How to Turn on Dark Mode in Microsoft Edge

Saving Your Eyesight

For decades, almost every piece of computer software used the same design language: jet-black text on a blindingly white background. This was intended to mimic the look of physical ink on paper. However, as people began spending eight to ten hours a day staring at computer monitors, this brilliant white glare began causing severe eye strain, tension headaches, and disrupted sleep patterns.

To combat this, the technology industry introduced “Dark Mode.” Dark Mode flips the traditional colour scheme, replacing the bright white backgrounds with soothing dark greys and blacks, while the text becomes white or light grey. This dramatically reduces the amount of blue light blasted into your eyes, especially if you are working in a dimly lit room.

If you use Microsoft Edge as your primary web browser, turning on Dark Mode is incredibly easy, and it instantly transforms the entire look of your browsing experience.

Method 1: Turn on Dark Mode Using Edge Settings

You can force Microsoft Edge to use a dark theme regardless of what the rest of your computer is doing.

1. Open the Microsoft Edge web browser.
2. Click the three horizontal dots (…) in the extreme top right corner of the window to open the main menu.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the menu and click on Settings (it has a gear icon next to it).
4. In the left-hand sidebar menu, click on Appearance. (If you do not see the sidebar, click the three horizontal lines in the top left corner to reveal it).
5. At the very top of the Appearance page, you will see a section called Overall appearance.
6. You have three options: System default, Light, or Dark. Click on the circle next to Dark.

The moment you click it, the entire browser interface—including your tabs, the address bar, the bookmarks bar, and the settings menu—will instantly turn to a sleek, dark grey.

Method 2: Use the “System Default” Setting

If you look at the options in the Appearance menu described above, you will notice the System default option. This is usually the best choice for most users.

If you select System Default, Microsoft Edge stops deciding for itself and simply listens to your main Windows operating system. If you change your entire Windows 11 computer to Dark Mode (by going to Start > Settings > Personalization > Colors), Microsoft Edge will automatically switch to Dark Mode to match.

If you use a schedule to make Windows automatically switch to Light Mode during the day and Dark Mode at night, Edge will seamlessly follow that schedule without you ever needing to open the browser settings again.

Why Are the Webpages Still White?

After turning on Dark Mode in Microsoft Edge, you will likely notice a glaring problem: the browser interface (the menus and tabs) is dark, but when you visit a website like Wikipedia or a news blog, the actual webpage is still blindingly white.

This happens because Microsoft Edge’s Dark Mode only changes the “shell” of the browser. It does not force external websites to change their own colour schemes. If a website developer has not built a dark version of their site, it will always load in bright white.

However, there is an experimental, hidden feature in Edge that allows you to force every single website into Dark Mode, even if the developer never intended it.

How to Force All Websites into Dark Mode

This is a powerful hidden feature, but be warned: because it uses an algorithm to invert colours, it can sometimes make certain images or logos look strange.

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click inside the address bar at the top of the screen (where you would normally type a URL).
3. Type exactly this: edge://flags and press Enter.
4. You are now in the experimental features menu. In the search bar at the top of this page, type: Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents.
5. The specific feature will highlight in yellow. Next to it, click the dropdown menu that says Default and change it to Enabled.
6. A blue button will appear at the bottom of the screen saying Restart. Click it to restart the browser.

When Edge reopens, every single website you visit—no matter how old or unoptimised it is—will automatically be rendered with a dark background and light text, providing true, 100% Dark Mode coverage across the entire internet.