3 Ways to Enable Salesforce Dark Mode
Dark Mode, available on devices such as OSX, iOS, and Android, has become extremely popular in recent years. If you’re like me, you will love this feature, both because of the visual appeal and the proposed benefits – including less strain on your eyes and battery saving on mobile devices.
But how can this feature be activated on your Salesforce display? Here’s how to make sure your org is taken to the dark side…
Google Chrome Lightning Extension
Initially, this was the easiest way to enable Dark Mode for your Salesforce org. However, due to performance-related issues, Salesforce dark mode is no longer a feature.
Whether or not this will be reintroduced remains to be seen, but for now there are other ways to enable Salesforce dark mode.
Salesforce Dark Theme Beta
Salesforce Dark Theme Beta is a Google Chrome extension, developed by salesforceblue.com, that seems to have taken the place of the Lightning Extension. It easily enables Salesforce dark mode.
This Chrome extension supports:
- Lightning Experience
- Classic Experience
- Trailhead
- Developer Docs
- Component Reference Library
- Lightning Design System Library
- Knowledge Articles
- Discussion Forums
Super Dark Mode
Super Dark Mode is another extension for Google Chrome developed by HiSoft – it’s just like dark mode, but even darker!
Where the Salesforce Dark Theme Beta extension enables dark mode for only Salesforce pages, this extension enables dark mode for all pages in your browser. Go full blackout!
The Blue Light Problem
One of the biggest benefits of using Dark Mode on any device is the reduced exposure to blue light. This is important as blue light stimulates the body’s production of serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin and dopamine are both neurotransmitters that affect you in many ways, including mood and sleep.
In short, blue light tricks our brain into thinking it is daytime, which in turn can cause us to have issues with our moods or have trouble regulating sleep patterns. Both Apple and Microsoft have introduced features to counter this:
Night Shift on Mac
When enabled, the Night Shift feature on Apple devices shifts the colors of your displays to the warmer end of the color spectrum. Though, technically, it doesn’t result in a reduction in blue light, but rather a filtered amber version.
You can learn how to enable Night Shift here.
Night Light on Windows
Night Light is the Windows equivalent to Night Shift on a Mac. It works in effectively the same way – by shifting your display colors to the warmer end of the spectrum.
You can learn how to enable Night Light here.
Summary
Although Salesforce has disabled the dark mode option in the Salesforce Lightning Extension, there are still ways to activate this feature. Either utilize the extensions or – if your main worry is blue light – you can take advantage of the features built into your operating system.
Come and join me on the dark side!
Chris Tufts
this is a LIFESAVER, I actually felt my eyes relax when I turned it on
L C
Very Nice option and much easier on the eyes! Will this be also available for Classic?
Juan Fach
What is not convincing me at all is the fact that I need to install a Chrome plugin to do that? Can anybody explain me “in detail” why? Would not be better to put that on your Salesforce user preferences and any user can just activated if they want.
CodingSith
Because Salesforce attempted to add the feature themselves and hindered performance, so they removed it until further notice. So now your next best option is to use a 3rd party solution (Plugins, extensions, your own tweaks to your browser etc.) It is not an uncommon thing to do.
joyshuttershelbing
❤ love it!
Javier
No longer seems to be available.
Lucy Mazalon
Yes, you’re right – unfortunately that’s the case. We’ll be on the look-out for alternatives/updates! (they have said its temporarily unavailable, so here’s hoping!)
Sani
It’s still temporarily unavailable, and it’s the end of January.
Victoria
still waiting end of April….
Wayne Nicholls
Seems no one at SF is truly wanting to have Dark Mode available, Mostly all the apps I work on has the feature or they using dark gray backgrounds. Being an iSeries IBM developer I always worked with the black background and green writing, better know as the Green Screen. Any one know of another plugin that will allow the Dark mode to occur,
LT
3/31/2022 Dark Mode is still temporarily disabled.
Any insight on when it will be available again?
victoria
Salesforce is the only thing on my computer that is not dark mode…. when will it be available!?
Tyler
Why has the dark mode been in beta for literally months?
David Richards
So I flipped the org. to Lightning… built an entire new system and had everyone using the chrome extension for Dark Mode. Today they now want $$ for the Dark Mode App MONTHLY! I pay Salesforce a fortune and they cannot get Dark Mode to work??? My entire company wants off the new system because of headaches and massive eye strain from high resolution large monitors purchased just for this. WAS AWESOME in Dark Mode. AWFUL in glaring white. Salesforce…. are you kidding me?
Matheus
Please release dark mode ):
jp
Its about time now cmon bro, still waiting
TGM
Whats the hang up?
nicola Biddle
following
Tim Paulaskas
I prefer to use the Dark Reader chrome extension, which IMO does a better job and works on all websites. It’s not 100% perfect, but it does a much better job of getting colors to show in dark mode.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/dark-reader/eimadpbcbfnmbkopoojfekhnkhdbieeh?hl=en-US
Rob Easton
Thanks for publishing this!
Richa Agrawal
you are a life saver. I have a chronic eye problem which makes it difficut or me to read screen in normal light mode. Being a developer it is very diicult or me to work on light mode but thid article is a wish come true. Thanks. i was looking for so long to have something like this.