Unlock YouTube's hidden Dark Mode to save your eyes
Here’s how you do it.
If you've ever tried to watch YouTube when it's dark out, you know that the typical bright white of the video service's page can be a bit blinding. Enter "Dark Mode," a hidden feature that turns the light surfaces black or dark gray so you can get on with those cat videos without all that glare.
1. Open console
2. Paste: document.cookie="VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=fPQ4jCL6EiE"
3. Reload
4. Click your avatar
5. Dark mode!
(Thx @keesplattel) pic.twitter.com/CbCMyGog65— Owen ⚡️ (@ow) April 14, 2017
Enabling the mode is fairly simple, provided you're using an up-to-date Chrome browser. You'll need to access the browser's developer tools and paste in some text from the Tweet above, refresh your browser, and then toggle the mode on in the menu you get when you click on your avatar. You can easily turn the mode off, too, though you only have to use the console command once.
It's an easy, semi-official way to save you some eye strain. Even though Dark Mode hasn't been announced by YouTube yet, it could be a great regular feature that may not require all the extra steps in the near future. Why not give it a try now?