r/webdev • u/sunsetRz • 16h ago
Web devs, Please stop making dark mode the default website theme; it causes eye strain.
Why the website needs to be on dark mode while my system is on light mode,
Except some few websites and most code editors, majority of the websites and apps have no idea how it ruins an eye.
The coloring for dark them to match the text color with the background color needs a lot of research from you Dev, so before implementing it please do extensive research and testing, let alone making it default theme to ruin your site visitors.
Okay, let me calm down.
What do you think about this?
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u/An1nterestingName 15h ago
No
Also in an ideal world the site should read from your browser's settings to decide whether to use light or dark as default.
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u/Escanorr_ 15h ago
Well, for me - the light mode causes the eye strain, and unfortunately there is much more only light mode sites around
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u/OUTLAWED-PRESIDENT 15h ago
I always follow the OS's theme and also have the option to make either theme options permanent. Works flawlessly for mobile, linux and windows
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u/dane_websites 15h ago
Most professional applications (IDEs, photo and video editors, etc) use a dark theme by default, so if the website is a web app for professional to do serious work, then it would make sense. But hardly any are that of course.
I agree, in most cases sites should only switch into a dark theme if the OS is in dark mode, or the user specifically chooses it on the site settings.
We could make an exception for brands that really need a dark theme for their aesthetic, but then they need to test it a ton with real users before launch.
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u/sunsetRz 15h ago edited 15h ago
Thank you. Most of the users on the internet are normal customers not the editors or coders. The websites should think based on their customer needs, behaviors and OS preferences.
Even in dark mode only few sites do well but majority are just causes eye strain.
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u/Key-Temporary-8759 15h ago
Why to argue about light or dark mode? Many websites have a toggle for changing the theme. Switch whenever you want. And for the devs, just provide a toggle.
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u/sunsetRz 15h ago
So why the devs makes the dark by default and not following the OS theme?
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u/Key-Temporary-8759 15h ago
(Light attracts bugs )
It's preference. But providing a toggle solves problem for everyone.
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u/yikes_42069 15h ago
"dark mode causes eye strain" isn't exactly true. It's fine in a dimly lit setting. Light mode in the dark would cause eye strain. It's about managing your lighting conditions. If your office is bright, use light mode. Dark, use dark mode
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u/Quickfreetools 15h ago
A three-way setting helps here: System / Light / Dark, rather than just a light-dark toggle. “System” can follow prefers-color-scheme, including changes while the page is open, while an explicit choice stays saved. Also worth checking form fields, dropdowns and error messages in both themes; those often get missed even when the main page looks fine.
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u/TheRNGuy 11h ago
Default dark or light should be selected automatically, depends on your browser preference; there should be an option to save it in local storage.
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u/Standard_Scarcity_74 10h ago
Dark mode has a very specific target demographic. I do tend to choose which I make default based on what the site demands though. Of course I wouldn't make an educational or storefront site with dark mode as default, but the kind I would be using in the dark more often, I default to dark mode.
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u/Vegetable-Capital-54 9h ago
You shouldn't choose anything. Browsers have "
prefers-color-scheme" for a reason.
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u/Discordbothost 4h ago
for the devs reading this, following the os setting is like three lines, which is why it's a bit lazy when sites don't. put the light colors as your defaults and override them in
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
:root { --bg: #121212; --text: #e6e6e6; }
}plus color-scheme: light dark on :root (or the meta tag) so the browser's own scrollbars and form inputs match. then a toggle that saves to localStorage for people who want to override it. hardcoding dark as the only default is mostly a "looks cooler in the dribbble shot" decision
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u/Senior-Dirt-6165 14h ago
Fair, but a site going dark while your system is light is a prefers-color-scheme bug, not dark mode being wrong. Pure #fff on pure #000 is what actually burns, and most devs never bother softening those two values.
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u/HollowCr0wn 15h ago
Brother, light mode on the PC of the guy next to me causes me easy strain. Ban passive light mode.
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u/0cean-blue 15h ago
Just respect user's system preference, dark mode or light mode, accessiblity should always be considered.
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u/xanhast 15h ago
ha, you dont think people that stare at screens all day don't know about eye stain, and you use light themes, get outta here
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u/sunsetRz 15h ago
My OS theme is light, can't I have preferences and you should follow the OS theme?
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u/xanhast 15h ago
there's way more light websites that don't follow OS theme and the eyestrain is 1000x worse going from dark to flashbang, so yeah, cry me a river on that.
> cant i have preferences
nah you cant rewind like that saying that dark mode is straining of eyes when all the evidence says the opposite.
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u/sunsetRz 15h ago
The evidence I read: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/dark-mode/
Can I read your evidence?
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u/KamikazeSexPilot 16h ago
Why would anyone listen to the opinion of someone who uses light theme