DarkModeBuddy1.2

DarkModeBuddy switches your Mac’s system theme according to the light around it, entering Dark Mode when illumination drops below a user-set threshold and returning to Light Mode when it rises above it. Running quietly in the background, it reads the Mac’s ambient light sensor—the same sensor used for screen-brightness adjustment—so theme changes respond to the room rather than simply following the clock.

This addresses macOS’s built-in Auto setting, which follows the time of day and does not change to Dark Mode while you are actively using the computer. The small system utility suits people working through changing lighting conditions, such as moving from a bright daytime workspace into a dim evening room, while tying the theme to actual ambient intensity.

DarkModeBuddy requires macOS Catalina or newer and a Mac with a built-in ambient light sensor; ambient sensors in external displays are not supported. Verified hardware includes the MacBook Air M1 (2020) and 13-inch Mid 2013, MacBook Pro M1 (2020), 16-inch models from 2019 and 2021, 13-inch models from 2018 and 2019, the 2016 13-inch model with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, Retina 15-inch models from Mid 2014 and Mid 2015, Retina 13-inch Early 2015, and iMac 27-inch models from Late 2012 and Retina 5K 2020; newer Macs are likely to work too.

The current 1.2,13 release supports both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. Developed by insidegui, DarkModeBuddy is freeware and open-source, with the option to pay any amount as a contribution to the developer rather than a required purchase.