As a long-time Mac user and Safari enthusiast, I've spent countless late nights browsing, battling eye strain from bright white screens. Safari's dark mode helps, but it doesn't cover every website. Here's my expert guide to achieving true dark mode across Safari on macOS—tested on Safari 13.0 and Catalina.
macOS offers Night Shift, but for full dark mode relief, enable it system-wide first, then extend it to websites via built-in tools and extensions. Let's dive in.
macOS Catalina includes a native dark mode that darkens the OS, Safari, and compatible apps. If you're new to this:
Step 1: Click the Apple menu > System Preferences.
Step 2: Select General.
Step 3: Under Appearance, choose Dark.
Safari now runs in dark theme, and sites with native support adapt. But most don't—leading to those pesky white pages.
Use Safari's Reader View for quick wins or extensions for universal coverage.
Reader View strips clutter and supports dark backgrounds—ideal for articles and blogs.
Note: Limited to compatible pages.
Step 1: Click the Reader icon (left of address bar) on supported pages.
Step 2: Click the aA icon (right of address bar) > select darkest theme. Safari remembers this.
Automate it:
Step 1: Safari menu > Preferences.
Step 2: Websites tab > Reader. Set sites or When visiting other websites to On.
For all sites, extensions are essential. Reader View skips complex pages.
I tested many: Dark Reader (free on Chrome/Firefox) has a Safari version for $4.99 one-time. Night Eye offers a free trial:
Step 1: Install Night Eye from Mac App Store.
Step 2: Safari Preferences > Extensions > enable Night Eye.
Access settings via its toolbar icon for brightness/contrast tweaks.
Caveat: Night Eye limits to 5 sites post-3-month trial ($8.99/year or $39.99 lifetime). Alternatives: Dark Mode for Safari ($1.99).
Dark Safari is eye-friendly bliss—Apple should add native site forcing. Until then, Reader View or extensions work great. Budget for paid options if needed.
Curious if Firefox beats Safari on Mac? Check our in-depth comparison.
