How to Enable Dark Mode in Google Chrome for iOS (And Other Tips)
Google has now integrated Chrome with the dark mode feature found in iOS 13 itself. This means that every time you use your iPhone or iPad in dark mode, Chrome also begins to display its user interface in dark mode. This is Chrome on a desktop computer, where it reflects color mode in Windows and macOS.
Note: You must have Chrome version 78 or higher to enable dark mode. Before continuing, update the browser through the App Store.
Enable dark mode
To enable dark mode in Google Chrome, you must turn on the dark mode feature in iOS 13 itself. This means that there is no built-in switch in the browser itself to activate the mode. If you do not know the operation of the dark mode in iOS 13, here is the fastest way to activate it.
Start by displaying the Control Center on your iPhone or iPad (slide your finger down in the upper right corner of the screen). Follow by pressing and holding on the brightness bar. When the screen zooms in on the brightness bar, touch the icon labeled Dark Mode. This should turn on the dark mode.
Note: If iOS 13 is not installed on your iPhone or iPad, you will not see this option.
Launch Chrome and you should see it rendered in dark mode too. The feature is smartly implemented: the entire theme, including bookmarks, playlists, recent tabs and history sheets, and the Browser Settings panel, is fully rendered in dark mode.
However, the browser will not force websites to display in dark mode. You'll still see sites that offer native support for dark mode and will display accordingly, depending on the color mode of the browser. But it is rare.
But the biggest problem with Chrome's dark mode is that the pixels are not completely black. So, if you use an iPhone with an OLED display, the battery life will hardly be improved. OLED panels turn off the pixels to generate deep black colors. It helps to save energy. But with the dark mode of Chrome, this is not the case.
To turn off dark mode, press and hold the brightness bar in Control Center, then touch the icon next to the dark mode.
Point: You can also ask Siri to turn on and off the dark mode.
Other Chrome tips for iOS
In addition to supporting dark mode, Google has been working on some additional implementations since the last time we compiled a list of tips and tricks for Chrome. Let's see some of them below.
Add search engines
Chrome did not allow the addition of search engines, other than being able to switch to Yahoo and Bing. But you can now use any other search engine as your default engine, even if the process is a bit confusing.
Start by entering a query in the search engine you want to use. Once you've generated the results, go to Chrome Settings> Search Engines. You should then see the search engine listed below under Recently visited.
Copy images to the clipboard
When you encounter a picture in Chrome that you like, you do not have to limit yourself to save it in the Photos app. Instead, you can now copy images directly to the clipboard.
To do this, touch and hold an image, and then tap Copy Image. After that, you can paste the image where you want, for example in the Files application.
Search with images
Chrome also allows you to search for images directly. If you have an image copied to the clipboard of your iPhone or iPad (either through Chrome itself or from another application), tap the Omnibox box. A "Copied Image" option should be displayed. Just tap on it, and you're ready to go.
Manage languages
Chrome offers one of the best ways to translate languages into iOS. And with the new Language Settings page, it's much easier to manage browser behavior when you're seeing different languages.
Go to Chrome Settings> Languages, and you can easily add and manage the default actions for supported languages.
Clear browsing data
Although Chrome for iOS offered the ability to clear your browsing history all this time, it did not allow you to specify a time. You must delete everything, even if you only want to erase your activity for about an hour.
This has now changed. Go to Chrome Settings> Privacy> Clear Browsing Data> Time Range to change the length of time before deleting your browsing data.
Alternatively, you can use private browsing mode or a privacy-aware browser and forget to erase your browsing data at any time.
The black Knight
Google Chrome is perhaps the best multi-platform browser on iOS, although Firefox is a close second. If the absence of dark mode has prevented you from navigating the browser, it's time to come back. But if the dark mode of Chrome looks fantastic, would an option to turn on the dark mode built into the browser itself would not have been much more useful? Make a comment and let us know.
Then: Google Chrome offers many nifty touch gestures on the iPhone. Here are 10 best gestures you can try on your iPhone or iPad.