OS X Yosemite How-to: Enable Dark Mode

OS X Yosemite How-to: Enable Dark Mode

New in OS X Yosemite is Dark Mode. Dark Mode allows for further customization of the appearance of the Mac. When enabling Dark Mode, it turns the translucent dock and menu bar from light grey and switches it to black. In this how-to I will discuss how to enable Dark Mode, the limitations of Dark Mode and a way to overcome the limitations of Dark Mode.

To enable Dark Mode, open up System Preferences

Then you are going to select General, all the way in the upper left hand corner. Then you are going to check off Use dark menu bar and Dock.

That is how you enable Dark Mode. Notice how the menu bar and dock change from the translucent light grey to black. The menu bar is still fully accessible, by having the background be black with white text.

Dark Mode puts less strain on the eyes and is easier on them, especially when using a computer in a room with low lighting conditions. However, by default, there is no method to have Dark Mode be turned on automatically based on the time of day.  F.lux is a free third party app that does just that. It automatically switches between the translucent grey menu bar and dock, to Dark Mode based on sunrise and sunset. It comes with a lot of different settings to adjust how your screen is being used throughout the course of the day. It changes the color on your screen and warms it up according to the type of light you’re using and time of day. F.lux is worth checking out if your eyes are sensitive to light.