Turn On Dark Mode with a Shortcut

Set macOS appearance to Dark

Use this Rule when you want a deliberate keyboard command for Dark appearance. It changes the system setting directly, which is useful before an evening work session or when you want to change appearance without navigating through System Settings.

Looking for a keyboard dark mode shortcut on Mac? Import this Rule to set macOS appearance to Dark by pressing Option + D.

When: Press Option + D, or your replacement shortcut. Do: Set System Appearance to Dark. There is no If Condition. The configured value is fixed: pressing the shortcut again keeps Dark appearance rather than toggling back to Light.

Choose the right dark mode control

This keyboard shortcut changes the Mac system appearance, not the color or backlight of a physical keyboard. To change appearance without a shortcut, open System Settings → Appearance and select Dark. The Rule is useful when you want to set Dark appearance from the keyboard while working in another app.

Configure and try it

1. Import through Open this Rule in Rulr and review Hotkey Pressed. Choose another combination if Option + D is already assigned to a different app or Rule.
2. Review Set System Appearance and confirm that the selected value is Dark. Grant System Events Automation permission when macOS requests it.
3. Grant Accessibility if you need to record a replacement shortcut. Enable the Rule and start with macOS set to Light appearance for a visible first test.
4. Press the shortcut and check both System Settings and an app that follows the system theme. Press it again to confirm that it remains Dark. Restore your preferred appearance manually when finished testing.

Requirements and limits

The sample’s Trigger and Action are available without Pro. System Events Automation access is needed for the appearance change.

This changes the macOS appearance setting, not every application’s independent theme preference. Apps with their own fixed Light or Dark setting may look unchanged. It also does not schedule sunset changes, dim the display, enable Night Shift, or create a two-way toggle. For a different keyboard-controlled utility routine, see Toggle App Visibility.

To connect a hotkey to other system or application tasks, see the Mac automation examples. That guide explains how Triggers and Actions fit together and links to separate Rules for audio output, apps, and files.