WhatsApp Web dark mode on a migraine day

Updated 2026-11-02

Quick answerIn WhatsApp Web, open the menu, choose Settings, then Theme, and pick Dark or System default. On phones, the setting lives under Settings, Chats, Theme. WhatsApp's help center documents dark mode for each platform. Animated stickers and GIFs keep playing, so pausing animations in the browser adds a calmer chat.

WhatsApp Web

  1. Open web.whatsapp.com and click the menu (⋮ or your profile).
  2. Select Settings, then Theme.
  3. Choose Dark or System default and confirm.

Phone

  1. Open Settings > Chats > Theme (Android) or follow your system's dark mode (iPhone).

Good to know

  • Dark mode in the web version is separate from the phone app setting.
  • Migraine Mode adds what the site lacks: dimming, a soft-green tint, smart dark mode, frozen GIFs and blocked autoplay, all with one switch.

FAQ

Does WhatsApp Web follow my system dark mode?

Yes, if you choose System default as the theme.

Can I stop animated stickers?

WhatsApp doesn't document a switch for this on the web; a browser extension can pause animations.

Sources

  • WhatsApp Help Center: How to use dark mode. Link
  • W3C. Understanding WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.3.1: Three Flashes or Below Threshold. Link

Not a medical device and not medical advice. Migraine Mode is a screen-comfort tool: it does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent migraine or any other condition, and it does not replace a doctor. Its settings are based on studies of light, colour, flicker, patterns and motion; the extension itself has not been clinically tested. When to see a doctor.