However, if you use Google Docs on a mobile device, you can switch on this mode via the app. In this article, we’ll help you to put Google Docs into dark mode on both the web and the mobile app.
Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs on the Web
Since Google Docs’ web version doesn’t offer a dark mode yet, you’re going to have to rely on a browser hack to enable the mode in this office suite.
In Google Chrome, there’s an experimental flag that you can turn on to activate dark mode in Google Docs. Know that turning this flag on enables dark mode on all websites that you visit using this browser.
Here’s how to turn on dark mode in Google Docs if that’s okay with you:
Launch Google Chrome on your Windows or Mac computer. Type chrome://flags in the address bar and press Enter. You should now be on Chrome’s flags screen. Here, click the search box at the top and type the following in it: Force Dark Mode for Web Contents. When the searched item appears in the results, click the dropdown menu next to the item and select Enabled. A new button saying Relaunch appears at the bottom of your browser. Click this button to close Chrome and then re-open it. This is necessary to bring your changes into effect. When Chrome reopens, visit the Google Docs site. You’ll notice it’s now in dark color.
If you ever want to disable dark mode in Google Docs, simply access Chrome’s flags screen and select Disabled from the menu where you chose Enabled above. Then, relaunch Chrome, and you should be all set.
Keep in mind that this dark mode only works in Chrome, and it’s not tied to your Google account. If you access Google Docs from another web browser, you’ll see the original light theme.
Dark Mode for Google Docs on Mobile
Unlike the web version, Google Docs’ mobile app doesn’t require you to use a workaround to enable dark mode. Instead, there’s an official option in the Settings menu to allow you to turn your whole app experience darker.
Also, if you’ve already enabled a system-wide dark option on your phone, Google Docs will automatically adapt to your dark theme. You don’t have to tweak any options in this case.
For the rest of the users, follow these steps to turn on dark mode:
Open the Google Docs app on your mobile device. Tap the Docs menu (three horizontal lines) at the top-left corner. Select Settings from the menu that appears. On the Settings screen, tap Choose theme at the top. Select Dark from the options available to you. The app will quickly turn off the lights and become darker. 2 Images Close
To disable dark mode, head into the same Choose theme menu and select Light from the themes list.
An optional feature you get in the Google Docs mobile app is that you can preview your documents in a light theme while the app still uses dark mode. To use this option:
Open a document in the Google Docs app on your phone. On the document screen, tap the three-dots menu at the top-right corner. Select the View in light theme option. 2 Images Close
Turning Off the Lights in Google Docs
Google Docs for the web isn’t available yet in a dark mode. Until then, use the above methods to make your experience match your needs. With these methods, it’s easy to toggle the dark mode on and off on both web and mobile versions of Google Docs.
