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How do I turn on dark mode in Google Drive?

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A dark file browser with folders on a laptop, with one document opening as a bright white page

In short: On a computer, open Google Drive, click Settings at the upper right, and under Appearance choose Dark or Device default.[1] On Android, tap Menu › Settings › Choose theme.[2] On iPhone and iPad, Drive follows iOS Dark Mode.[3] Drive's dark mode covers Drive itself: a Google Doc you open from it still opens on a white page.

Google Drive is one of the few Google tools with a dark mode everywhere: on the web, on Android and on iPhone. Turn it on, enjoy the dark file list, double-click a document, and… white. Here's how to set up Drive, and why that last part happens.

On a computer

  1. Go to Google Drive in your browser.[1]
  2. At the upper right, click Settings.[1]
  3. Under Appearance, choose Light, Dark or Device default.[1]

Google describes Dark as a dark background with light text, and Device default as automatically matching the color scheme of your device.[1] If your computer is already in dark mode, Device default is the set-and-forget choice.

On Android

  1. Open the Google Drive app.[2]
  2. At the top left, tap Menu, then Settings.[2]
  3. Tap Choose theme and pick Dark, Light or System default.[2]

On iPhone and iPad

There's no separate switch in the app. Turn on Dark Mode on your iPhone or iPad, then open Google Drive.[3] Google notes that Dark Mode in Drive needs iOS 13 or later.[3]

On phones, Google adds that the Dark Mode setting can help save battery life.[2][3] How much depends on your screen, as we explain in does dark mode save battery?

Why your documents still open white

Drive's Appearance setting changes Drive: the file list, the menus, the side panel. When you open a Google Doc, Sheet or Slides file, it opens in its own editor, and those editors have no dark mode on computers. So the folder is dark and the document is white.

On phones, the Docs, Sheets and Slides apps have their own theme setting, covered in Google Docs dark mode on your phone.

Docs, Sheets and Slides in real dark mode. Keeptab Dark turns the whole Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Excel page dark. Images keep their colors, and there is no white flash. Alt+Shift+D turns it on or off.

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Keep it dark after the double-click

Keeptab Dark is our Chrome extension that picks up where Drive's setting stops. It darkens the page itself in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Excel for the web, without a white flash when a document loads.[4]

Your files stay unchanged for everyone else, when printing and in PDF.[4] The Soft gray theme is free, and Alt+Shift+D turns it on or off.[4]

FAQ

Does Google Drive have dark mode on a computer?

Yes. Open Google Drive, click Settings at the upper right, and under Appearance choose Dark, or Device default to follow your computer.

How do I get dark mode in Google Drive on iPhone?

Turn on Dark Mode on your iPhone or iPad, then open the Drive app. Google says it requires iOS 13 or later.

Why are Google Docs white when Drive is dark?

Drive's dark mode only changes Drive itself. Docs, Sheets and Slides open in their own editors, which have no dark mode on computers.

Sources

  1. Google Drive Help. Use Dark Mode in Google Drive (Computer). https://support.google.com/drive/answer/9962935?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
  2. Google Drive Help. Use Dark Mode in Google Drive (Android). https://support.google.com/drive/answer/9962935?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid
  3. Google Drive Help. Use Dark Mode in Google Drive (iPhone & iPad). https://support.google.com/drive/answer/9962935?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS
  4. Keeptab Dark. Dark mode for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Excel. https://keep-tab.com/dark/

Docs, Sheets and Slides in real dark mode

Keeptab Dark turns the whole Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Excel page dark. Images keep their colors, and there is no white flash. Alt+Shift+D turns it on or off.

Add to Chrome — it's free

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