After months passed since Google first announced the feature, YouTube's dark mode has finally reached the Android masses. Sure, it just changes some colors, but it has been a highly sought-after feature since iPhone users got it months ago.
With dark mode, those of us who like to watch YouTube videos late into the night, won't have our eyes strained thanks to the white background being replaced with a dark gray. Then, of course, there's the cool factor — you have to admit the traditional white background we have been so used to was getting a little stale.
Step 1: Update to the Latest Version of YouTube
First, you'll need the latest version of the YouTube app for Android. Check the YouTube app's Play Store page below — if there is an option to update, do so now.
If you don't see an option to update, you might already have the latest version. To verify what version you are on, open your phone's main Settings menu and select the top search bar, then search for "YouTube" and open its "App Info" page.
Scroll to the bottom of the page (on a newer version of Android, you will need to press "Advanced" to reveal all options available on the App Info page), and under App details, you'll see a version number. To access YouTube's Dark Mode, you must have version 13.35.51 or newer.
Step 2: Enable Dark Mode
Now, open YouTube and select "Library" located in the bottom-right corner of your display. Choose your profile picture in the upper-right corner of the Library tab and select "Settings." Choose "General," and the second option on the list will be "Dark theme." Select this option to enable the toggle.
A few users have mentioned they didn't see the option right away. If you don't see it, closing and re-opening the app will correct this problem. You might have to do it a couple times, or you might have to go as far as hitting "Force close" on YouTube's App Info page in Settings, but it will eventually work. I was able to get the option with my LG V30 using this method, while my Essential PH-1 worked right away.
Once you've enabled dark mode, the background color of the main menu will switch to a dark gray. Additionally, all backgrounds with white colors will also switch to gray, including within each tab and in the options below while watching videos in portrait mode.
What do you think about YouTube's dark mode? Is it everything you'd been hoping for? Let us know in the comments below.
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