How to Get Dark Mode on Government and Banking Websites

Government portals and online banking are often the brightest sites you use, and few of them offer a dark theme. You can still darken them, but on sites that hold your money and identity, it's worth choosing your tools carefully.

Check for a built-in option first

• Banking apps: most bank phone apps follow your phone's dark mode, even when the website doesn't. For quick checks, the app may be the easiest dark option.
• Website settings: a few banks and government sites have a theme or accessibility setting. Look in profile, settings or accessibility menus.

Use a dark mode extension carefully

A dark mode extension can darken any site, but it needs permission to read the pages it changes, including your bank. Choose one that:

• Works entirely in your browser and makes no network requests.
• Comes from a developer you can identify, with a clear privacy policy.
• Has been updated recently and has a long record of good reviews.

Modern Dark Mode works locally, with no network requests, and keeps images, logos and security images in their real colors. If you'd rather keep extensions off financial sites entirely, add them to its excluded sites, or set the extension's site access to specific sites at chrome://extensions.

Without an extension

• Chrome's experimental flag: "Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents" at chrome://flags darkens all sites, though some pages may look wrong.
• System high contrast: Windows contrast themes recolor all websites. See high contrast mode explained.
• Lower your screen brightness for these sites, which helps even without dark mode.

Statements, forms and PDFs

• Bank statements and government forms often open as PDFs in Chrome's built-in viewer, where extensions usually don't run. Download and open them in a PDF app with a dark theme, or lower brightness.
• Before printing a statement or form, turn dark mode off with Alt + Shift + D, or it may print dark. See printing with dark mode on.
• Check that form fields, error messages and required-field markers are still clear after darkening.

Security habits that matter more

• Keep the number of extensions small, and review them regularly.
• Consider a separate Chrome profile for banking with no extensions at all.
• Always check the address bar before entering details.

See what extension permissions mean.