Chrome's dark theme changes the browser interface. It does not guarantee that every website will use a dark background.
Start with Chrome's appearance settings#
Open Chrome's settings and look for its appearance or theme controls. Choose the dark option, or let Chrome follow the device theme. The labels can move between releases, so use Google's dark-theme instructions if the setting is elsewhere in your version.
On Windows, the system color preference also affects applications that follow the device theme. Changing the desktop wallpaper alone does not change that preference.
What happened to the command-line flag?#
The original 2019 article described a rollout workaround using a browser shortcut. A rollout flag is a poor permanent setting: it can change meaning, stop working, or apply only when a particular shortcut launches the browser. Use the supported theme control instead.
If the toolbar is dark but a page is still white, check whether that website has its own appearance setting. Forcing page colors can make illustrations, form fields and contrast worse. Test a site before making such a setting your default.
For a different kind of browser customization, see the guide to privacy filters.
