# Dark Reader — Dark Mode for Every Website

> An open-source browser extension that generates dark themes for websites on the fly, reducing eye strain and saving battery on OLED screens.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# Dark Reader — Dark Mode for Every Website

## Quick Use
```
Install from Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons.
Search "Dark Reader" and click Add to Browser.
Toggle the extension icon to enable dark mode on any site.
```

## Introduction
Dark Reader is a browser extension that applies intelligently generated dark themes to every website you visit. Rather than relying on pre-made stylesheets, it analyzes page colors in real time and inverts them while preserving images, videos, and brand identity.

## What Dark Reader Does
- Generates dark color schemes for any website dynamically
- Preserves images, videos, and icons in their original colors
- Offers multiple rendering modes: dynamic, filter, and static
- Allows per-site customization of brightness, contrast, and sepia
- Provides a site list to exclude specific domains from dark mode

## Architecture Overview
Dark Reader is a TypeScript-based WebExtension that intercepts page stylesheets and computes inverted color values using a custom CSS analysis engine. The dynamic mode parses each CSS rule individually, replacing background and text colors while keeping media elements untouched. A MutationObserver watches for DOM changes to apply dark styles to dynamically loaded content.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install from Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, Edge Add-ons, or Safari App Store
- No server component needed; everything runs locally in the browser
- Adjust global brightness, contrast, sepia, and font settings from the popup
- Create per-site overrides for pages that need different settings
- Build from source for custom modifications using the GitHub repository

## Key Features
- Works on virtually every website without pre-built themes
- Multiple rendering engines to handle edge cases
- Minimal performance impact with optimized CSS generation
- Over 5 million active users across all browsers
- Active open-source development with frequent updates

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Night Eye** — commercial extension with subscription; Dark Reader is free and open source
- **Dark Mode (browser built-in)** — only works on sites that ship a dark theme; Dark Reader generates one
- **Stylus** — requires manually written CSS per site; Dark Reader is automatic
- **Midnight Lizard** — similar concept but less actively maintained

## FAQ
**Q: Does Dark Reader slow down page loading?**
A: The performance impact is minimal. The dynamic mode adds a few milliseconds of processing, which is imperceptible on modern hardware.

**Q: Why do some sites look broken with Dark Reader?**
A: Complex sites with unusual CSS can cause issues. You can switch rendering modes or add the site to the exclusion list and report the issue to the developers.

**Q: Does Dark Reader work on mobile?**
A: It works on Firefox for Android. Safari on iOS/iPadOS is supported via the App Store version.

**Q: Is Dark Reader truly free?**
A: Yes. It is MIT-licensed and free to use. The project accepts donations but has no paid tier.

## Sources
- https://github.com/darkreader/darkreader
- https://darkreader.org

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-5cd7534f
Author: AI Open Source