Google Tests Dark Mode for Its Desktop Web Search Page

Google is reportedly testing a dark mode for its desktop web search site, following a trend of introducing darker user interfaces across its mobile apps.

Google Search dark mode web 1

Image via 9to5Google

Apple introduced Dark Mode in macOS Mojave and iOS 13, and support for the system-wide option is now a staple feature of most third-party apps on both mobile and desktop.

For example, Google has added belated support for ‌Dark Mode‌ to its Gmail and Search apps, but it looks like Google for desktop web could be on its way, too.

According to 9to5Google, the tech giant is performing A/B testing of a dark interface for desktop-based browser searches for a random selection of users.

Instead of the traditional plain white background, users are seeing a dark grey color on the Google search page, with results appearing in lighter text. Black text is now gray, while a different shade of blue is being used for page names/links.

Other affected page elements include the Google logo altered to match the background, and the search filters like Images and News, which are now blue.

It's not clear how long Google plans to test the feature before rolling it out to all users, but if it's anything like how long it took to bring Dark Mode to Gmail, it could be a while yet.

In the meantime, users who want to try a web browsing experience that's easier on the eyes should check out the browser extension Dark Reader, available for Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

Tag: Google

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
macbook air march 2020

Apple Says Final Intel MacBook Air and Apple Watch Series 5 Now 'Vintage'

Wednesday December 31, 2025 8:39 am PST by
Apple today added the final 13-inch MacBook Air powered by Intel processors, the Apple Watch Series 5, and additional products to its vintage products list. The iPhone 11 Pro was also added to the list after the iPhone 11 Pro Max was added back in September. The full list of products added to Apple's vintage and obsolete list today: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) iPhone 8 Plus 128GB ...

Top Rated Comments

xxray Avatar
66 months ago
DuckDuckGo has had this for over a year, and they respect my privacy too.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SkyRom Avatar
66 months ago
Microsoft introduced Dark Mode in 1981...



Attachment Image
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oohh Avatar
66 months ago

DuckDuckGo has had this for over a year, and they respect my privacy too.
And their dark mode looks way better than Google's current implementation.

I try to use DuckDuckGo as much as possible since I do not want to support Google, but I have to admit I almost always switch to Google because their search is just way better :/
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
n0va Avatar
66 months ago
im not saying that its correlated or anything, but youtube went down minutes after this
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
imlynxy Avatar
66 months ago
They tested the darkest mode ever, all down :cool:
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Weaselboy Avatar
66 months ago

And their dark mode looks way better than Google's current implementation.

I try to use DuckDuckGo as much as possible since I do not want to support Google, but I have to admit I almost always switch to Google because their search is just way better :/

True. However its results are substandard at best.
I do use it as my default engine but more often than not I need to switch back to Google to do stuff…
https://www.startpage.com

Try Startpage. You get Google results without using Google.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)