With the release of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat), Canonical has delivered one of the most polished Linux desktop experiences to date. Powered by GNOME 46, this Long Term Support release brings improved performance, refined UI aesthetics, and smoother window management. One feature that remains a top priority for Linux enthusiasts, software developers, and everyday users alike is dark mode.
Adopting an Ubuntu dark mode setup is more than just a stylish visual choice. It significantly reduces eye strain during late-night working sessions, improves content readability, and can even conserve energy on laptops equipped with OLED displays. Whether you prefer configuring your desktop through graphical settings, executing quick command-line instructions, or setting up automated day-to-night transitions, Ubuntu 24.04 offers robust options to customize your environment.
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through every available method to enable and optimize dark mode in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. We will also explore application-level tweaks, desktop scheduling techniques, and troubleshooting steps for older legacy applications.
Why Switch to Ubuntu Dark Mode?
Dark themes have transitioned from a niche developer preference to a standard feature across modern operating systems. Understanding the benefits can help you determine how best to implement dark styling across your system.
- Reduced Eye Fatigue: High contrast white screens emit significant glare, especially in low-light environments. A dark background lowers overall luminous flux, making long reading and coding sessions much easier on the eyes.
- Energy Conservation on OLED Displays: OLED and AMOLED screens illuminate pixels individually. When displaying dark colors or pure black, pixels consume significantly less power, extending battery life on portable devices.
- Enhanced Focus: Dark backgrounds cause colorful content, code syntax highlighting, and media elements to stand out, helping you stay focused on your work without background visual distractions.
- Modern Aesthetic Integration: Ubuntu 24.04 features refined Libadwaita and GTK4 elements. Enabling dark mode unifies system menus, file managers, and modern applications into a cohesive visual design.
Method 1: Turn On Ubuntu Dark Mode via System Settings
The simplest and most direct way to activate Ubuntu dark mode is through the built-in desktop control panel. GNOME 46 makes switching themes fast and immediate.
Follow these steps to apply dark mode using the graphical interface:
Step 1: Open System Settings
Click on the top-right quick settings menu (where the network, volume, and power icons reside) and click on the gear icon to launch Settings. Alternatively, press the Super key (Windows key), type “Settings,” and hit Enter.
Step 2: Navigate to Appearance
In the left sidebar of the Settings window, click on the Appearance tab.
Step 3: Select the Dark Style
At the top of the Appearance panel, you will see two primary style tiles: Default (light mode) and Dark. Click on the Dark tile. Your screen will instantly transition to dark colors across the desktop dock, top bar, background applications, and system menus.
Step 4: Customize Accent Colors (Optional)
Ubuntu 24.04 allows you to pair your dark theme with custom accent colors. Beneath the style selection, choose from ten different accent colors—such as Canonical Orange, Bark, Sage, Blue, or Magenta—to highlight active buttons, sliders, and selection boxes.
Method 2: Enable Ubuntu Dark Mode Using the Terminal
For terminal enthusiasts, system administrators, and users who prefer automation scripts, enabling dark mode via the command line is both quick and efficient. Ubuntu uses the gsettings configuration system to store user preferences.
Open your terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T and run the following command to set your color scheme preference to dark:
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface color-scheme 'prefer-dark'
The change takes effect immediately without requiring a logout or system reboot. If you want to configure legacy GTK3 applications that do not automatically detect the modern color scheme setting, you can also set the default GTK theme key by running:
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme 'Yaru-dark'
If you ever wish to revert back to standard light mode via the command line, simply execute these two commands:
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface color-scheme 'default'
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme 'Yaru'
You can verify your current color scheme preference at any time by running:
gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.interface color-scheme
Method 3: Automating Dark Mode with Extensions and Night Light
While Ubuntu 24.04 provides a manual toggle for dark mode, many users prefer their operating system to switch between light and dark modes automatically based on the time of day. While native auto-switching is expanding in GNOME, you can achieve automatic desktop transitions using built-in settings combined with GNOME extensions.
Using Built-In Night Light
While Night Light does not invert window colors, it reduces blue light output to prepare your eyes for evening work. Combining Night Light with dark mode offers the ultimate low-light desktop experience.
To enable Night Light:
- Open Settings and select Displays.
- Click on the Night Light tab at the top.
- Toggle the switch to ON.
- Choose Sunset to Sunrise or set a custom schedule to adjust screen color temperature automatically.
Using GNOME Extensions for Automatic Theme Switching
To automatically toggle the global Ubuntu dark mode at sunset, you can install third-party GNOME extensions such as Night Theme Switcher.
First, ensure extension support is enabled on your system by installing the required package:
sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-prefs pipx
Once extension support is ready, open your web browser or use the Extension Manager application to search for and install Night Theme Switcher. This utility allows you to configure exact times or follow local astronomical schedules to switch your background wallpaper, GTK theme, and shell theme seamlessly.
Configuring Dark Mode for Popular Applications
Enabling dark mode at the system level automatically converts native GNOME applications like File Manager (Nautilus), Text Editor, and System Monitor. However, third-party software may require manual adjustments or specific setting toggles to mirror your system style.
Web Browsers (Firefox & Google Chrome)
Modern Linux web browsers automatically honor the system preference. If your browser stays bright after enabling dark mode, check the following settings:
- Mozilla Firefox: Open Settings > Extensions & Themes. Ensure the System theme – auto theme is enabled so Firefox follows your Ubuntu desktop configuration.
- Google Chrome / Chromium: Chrome naturally adopts GTK settings in Linux. If it fails to update, go to Settings > Appearance and click Use GTK theme.
Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
Developer tools like VS Code can either manage their own themes or sync directly with GNOME:
- Open VS Code and press
Ctrl + Shift + Pto open the Command Palette. - Type
Preferences: Color Themeand press Enter. - Select Dark+ (default dark) or choose Auto Detect Color Scheme to match system state changes automatically.
LibreOffice Suite
LibreOffice 24.2+ features improved integration with system dark mode settings. To fine-tune its appearance:
- Launch any LibreOffice application (e.g., Writer or Calc).
- Navigate to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > View.
- Under the Appearance section, set Mode to Dark or System.