YouTube has a secret ?Dark Mode? ? this is how you activate it

By  Mix 

You may have never seen it, but it turns out YouTube has a secret dark mode – and you can activate it too.

As discovered by one resourceful Redditor, the secret mode appears to be available solely on the latest reiteration of Chrome (version 57 and above) – and once enabled, it seems to automatically apply to the remainder of the website, including the homepage and the dedicated channel pages.

 Steps to proceed

Here’s how you can activate it:

  • Open the Chrome developer tools tab.
    • Windows users can do this by pressing Ctrl + Shift + I.
    • Mac users can do this by pressing Option + Cmd + I.
  • Select the Console tab.
    • Once in Console, paste the following text: document.cookie=”VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=fPQ4jCL6EiE”
    • Hit enter.
  • Close the developer tools tab and refresh the page. Just a little heads-up: YouTube might look slightly different – though still in white.
  • Click the main settings menu in the top right and find the ‘Dark Mode’ section.
  • Toggle ‘Dark Mode’ on and you’re settled.

Now head to YouTube and kill all the lights.


Mix is a tech writer based in Amsterdam that loves cinema.

This article has been previously published in TNW Conference.

Featured Image Source: Visual Hunt.