Ask HN: How can I browse HN in dark mode?

Recorded: Sept. 13, 2026, 6:09 p.m.

Original

Summarized

Bender 17 minutes ago | next [–]
In uBlock Origin -> My Filters: # HN dark Mode:
news.ycombinator.com##body:style(background: black)
news.ycombinator.com##td:style(color: #fafafa !important)
news.ycombinator.com##table:style(background-color: #24273a)
news.ycombinator.com##div.toptext:style(color: #fafafa)
news.ycombinator.com##div.c00:style(color: #fafafa !important)
news.ycombinator.com##a:style(color: #ffa000 !important)
news.ycombinator.com##span#karma:style(color: #faa000 !important)
news.ycombinator.com##span.pagetop:style(color: #fafafa !important)
news.ycombinator.com##textarea:style(color: #696969 !important; background: inherit; )
news.ycombinator.com###hnmain:style(background: #24273a !important)replyfarlight 43 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
On Android, Vivaldi supports dark more out of the box. It's actually just a toggle for the dark mode present on any chromium-based browser, and you can enable it globally in any of them in chrome://flags/#enable-force-darkDark Reader, often recommended, is very slow, especially on old hardware. This built-in mode is much more efficient and works well on vast majority of pages.replysoniczentropy 3 minutes ago | parent | next [–]
Dark Reader's slowness primarily stems from its auto-detection of pages that need darkening. If you turn that off and manually enable it on pages that need it, it doesn't feel any slower than anything elsereplygabrielsroka 13 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [–]
So do Chrome and Brave.replyaccrual 16 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
I am using Stylus and this theme: body {
background-color: #262626 !important;
}

body > center > table, input, textarea {
background-color: #222 !important;
}

body > center > table > tbody > tr:first-child > td {
background-color: #ff6600 !important;
}

/* Bright text */
td.title a:link, span.comment font, span.comment font a:link, u a:link, span.yclinks a:link, body:not([id]),
td:nth-child(2):not(.subtext) > a:link, input, textarea, p > a, a > u, .c00, .c00 a:link,
a[href="http://www.ycombinator.com/apply/"], a[href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/"] {
color: #ccc !important;
}

.admin td {
color: #aaa !important;
}

/* search box and comment box */
input, textarea {
border: 1px solid #828282 !important;
}replyMetricon 12 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
I use the "Comments Owl for Hacker News" Firefox extension - https://soitis.dev/comments-owl-for-hacker-newsIt has a "Dark Mode" under options, plus it allows you to revisit a thread later and know which comments are new.replymarcelo-earth 15 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
This is the Chrome Extension that I use, I love it because it has a Safari version that you can use on your iPhone:https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hn-dark-mode/abpjfl...replyrobgough 21 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
If you're on one of the betas for about-to-be-released apple OS’s, there's a new describe an extension functionality and building a dark mode for HN is exactly what I just used it to do. Super easy, and synced across all my devices.I know this sounds like an ad, but I was pretty impressed with itreply_fw 10 minutes ago | parent | next [–]
Great idea! I tried this just after reading your comment, 20s later I had a working extension that does exactly this for HN.Thank you!replyRendello 22 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
The suggestion has been brought up and dang has commented on it over the years. He doesn't seem opposed to it per se. It's possible your descendants may live to see dark-mode HN:https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23199062See also:dang + "dark mode": https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...dang + "on the list" (lol): https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...replysamus 16 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
Stock Dark Reader browser extension works well for me.replyavipars 30 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
Very beta: https://adhn.netlify.app/replytech234a 42 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
I still remember this thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23197966replyVCFundedGenYer 30 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
Use the firefox extension "Dark Background and Light Text".replystagas 45 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
Dark Reader extension for Chrome.replyxeonax 46 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
Darkreader extension in FirefoxreplyUzazo 36 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
Dark Reader extension in Safari.replypelagic_sky 48 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
I use the HN Enhance extension in FF.replyviccis 22 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
https://uso.kkx.one/style/92693Use it with StylusreplyOnionBlender 42 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
https://hcker.news has multiple dark mode themes.replyherodoturtle 22 minutes ago | parent | next [–]
thanks!replysalvesefu 29 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [–]
this is dope.reply

The discussion revolves around various methods and tools available to customize the appearance of Hacker News to dark mode. One detailed approach involves directly manipulating the website's CSS using tools like Stylus, where specific code snippets are provided to target elements such as the body background, table rows, and text colors to achieve a dark theme.

Browser-based solutions are also extensively discussed. Many users point to built-in browser features; for instance, Vivaldi natively supports dark mode, which functions as a toggle for dark mode across Chromium-based browsers, and both Chrome and Brave offer these features. Conversely, the Dark Reader extension is mentioned, although it is noted to be slower, particularly on older hardware, due to its automatic page detection, suggesting that manual activation might offer a more efficient experience.

Numerous third-party extensions are recommended for implementing dark mode on Hacker News. Specific tools mentioned include the Comments Owl for Hacker News, a Chrome extension that features a Safari version for iOS, and the HN Enhance extension for Firefox. Furthermore, there are initiatives, such as a dedicated HN dark mode extension, that have been developed, some reportedly in beta, offering synchronization across devices. Other tools referenced include the Dark Background and Light Text extension and themes available on platforms like Hcker.news.

The conversation also touches upon the possibility of future, more integrated solutions, referencing historical discussions regarding dark mode for Hacker News. Overall, the exchange provides a comprehensive overview of the options available, ranging from direct CSS manipulation to utilizing browser features and specialized extensions to achieve a dark browsing experience on the platform.