Prefers color scheme

Learn dark theme with @media (prefers-color-scheme).

prefers-color-scheme

Browsers watch the user's system preference: dark theme or light theme. In CSS you reach this preference through the @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) query. If the user picked dark, the declarations inside this block take effect.

One stylesheet can now serve two themes. The user changes a system setting and the page adapts automatically. This is the cleanest way to support dark mode without shipping a separate dark stylesheet.

Theming with custom properties

The clean way to manage themes is to put colors as custom properties in :root. The light theme provides default values; the dark theme block overrides the same properties.

Example: :root { --bg: white; --text: black; } and @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) { :root { --bg: #111; --text: #eee; } }. Components just use var(--bg); the theme switches automatically.

Exercise Define colors for the dark theme

Write an @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) block. Inside it, include a :root selector that sets --bg to #111 and --text to #eee.

Show example solution

/* colors for the dark theme */
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  :root {
    --bg: #111;
    --text: #eee;
  }
}

Test yourself

Which query fires only when dark theme is selected?
- @media (color-scheme: dark)
- @media (prefers-color: dark)
- @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark)
- @media (dark-mode: true)
Show answer

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) — Correct. prefers-color-scheme: dark fires only on the dark theme preference.

Write the dark theme query

@media (____: dark) {
  :root { --bg: #111; }
}

Show answer

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  :root { --bg: #111; }
}

Match the theme colors

--bg: #111

Dark theme background
--text: #eee

Dark theme text color
--bg: #fff

Light theme background
--text: #111

Light theme text color

Next lesson: Prefers reduced motion

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