How to Keep an App Bright in macOS Mojave’s Dark Mode
Hey there! I want to share with you a nifty trick I discovered for macOS Mojave. Have you ever encountered an app that just doesn’t look quite right in Dark Mode? Maybe the colors are funky or the text is hard to read. Well, fret no more! I’m here to show you how to exclude an app from Dark Mode so it stays bright and beautiful.
First things first, you’ll want to open up your System Preferences. You can do this by clicking on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and selecting “System Preferences.” Once you’re in, look for the “General” icon and give it a click.
Now, pay close attention. In the General Preferences window, you’ll see a bunch of options. One of those options is called “Appearance.” This is where the magic happens! You’ll notice that Dark Mode is selected by default, but don’t worry, we’ll change that in a jiffy.
Time to uncheck that Dark Mode box. Simply click on it once, and watch as your screen lightens up. Ah, much better! Now, Dark Mode won’t apply to all your apps anymore.
But wait, how do we choose which apps get the special treatment? Easy peasy! Just below the Appearance section, you’ll see a list of apps with checkboxes next to them. These checkboxes determine whether an app will use Dark Mode or not. By default, all the checkboxes are selected, meaning Dark Mode applies to all your apps.
Here’s where the fun starts. Find the app you want to exclude from Dark Mode in the list, and simply uncheck its checkbox. It’s as simple as that! From now on, whenever you open that app, it’ll stay bright and cheery, no matter what.
Now, I should let you in on a little secret. If you ever change your mind and want to let a previously excluded app enjoy the soothing darkness of Dark Mode, all you have to do is go back to this same spot and check its checkbox again. It’s like magic, I tell you!
So now you know the secret to keeping your favorite app all lit up in macOS Mojave’s Dark Mode. No more squinting at weird colors or straining your eyes to read tiny text. You’re in control, my friend! Enjoy the best of both worlds with Dark Mode for most apps and a bright oasis for the ones you choose.
Hey there! Let’s talk about dark mode in macOS Mojave. It’s a cool new feature that gives your Mac a dark and sleek look. But here’s the thing – not everyone is a fan of the darker look in every single app. Unfortunately, right now, there’s no way to exclude specific apps from dark mode using the regular settings in System Preferences. It’s either all apps or none at all. Bummer, right?
Luckily, there’s a handy Terminal command that can help us out. Just like you can bring back the old dark menu bar and dock, you can also choose to exclude individual apps from dark mode. Keep in mind, though, that Apple doesn’t offer this option in the main user interface for a reason. So while it works as of now, it might change in the future with macOS updates.
Okay, enough chit-chat. Let’s get to the good stuff – how to exclude an app from dark mode in macOS Mojave! Plus, I’ll even throw in a link to an app that can do it for you without any Terminal commands. We’ll use the Notes app as our example. Here we go!
Exclude App From Dark Mode via Terminal
- To exclude an app from dark mode in macOS Mojave, we first need to find its Bundle Identifier. Don’t worry, it’s easy! Just open Terminal and type in this command, making sure to replace “App Name” with the actual name of the app without the file extension. For our Notes app example, the name is simply “Notes”:
osascript -e ‘id of app “App Name”‘
When it comes to a particular task, I have a directive for you. It involves some coding knowledge, so pay close attention. You will be working with a command called “defaults write”. In this command, we include an identifier called “Bundle Identifier”. Now, here comes the interesting part. We’re going to modify this identifier by adding a value – “NSRequiresAquaSystemAppearance”. We want to set this value as a boolean, specifically “yes”.
Now, I understand that this may sound a bit technical, but don’t worry! I’ll break it down for you. By executing this command, we are essentially telling the computer to prioritize the Aqua system appearance. You may be wondering what “Aqua system appearance” means. Well, it refers to the default visual style of macOS, which includes features like the menu bar, buttons, and overall look and feel of the user interface.
So, let’s summarize. When I run the “defaults write” command and provide the proper Bundle Identifier along with the value, I’m instructing the computer to give precedence to the Aqua system appearance. This ensures that the visual elements fit seamlessly into the macOS ecosystem, providing a cohesive and unified experience across the operating system. And there you have it, a simple yet powerful way to customize your macOS!
Changing an App’s Theme Back to Default
If you’ve used the commands mentioned earlier to tweak a specific app’s appearance but now wish to return it to its original theme and restore dark mode, try the following command:
defaults delete Bundle Identifier NSRequiresAquaSystemAppearance
Remember, you’ll need to quit and open the app again for the changes to take effect. In some cases, you may even need to reboot your device.
Using an App to Control Dark Mode
If you don’t feel like dealing with Terminal commands, there’s a handy tool called LightsOff that you can try out. It’s completely free! With this app, you not only get access to specific dark mode settings for different apps, but you can also switch between light and dark mode in just one click. Plus, you can schedule theme changes based on the time of day, so dark mode automatically turns on at night and switches back to light mode in the morning.
It’s worth noting, though, that LightsOff relies on the same Terminal methods we mentioned earlier to modify app configurations. This makes it easier to use, but it also means that its functionality could be affected by any technical changes Apple makes to macOS. So, like the Terminal commands, this app may not work with future versions of macOS if Apple continues to modify how dark mode operates.
