: 1

    Interesting that they're doing this now, after they ruined the Android UI by making it all-white. I would very much like to see this integrated as an option in Android, instead of having to reply on third-party overlays with Substratum and hackish "team black out" versions of apps.

  15. Doesn't work for me :( by DiSKiLLeR · · Score: 1

    It doesn't work for me. Maybe because I have YouTube Red?

    Unsure. :(

    Where does the dark mode option actually appear in settings? Anyone have a screenshot?

    --
    You can tell how powerful someone is by the magnitude of the crime they can commit and be able to get away with.
    1. Re:Doesn't work for me :( by DiSKiLLeR · · Score: 1

      Woah, is this the menu people see?

      https://cnet3.cbsistatic.com/i...

      I don't get a menu like that at all, when I click my portrait in the top/right I see youtube red and a list of my other youtube channels to switch to. No menu like that :( god, damn it.

      --
      You can tell how powerful someone is by the magnitude of the crime they can commit and be able to get away with.
    2. Re:Doesn't work for me :( by thebleh · · Score: 1

      Change Youtube's language and region to United States at the bottom of the page. Yep, I know.

      --
      There has grown in the minds of certain groups in this country the idea that just because a man or corporation has made
    3. Re:Doesn't work for me :( by Woldscum · · Score: 1

      Follow the directions. BUT make sure you are on in a separate YouTube page tab when you open the terminal.

    4. Re:Doesn't work for me :( by DiSKiLLeR · · Score: 1

      I set US language (I had UK) and my location already is US (and I am currently in the US, but haven't always lived here.)

      This is still all I get:

      http://imgur.com/a/SrowN

      idk, man.

      --
      You can tell how powerful someone is by the magnitude of the crime they can commit and be able to get away with.
  16. Re:is this a life hack? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Dice hasn't owned /. in quite a while now.

  17. Simple Method by sexconker · · Score: 1

    Just go to www.worldstarhiphop.com .

  18. PornHub Mode by joe-2cool · · Score: 1

    Glad to see YouTube, added a PornHub Mode.

  19. SO nice by Woldscum · · Score: 1

    Finally. A must have for HTPCs. BTTV dark mode on Twitch spoiled me. Netflix is dark by default. Amazon Prime I am looking at you. UI people PLEASE give a dark option.

  20. Porn Hub? by ErstO · · Score: 1

    Thats what it looks like, not that I have first hand knowledge of course, well not too often.

  21. Re:For a site targeted at Linux users Slashdot suc by erapert · · Score: 1

    On Linux it's ctrl + shift + i or F12 which works on all platforms.

  22. Re: Secret dick mode by mnemotronic · · Score: 1

    We're gonna need a bigger screen.

    --
    The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
  23. Re:Why just Youtube? by ctrl-alt-canc · · Score: 1

    I second this. Please give us a black background. Possibly also with a dark foreground.

  24. Secret Free Youtube Red!! by locopuyo · · Score: 1

    There is also a secret way to get youtube red for free. If you replace the "you" in the url with "red" on any video.

    --
    The Official Site of 1337 Pwnage
  25. Magic Actions by jargonburn · · Score: 1

    I had to think a moment before I realized the light switch I see on YouTube is from the "Magic Actions for YouTube" extension in Chrome. Seriously, "secret" dark mode? Lol.

  26. Ok.... by DiEx-15 · · Score: 1

    ....So this isn't a Rick Roll or a REALLY good troll.

    The internet has made me cynical.

  27. Which allows what? by eric_harris_76 · · Score: 1

    And what becomes possible, with the change to "dark mode"?

    --
    There's no time like the present. Well, the past used to be.
  28. other, better mods by austinpoet · · Score: 1

    what would be better is:

    Toggle Default Hide Chat on Live streams (should happen)
    Toggle Default HD settings (could happen)
    Toggle Default Annotations on/off all streams (will likely never return)

  29. Re:For a site targeted at Linux users Slashdot suc by ebvwfbw · · Score: 1

    I get a scam warning when I pasted in the code.