In the next official update to macOS Mojave, Apple's Safari browser will enable automatic Dark Mode for websites that support it.

safari dark mode for websites
Since the release of Safari Technology Preview 68 in October, Apple has been building support for the use of ‌Dark Mode‌ CSS, which can be enabled via its Develop -> Experimental Features menu. The experimental feature has now also made its way into the latest macOS Mojave 10.14.4 developer beta.

macOS Mojave enables users to switch between Light and Dark mode via System Preferences -> General. With the latest macOS developer beta installed, websites that support the new CSS query will automatically adapt their color scheme to match whichever system-wide option the user has enabled.

dark mode safari website
As noted by iDownloadblog, developers running the macOS 10.4.4 beta can test out the new feature by visiting software engineer Kevin Chen's website, which already supports the new Safari CSS media query. Everyone else can give it a spin by downloading the latest version of Safari Technology Preview, which can be run alongside vanilla Safari in any version of macOS Mojave.

Related Forum: macOS Mojave

Top Rated Comments

nortonandreev Avatar
81 months ago
While this is neat, I can’t see it being widely implemented by websites.

I’m a web dev and I feel like unless this becomes a standard across all browsers, we simply won’t implement designs for it. It’s a further cost to our clients (and a pretty major one in reality) and for a single web browser? A web browser that only runs on a single OS? I doubt many companies will be keen to spend money on this.
Others browsers will implement support for it as well, eventually. Also, Windows 10 has already got dark theme, so it makes sense for other browsers to have it as well. Chrome and Firefox are already working on it. When it comes to adding support for it and the costs related to it, I think it mostly depends on how big the website is, but for my personal website I added the query for like 5 minutes. I think it is really nice feature and hope to become widespread in near future. Just because you feel like it's "useless", doesn't mean it's the case for everyone else.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fuchal Avatar
81 months ago
Others browsers will implement support for it as well, eventually. Also, Windows 10 has already got dark theme, so it makes sense for other browsers to have it as well. Chrome and Firefox are already working on it. When it comes to adding support for it and the costs related to it, I think it mostly depends on how big the website is, but for my personal website I added the query for like 5 minutes. I think it is really nice feature and hope to become widespread in near future. Just because you feel like it's "useless", doesn't mean it's the case for everyone else.
And if your website already has a dark mode, it's just a matter of automatically choosing it as the default.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
twistedpixel8 Avatar
81 months ago
Others browsers will implement support for it as well, eventually. Also, Windows 10 has already got dark theme, so it makes sense for other browsers to have it as well. Chrome and Firefox are already working on it. When it comes to adding support for it and the costs related to it, I think it mostly depends on how big the website is, but for my personal website I added the query for like 5 minutes. I think it is really nice feature and hope to become widespread in near future. Just because you feel like it's "useless", doesn't mean it's the case for everyone else.
I don't remember calling it "useless". My point was that it's an additional burden on Web Devs and that translates directly into cost which has to be eaten by someone. And I sure as heck am not eating it.

Respectfully, if you're happy with implementing Dark Mode as an afterthought, the 5 minute approach will probably suffice. If, however, you do things properly, you need to consider the aesthetics/UX of the site as a whole and make all the same considerations you would when designing the default aesthetics/UX.

Maybe if the site is extremely basic with 95% of it black text on white background, you'd get away with it. The issue is that if users start to expect all sites to work with Dark Mode, you create a huge problem.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kangastu Avatar
81 months ago
I think the Mac / iOS specialist sites (MacRumors / 9to5mac etc) and third party manufacturers that specialise in Apple stuff (twelve south, etc) may do this, but as a web dev myself I second twistedpixel8’s comments - unless it becomes a global “dark mode” standard, uptake of this is going to be slow to non existent.

Love the idea and the direction.

Side note: I hope this points to iOS13 having a dark mode!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zeekyr Avatar
81 months ago
I've been looking for something like this to go with dark mode on my 2017 MBP running Mojave. Is this something that the end user can do right now? If so, can you link a tutorial? I used to do web development myself, so I'm comfortable with CSS.
I'm using these two addons to achieve this affect:

https://darkreader.org

No CSS editing is needed for that one.

https://cascadea.app

This one lets you customize the CSS of any website further. For example, I used this addon to invert the NYT logo, because Dark Reader didn't automatically do that. It lets you tweak and customize things even more.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pakaku Avatar
81 months ago
There are websites out there that already offer a dark theme you can switch on or off. I doubt it would be that difficult to automate that switch if the theme is in place already, and I wonder if the complainers here really should be ignoring a feature many people would find useful.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...