What is the prefers-color-scheme media feature for dark mode?
Jul 14, 2025 am 01:55 AMprefers-color-scheme is a CSS media query function that detects whether the user's operating system has dark or light colors set. ① It allows websites to apply different styles according to the user's system preferences without forcing dark mode to be enabled; ② When using it, it must wrap dark styles through @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) in the style sheet; ③ Define the default style as a fallback scheme; ④ You can combine localStorage to enable users to manually switch themes; ⑤ Modern browsers generally support it, but only rely on system settings and do not respond to ambient light or time changes.
Dark mode has become a common feature across websites and apps, and the prefers-color-scheme
media feature is what allows websites to detect whether a user has set their operating system to dark or light mode.
What does prefers-color-scheme
do?
This CSS media query lets you apply different styles based on the user's system preference. It doesn't force dark mode — it just gives you a way to respect what the user already choose in their OS settings.
So if someone has their phone or computer set to dark mode, your site can automatically switch to a darker theme without them needing to click a toggle.
How to use prefers-color-scheme in CSS
You can use this media query directly in your stylesheets. The basic idea is to wrap your dark mode styles inside a condition that checks for prefers-color-scheme: dark
.
Here's how it looks:
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) { body { background-color: #121212; color: #e6e6e6; } }
If the user prefers dark mode, those styles will take effect. Otherwise, your default (light mode) styles show up.
A few tips:
- You can also check for
prefers-color-scheme: light
, but most of the time, you'll only need to handle the dark case. - Don't forget to define fallback styles outside the media query — not everyone uses a system-level preference.
- Combine it with CSS variables for easier theme management.
Combining with custom themes
Sometimes users might want to override the system setting and choose a theme manually on your site. In that case, prefers-color-scheme
isn't enough by itself.
You'd need to:
- Add a toggle button that saves the user's choice (eg, using localStorage)
- Apply the selected theme regardless of the system preference
This way, even if the system says "dark", the user can still pick light mode — which is helpful for people who prefer a different style than their OS setting.
Browser support and limitations
Good news: prefers-color-scheme
is supported in all modern browsers — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and mobile browsers.
But keep in mind:
- It only works if the user has set a system-wide preference
- It doesn't adapt to ambient light or time of day — just follow OS settings
- Old browsers may ignore it, so always test your fallbacks
Using prefers-color-scheme
is a clean and user-friendly way to offer dark mode without forcing choices on visitors. Pair it with manual controls if needed, and you've got a solid setup.
Basically that's it.
The above is the detailed content of What is the prefers-color-scheme media feature for dark mode?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

Hot AI Tools

Undress AI Tool
Undress images for free

Undresser.AI Undress
AI-powered app for creating realistic nude photos

AI Clothes Remover
Online AI tool for removing clothes from photos.

Clothoff.io
AI clothes remover

Video Face Swap
Swap faces in any video effortlessly with our completely free AI face swap tool!

Hot Article

Hot Tools

Notepad++7.3.1
Easy-to-use and free code editor

SublimeText3 Chinese version
Chinese version, very easy to use

Zend Studio 13.0.1
Powerful PHP integrated development environment

Dreamweaver CS6
Visual web development tools

SublimeText3 Mac version
God-level code editing software (SublimeText3)

Hot Topics

Autoprefixer is a tool that automatically adds vendor prefixes to CSS attributes based on the target browser scope. 1. It solves the problem of manually maintaining prefixes with errors; 2. Work through the PostCSS plug-in form, parse CSS, analyze attributes that need to be prefixed, and generate code according to configuration; 3. The usage steps include installing plug-ins, setting browserslist, and enabling them in the build process; 4. Notes include not manually adding prefixes, keeping configuration updates, prefixes not all attributes, and it is recommended to use them with the preprocessor.

TocreatestickyheadersandfooterswithCSS,useposition:stickyforheaderswithtopvalueandz-index,ensuringparentcontainersdon’trestrictit.1.Forstickyheaders:setposition:sticky,top:0,z-index,andbackgroundcolor.2.Forstickyfooters,betteruseposition:fixedwithbot

There are three ways to create a CSS loading rotator: 1. Use the basic rotator of borders to achieve simple animation through HTML and CSS; 2. Use a custom rotator of multiple points to achieve the jump effect through different delay times; 3. Add a rotator in the button and switch classes through JavaScript to display the loading status. Each approach emphasizes the importance of design details such as color, size, accessibility and performance optimization to enhance the user experience.

Mobile-firstCSSdesignrequiressettingtheviewportmetatag,usingrelativeunits,stylingfromsmallscreensup,optimizingtypographyandtouchtargets.First,addtocontrolscaling.Second,use%,em,orreminsteadofpixelsforflexiblelayouts.Third,writebasestylesformobile,the

To create an intrinsic responsive grid layout, the core method is to use CSSGrid's repeat(auto-fit,minmax()) mode; 1. Set grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(200px,1fr)) to let the browser automatically adjust the number of columns and limit the minimum and maximum widths of each column; 2. Use gap to control grid spacing; 3. The container should be set to relative units such as width:100%, and use box-sizing:border-box to avoid width calculation errors and center them with margin:auto; 4. Optionally set the row height and content alignment to improve visual consistency, such as row

To make the entire grid layout centered in the viewport, it can be achieved by the following methods: 1. Use margin:0auto to achieve horizontal centering, and the container needs to be set to set the fixed width, which is suitable for fixed layout; 2. Use Flexbox to set the justify-content and align-items properties in the outer container, and combine min-height:100vh to achieve vertical and horizontal centering, which is suitable for full-screen display scenarios; 3. Use CSSGrid's place-items property to quickly center on the parent container, which is simple and has good support from modern browsers, and at the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the parent container has sufficient height. Each method has applicable scenarios and restrictions, just choose the appropriate solution according to actual needs.

FeaturedetectioninCSSusing@supportschecksifabrowsersupportsaspecificfeaturebeforeapplyingrelatedstyles.1.ItusesconditionalCSSblocksbasedonproperty-valuepairs,suchas@supports(display:grid).2.Thismethodensuresfuturecompatibilityandavoidsrelianceonunrel

To deal with CSS browser compatibility and prefix issues, you need to understand the differences in browser support and use vendor prefixes reasonably. 1. Understand common problems such as Flexbox and Grid support, position:sticky invalid, and animation performance is different; 2. Check CanIuse confirmation feature support status; 3. Correctly use -webkit-, -moz-, -ms-, -o- and other manufacturer prefixes; 4. It is recommended to use Autoprefixer to automatically add prefixes; 5. Install PostCSS and configure browserslist to specify the target browser; 6. Automatically handle compatibility during construction; 7. Modernizr detection features can be used for old projects; 8. No need to pursue consistency of all browsers,
