How To: Use Dark Mode in OS X Yosemite

OS X Yosemite features a dark mode option. If you turn this on, your menus, Dock and application switcher (the bezel that displays when you press Command-Tab) will be black, and not translucent.

To activate this, open System Preferences, then click on General. Check Use dark menu bar and Dock.


Screen.png

You can see above what the menus look like. I don’t find this very usable; the contrast is too harsh (it’s always harder reading light text on a dark background than the contrary), and many menu extras don’t display correctly, including some of Apple’s. But if you like this interface, it’s just a click away.

2 thoughts on “How To: Use Dark Mode in OS X Yosemite”

  1. Which Apple extra don’t display right? 3rd party ones have been updating too so most of what I have works:

    SABnzbd+ – Icon/Status display stays black, menus work.
    MagicPrefs – Icon needs work, menus work
    Evernote Helper – Icon needs work, doesn’t use normal menu
    Quicksilver – Icon needs work, menus ok
    TextExpander – Updated and works
    Creative Cloud – Icon needs work, doesn’t use normal drop-down menu but an app-type window
    Dropbox – Updated and works
    Divvy – Updated and works
    Default Folder X – Updated and works
    Cloud Clip – Icon needs work, menus work but the icons in the menus need work
    gfxCardStatus – Works
    ClipboardHistory – Icon needs work, menus ok
    Twitter – Updated and works
    Skype – Updated and works
    AirPlay – Works
    iStat Menus – Updated and works (5.02 fixed the menu transparency issues…they are not transparent like others)
    Time Machine – Works
    Apple VPN – Works
    Sound – Works
    Bluetooth – Works
    WiFi – Works
    Battery – Works
    Clock – Works

    Just curious about that blanket statement…

    And I can read the menus just fine on all my systems (with 41 year-old eyes and no glasses)

    15-inch mid-2012 Retina MacBook Pro
    2011 Mac mini on a 55″ Sony HDTV (HTPC)
    2012 Mac mini on a 47″ LG HDTV (HTPC)
    2009 Mac Pro w/3 1920 x 1080 monitors

  2. Which Apple extra don’t display right? 3rd party ones have been updating too so most of what I have works:

    SABnzbd+ – Icon/Status display stays black, menus work.
    MagicPrefs – Icon needs work, menus work
    Evernote Helper – Icon needs work, doesn’t use normal menu
    Quicksilver – Icon needs work, menus ok
    TextExpander – Updated and works
    Creative Cloud – Icon needs work, doesn’t use normal drop-down menu but an app-type window
    Dropbox – Updated and works
    Divvy – Updated and works
    Default Folder X – Updated and works
    Cloud Clip – Icon needs work, menus work but the icons in the menus need work
    gfxCardStatus – Works
    ClipboardHistory – Icon needs work, menus ok
    Twitter – Updated and works
    Skype – Updated and works
    AirPlay – Works
    iStat Menus – Updated and works (5.02 fixed the menu transparency issues…they are not transparent like others)
    Time Machine – Works
    Apple VPN – Works
    Sound – Works
    Bluetooth – Works
    WiFi – Works
    Battery – Works
    Clock – Works

    Just curious about that blanket statement…

    And I can read the menus just fine on all my systems (with 41 year-old eyes and no glasses)

    15-inch mid-2012 Retina MacBook Pro
    2011 Mac mini on a 55″ Sony HDTV (HTPC)
    2012 Mac mini on a 47″ LG HDTV (HTPC)
    2009 Mac Pro w/3 1920 x 1080 monitors

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