How to turn on dark mode in Safari on iPhone

1. Use reading mode

A handy feature for simplified article layout has been available in mobile Safari since time immemorial. In addition to removing everything that is superfluous from the pages, it also allows you to change the background color and fonts, switching to night mode. Just what you need.

Dark Mode in Safari on iPhone: Use Reading Mode

Dark Mode in Safari on iPhone: choose a dark theme

To enable the desired design in reading mode, click the corresponding icon in the left corner of the address bar. Then open the settings menu by clicking the "aA" icon and select a dark theme.

This function works in the same way as dark mode in desktop browsers, but with a couple of caveats. First, after switching to another page, you will have to re-enable it. And secondly, the reading mode is not supported on all sites, moreover, it works only on certain pages and is not available on the main ones.

2. Enable smart inversion mode

Unlike the previous method, this option can be used on any site. It builds on one of the accessibility features, smart color inversion, which turns light into dark and vice versa.

Dark Mode in Safari on iPhone: Turn on Smart Invert Mode

Dark Mode in Safari on iPhone: Accessibility

To use Smart Inversion, go to Settings → General → Accessibility.

Dark Mode in Safari on iPhone: Quick Commands

Dark Mode in Safari on iPhone: Smart Color Inversion

Open the "Quick Commands" section and check the box next to "Smart Color Inversion".

Now in Safari, three times press the side button or the Home button to activate the function. The page design will change to dark. Return to the standard view occurs by repeated triple pressing of the corresponding button.

The big plus of smart inversion is that it doesn't just turn pages into negative, but actually makes the background dark without affecting images and media files. In addition, the feature works not only in Safari, but also in other applications, including third-party ones.