How-To Enable Dark Mode and Dynamic Display on macOS Mojave

According to Apple, the new macOS Mojave brings new features inspired by its most powerful users, but designed for everyone.  In this short article, we will show you how to setup the new display features such as dark mode and dynamic display mode on macOS Mojave.

Completion of macOS Mojave install process immediately leads you to a screen where you can choose between the regular mode and the dark mode for the display.

RELATED:

• Apple unveils iOS 12, Here are Performance Improvements and New Features
• How to Enable Dark Mode on your iOS Device

You can also toggle between the two modes by using your MacBook Settings. Here is how to do it:

Enabling Dark Mode on macOS Mojave

Enabling Dark mode on the new macOS Mojave is simple and straightforward. To get going, click on  > System Preferences from the menu and choose General. Here choose the second option under ‘Appearance’ to toggle into dark mode. You will also find a set of custom accent colors that you can choose from in the settings here.

You can further customize the display by choosing ‘Night Shift’ in the display settings. While in System preferences, choose Display and then click on Night Shift tab. Here you can set up a schedule for Night shift, adjust the color temperature of the display. Go ahead and give it a try!!

How to Use Dynamic Display Mode with macOS Mojave

Along these lines of display settings, macOS Mojave now supports dynamic desktop. This new feature allows for a desktop picture to adjust dynamically in terms of brightness and color tones with variations in daylight.

In order to get this new feature up and running, go to your Mac’s System Preferences > Desktop and Screen Savers. On the left hand panel choose Apple Desktop pictures. Now from the right hand side, you can choose the dynamic version of the Mojave screensaver.

Setting up the Dynamic Display mode requires that you allow for location services to be switched on your MacBook.

This dynamic screensaver in Mojave is truly stunning!

We are still trying to figure out how one can create his or her own wallpaper that is enabled for dynamic display. If you know a tip, please feel free to share in the comments below.

Dark Mode Safari Extensions for macOS Mojave

Although the macOS Mojave Dark mode is pretty consistent across apps on your MacBook, some sites can look weird on Safari even with this mode enabled. As an example, Facebook will always load with it’s white & blue website UI because that’s how it’s pushed out from their website.

A developer, Denk Alexandru has developed a Safari extension that works with macOS mojave to mitigate this issue. This extension essentially is a “Smart Invert” for websites. No such feature exists on MacOS. the actual Safari window does get a dark theme applied, but it leaves each webpage you visit alone natively.

You can find the Dark Mode Safari extension in the Apple iTunes store. As per the developer, here are some of its salient features:

HOW TO USE IT
• Once you activate the extension all websites will display a darker theme
• Just press the tool bar button and you can change the theme to a softer or a mono theme
• You can also deactivate the theme for a specific site or from all sites

FEATURES
• A simple and powerful Safari extension
• Choose between 3 themes: Dark, Soft Dark or Mono
• You can deactivate Dark Mode for any website (if you do not like the theme on it) while keeping the mode on for the rest

If you browse after-hours using your MacBook, this might be a good option checking out.

Setting up Accent Colors and Highlight colors

macOS Mojave allows you to select a range of accent colors for the various user interface elements including appearance of menus, pop-up menus, dialog boxes and more.

What are Accent Colors

At the most fundamental level, accent colors help users to customize the appearance of various user interface elements by using a range of colors. This provides an easy way for users to personalize the appearance of different UI elements as well as select the highlight color.

The accent color that you choose determines the highlight color your Mac will use when you are selecting texts. Users use finder to select and highlight a group of file names, or use mail to select a group of text. The accent highlight color will determine how this selection looks like on your Mac.

How to Change Accent Colors on your macOS

Start by going to System Preferences > General > Accent Color. Here you can change the accent color from the eight different choices that are provided. You can also set up your Highlight color. Unfortunately, there is no provision via which you can select a custom color scale for the accent color. It appears your choices are limited to the ones that Apple has made available in macOS Mojave at the moment.

Additional Resources for Learning About macOS Dynamic WallPapers

If you want to learn more about dynamic wallpapers and how they work on your MacBook, you should check out the posts by Marcin Czachurski. The two part series was hugely popular when it was released.

Also, a Mac developer has created a tool that can generate wallpapers for macOS Mojave. The GUI allows you to create your own dynamic wallpapers.

You can download the app by clicking tags and looking at the most recent. I’d recommend starting by examining one of Apple’s wallpapers in /Library/Desktop Pictures but be careful not to override one of the defaults! Here is the link.

Dark Mode ON but Need Light Mode on Apps such as Mail

This tip was shared by Zac Hall in one of his recent posts that we found very helpful.

 Light Mode for email and Dark Mode everywhere else on Mac

1. Enable Dark Mode in System Preferences → General → Appearance → Dark
2. Launch Mail → Use Command ⌘ + , keyboard shortcut or click Mail then Preferences in the top left corner of the menu bar
3. Click the Viewing section and uncheck ‘Use dark mode for messages’

That’s it. Now you can close the Preferences window by clicking the red circle in the top left corner and begin viewing your emails in Light Mode while using Dark Mode across the rest of macOS Mojave.

Eligible MacBooks and Macs for macOS Mojave

As per Apple, macOS Mojave will be available this fall as a free software update for Macs introduced in mid-2012 or later, plus 2010 and 2012 Mac Pro models with recommended Metal-capable graphics cards. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages.

This means that folks with older 2010 and 2011 machines such as the iMac will not be able to upgrade to the latest macOS Mojave when it is released in the fall.

What are some of the new macOS Mojave features that are exciting for you? Please let us know in the comments below if you have any questions for us as it relates to the dark mode and dynamic display mode.

Stay Tuned for New tutorials and tips for macOS Mojave!

SK( Managing Editor )

Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.

Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.

In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.