A dark mode for Google Search on desktop has been spotted being tested out in the wild. This suggests that Google Search users will be able to toggle between the standard light mode and a newly introduced dark mode from the Google homepage and/or results pages before too long. For those who can't wait, though, it is already possible to enable a dark mode within Google's Chrome browser as an experimental feature.
Device and web users are likely to have noticed dark modes being offered in more and more places in recent years — including here on Screen Rant. While the concept is not new, its benefits are being increasingly recognized. Firstly, by enabling a dark mode instead of the brightly lit standard, users are able to save the battery life of devices being used without mains connections. This is a tactic that is primarily used with smartphones, but it can be applied to other devices like tablets and laptops too. Secondly, while it is disputed whether dark modes are any better for the eyes, many people prefer them to the stark, bright light of a typical device display.
Google's dark mode test was spotted by Reddit user Pixel3aXL and also picked up by 9to5Google. It reported a dark gray background with lighter gray text and a different shade of blue being used for links. It said that the test had not been widely rolled out and that only a few users were encountering it. Pixel3aXL noted that their pages had reverted to the standard light theme after a while. It is not clear if the testing will continue, when the feature will be rolled out, or if it will be rolled out at all. It does look very likely, though, given that Google offers a dark mode for Android, as well as for its YouTube, YouTube TV, and YouTube Music, and Google Keep services, among others.
For Google Chrome users who are fans of dark mode, it is possible to turn it on now, albeit in a 'Chrome Flags' experimental form. This means that it may be a little rough around the edges, with some text perhaps not as easy to read as it might be in a final version.
To access the Chrome Flags features in Google Chrome, enter 'chrome://flags' into the address bar (or 'omnibox' as Google calls it). This will bring up all of the experimental features that can be turned on or off in Chrome. In the search box on the Chrome Flags page, type 'dark mode' and an option will appear titled 'Force Dark Mode for Web Contents.' Its drop-down menu provides the option to enable dark mode for all web content displayed in Chrome as well as a number of other variations that can be tried. Once an option has been selected, a prompt will appear to relaunch Chrome and, once it is relaunched, web content will be displayed on a battery and eye-saving dark background.
Source: Reddit/Pixel3aXL, 9to5Google
