- In the YouTube mobile app, tap on the profile icon > Settings > General > Appearance > Dark theme. For the YouTube desktop app, click on the profile picture > Appearance > Dark theme.
- Disable browser extensions, causing YouTube’s dark theme to not load or work properly.
- Clear the YouTube app cache using your Android device or browser’s settings menu. iPhone users can offload the YouTube app instead.
Basic Fixes:
- Manually enable YouTube Dark Mode: You can use the options within the YouTube mobile and desktop apps to manually enable Dark Mode. Or, use Chrome Flags to force load YouTube in Dark theme when using the Chrome browser.
- Update the YouTube app: App updates help developers introduce new app features and resolve any previous app glitches or bugs. So, if Dark Mode is not working due to an issue, install the relevant app updates and check again.
- Reinstall the YouTube app: Uninstalling the YouTube mobile app will ensure all app custom settings and data get deleted. Once done, reinstall the app and try turning on Dark Mode for YouTube.
Fix 1: Disable Browser Extensions
While third-party extensions can help increase your browser’s functionality, they can also interfere with how certain sites load and work. To ensure this is not the case, open your browser’s extension settings and disable third-party extensions, especially ad-blockers. Here’s how.
On Chrome
Step 1: Open Chrome > click on the three-dot icon at the top-right corner. Now, go to Extensions > Manage Extensions .
Step 2: Once Chrome’s extension page opens, turn off the toggle for all extensions .
On Edge
Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge > click on the extension icon > Manage extension.
Step 2: Once Edge’s Extension page opens, turn off the toggle for the relevant extension .
On Firefox
Step 1: Open Firefox > use the Ctrl + Shift + A shortcut to open Firefox’s Add-ons Manager page. Or, type about:addons in the search bar > press enter to do the same.
Step 2: Here, ensure Extensions is selected from the left-side menu. Then, turn off the toggle for all or target extensions .
Fix 2: Clear the Cache for YouTube
App cache is extremely helpful when loading app content and using other site features. However, if this cache gets corrupted or too big, it can adversely affect the said app and cause issues like YouTube being stuck on Light Mode. So, clear the cache for YouTube and reload the page. Here’s how to do it.
On Mobile
Note: iOS users can offload or delete the YouTube app and install it again to clear the app cache. Android users can follow the below steps to do the same.
Step 1: Open Settings and tap on Apps . From the list of apps, tap on YouTube .
Step 2: Here, tap on Storage > Clear cache .
On Edge
Step 1: Open Edge and type edge://settings/siteData in the address bar. Press enter to open Edge’s Site Data page.
Step 2: Here, click on YouTube . Now, go to the files and click on the bin icon . Repeat the steps to delete all visible cache files.
On Firefox
Step 1: Open Firefox , type about:preferences#privacy in the address bar, and press enter to open the Privacy and Security settings.
Step 2: Go to the Cookies and Site Data section and click on Manage Data .
Step 3: From this list, click on YouTube > Remove Selected once available. Click on Save Changes .
Fix 3: Turn off Battery Saver Mode on Mobile
As the name suggests, battery savers help extend your device’s battery life. However, this is done at the expense of restricting apps and certain other features. This can also be why YouTube Dark mode is not working on your device. So, disable it on your device and see if it fixes the issue.
Unrestrict YouTube on Android
Step 1: Open Settings and tap on Apps . Scroll down and tap on YouTube .
Step 2: Here, tap on Battery and select Unrestricted .
Turn off Low Power Mode on iPhone
Step 1: Open Settings > tap on Battery > turn off the toggle for Low Power Mode .
This will disable Low Power Mode on your iPhone. Now, open the YouTube app again and see if Dark Mode has been enabled.
