YouTube Ambient Mode: How to Enable, Disable & Fix It (2026)

YouTube Ambient Mode adds a soft color glow around the video player that matches what you’re watching. It’s a small visual change that makes a real difference, especially if you watch YouTube in a dark room. The colors shift in real time as the video plays, so the glow around the player always matches the current scene.

YouTube rolled out Ambient Mode in October 2022 alongside a broader redesign. It was part of an effort to make the platform feel more polished on both desktop and mobile. Since then, it has become one of those features that people either love or don’t even notice is there.

This guide covers everything you need to know: what Ambient Mode actually does, how to turn it on and off across devices, what to do when it’s not working, and how it affects battery life.

What Is Ambient Mode?

Ambient Mode is a display feature built into the YouTube app and website. When you play a video, the area around the video player fills with a subtle gradient that pulls colors directly from the video content.

Think of it like bias lighting on a TV. The soft glow around the edges reduces the harsh contrast between the bright video and the dark background. Your eyes don’t have to work as hard adjusting between the two.

The effect is dynamic. It changes frame by frame, sampling the dominant colors from whatever is playing. A sunset scene will produce warm oranges and reds around the player. A deep-sea documentary will cast blues and greens. The transitions are smooth and subtle enough that they don’t distract from the video itself.

On desktop, the glow extends into the page background around the player. On mobile, it fills the area just below and around the video frame. The effect is more noticeable on OLED screens, where the blacks are true black and the color contrast is stronger.

Ambient Mode vs Dark Mode

These two features are related but different. Dark Mode changes YouTube’s entire interface from white to dark gray or black. It affects menus, the homepage, search results, and everything else.

Ambient Mode only affects the area around the video player while you’re watching something. It adds that dynamic color glow on top of the dark background.

On desktop, Ambient Mode requires Dark Mode to be active. You can’t use Ambient Mode with the light theme on a browser. On mobile, things are a bit different. Android and iOS let you use Ambient Mode even with the light theme enabled, though the effect looks much better with Dark Mode on.

If you want the full cinematic feel, use both together. Dark Mode removes the visual clutter of a bright interface, and Ambient Mode fills the space around the video with matching colors.

How to Enable Ambient Mode

The steps vary slightly depending on your device. Here’s how to turn it on everywhere.

Desktop (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)

1. Open YouTube in your browser.
2. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner (or the three-dot menu if you’re not signed in).
3. Click “Appearance” and select “Dark theme.”
4. Play any video.
5. Hover over the video and click the gear icon.
6. Select “Additional settings.”
7. Toggle “Ambient mode” on.

On some browser versions, Ambient Mode turns on automatically when you enable Dark Mode. If you already have Dark Mode active, just play a video and check whether the color glow is visible around the player.

Android

1. Open the YouTube app.
2. Play any video.
3. Tap once on the video to bring up the controls.
4. Tap the gear icon in the top-right corner of the player.
5. Tap “Additional settings.”
6. Toggle “Ambient mode” on.

On Android, you don’t necessarily need to enable system-wide dark mode first. The YouTube app handles Ambient Mode independently, though the visual effect pairs better with a dark theme.

iPhone and iPad (iOS)

1. Open the YouTube app.
2. Play any video.
3. Tap the video once to show controls.
4. Tap the gear icon.
5. Tap “Additional settings.”
6. Toggle “Ambient mode” on.

Just like Android, iOS doesn’t strictly require dark mode for Ambient Mode to work. But the contrast and immersion are much better when dark mode is on.

Smart TVs and Streaming Devices

Ambient Mode is available on most smart TVs that run the YouTube app, including Samsung, LG, Sony, and devices like Chromecast and Roku. The setting is usually found under the playback settings within the YouTube app itself.

On a smart TV, the effect can be more dramatic because the screen is larger. The ambient glow wraps around the video on a bigger canvas, which creates a stronger sense of immersion.

Note that not all TV models support this feature. Older smart TVs or those running outdated versions of the YouTube app may not have the option. Check for app updates if you don’t see it.

How to Disable Ambient Mode

If the color glow distracts you or you prefer a clean, static background, turning it off takes just a few taps.

Desktop

1. Play any video on YouTube.
2. Click the gear icon on the video player.
3. Select “Additional settings.”
4. Toggle “Ambient mode” off.

The setting sticks across sessions. Once you turn it off, it stays off until you change it again.

Android and iOS

1. Play any video.
2. Tap the gear icon on the player.
3. Tap “Additional settings.”
4. Toggle “Ambient mode” off.

This disables the effect for all videos going forward, not just the current one.

Does Ambient Mode Drain Battery?

On mobile devices, yes, but not by much. The feature uses a small amount of extra processing power to sample video colors in real time and render the gradient animation.

In practice, expect around 2-3% additional battery drain over a two-hour viewing session on newer phones. Older devices might see closer to 5-7% extra drain because they handle the rendering less efficiently.

On desktop browsers, the impact is even smaller. Tests show less than 1% additional CPU usage with Ambient Mode on. You’re unlikely to notice any difference in performance or fan noise.

If you’re watching YouTube on a long flight or during a commute and battery life matters, turning off Ambient Mode can help you squeeze out a bit more time. Otherwise, it’s not worth worrying about.

Troubleshooting Ambient Mode

Sometimes Ambient Mode doesn’t appear or stops working. Here are the most common fixes.

Ambient Mode Toggle Is Missing

This usually means your YouTube app is outdated. Go to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) and update the YouTube app. On desktop, make sure you’re using a supported browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. Some less common browsers may not support the feature.

It’s On but Nothing Happens

Check that Dark Mode is enabled, especially on desktop. Without Dark Mode, Ambient Mode has no visible effect because the light background washes out the subtle color glow.

Also try toggling Ambient Mode off and back on. This resets the rendering and can fix glitches.

Colors Look Wrong or Laggy

A slow internet connection can cause the ambient colors to lag behind the video. The feature works best on stable connections where the video streams without buffering.

If colors look washed out, check your display settings. Screens set to low brightness or power-saving mode may not show the gradient well.

Not Available on Your Device

Ambient Mode needs a relatively recent version of the YouTube app. If your smart TV or streaming device hasn’t been updated in a while, you might not have access. Some very old smart TV models will never get the feature because the hardware can’t support the rendering.

Cache Issues on Desktop

If Ambient Mode worked before but suddenly stopped, clear your browser cache and cookies for YouTube. Then reload the page and try again. This fixes most desktop-specific issues.

Tips for the Best Experience

Getting the most out of Ambient Mode comes down to a few simple things.

Watch in a dark or dimly lit room. The color glow is subtle by design. In a bright room with overhead lights, you’ll barely notice it. In the dark, the effect wraps around the video and fills your peripheral vision.

Use an OLED or AMOLED screen if you have one. These displays produce true blacks, which makes the colored glow pop against the background. On LCD screens, the “black” areas are actually dark gray, so the contrast is weaker.

Keep Dark Mode on. Even on mobile where Ambient Mode works with the light theme, the experience is significantly better with dark mode. The white interface elements compete with the ambient colors and wash them out.

If you’re recording or transcribing YouTube content, tools like ScreenApp can capture your screen sessions and generate AI-powered transcriptions automatically. This is useful for students, researchers, or anyone who needs to reference video content later.

For creators looking to improve their YouTube workflow, check out the YouTube description generator and the YouTube to tags generator to save time on video optimization.

FAQ

What is YouTube Ambient Mode?

YouTube Ambient Mode is a visual feature that projects a soft, dynamic color glow around the video player. The glow matches the colors of whatever video you’re watching and changes in real time as the scene changes.

Does Ambient Mode require Dark Mode?

On desktop browsers, yes. Ambient Mode only shows a visible effect when YouTube’s Dark theme is enabled. On Android and iOS, Ambient Mode works with both light and dark themes, but it looks much better with Dark Mode turned on.

Can I use Ambient Mode on a smart TV?

Yes. Most modern smart TVs with the YouTube app support Ambient Mode. This includes Samsung, LG, Sony TVs, and streaming devices like Chromecast and Roku. Make sure the YouTube app is updated to the latest version.

Does Ambient Mode affect battery life?

It has a small impact. On newer phones, expect about 2-3% extra battery drain over two hours of watching. Older phones may see up to 5-7% additional drain. On desktop, the impact is negligible.

Why can’t I find the Ambient Mode setting?

The most common reason is an outdated YouTube app. Update the app on your phone or tablet, or update your browser on desktop. If you still don’t see it, your device may not support the feature.

Does Ambient Mode use more data?

No. Ambient Mode doesn’t stream any additional content. It works by sampling colors from the video frames that are already being played. Your data usage stays the same whether the feature is on or off.

Can I adjust the brightness of Ambient Mode?

Not currently. YouTube only offers an on/off toggle for Ambient Mode. There are no settings to adjust the intensity, color saturation, or transition speed of the ambient glow. YouTube may add more controls in future updates.

Does Ambient Mode work in picture-in-picture?

No. When you use picture-in-picture mode to shrink the video into a small floating window, Ambient Mode is disabled. The feature only works in the standard full video player view.

Is Ambient Mode available on all browsers?

It works on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. Some third-party or less common browsers may not support it. If you’re having trouble, try switching to Chrome as a first step.

How do I fix Ambient Mode not working?

Start with these steps: confirm Dark Mode is on (especially on desktop), toggle Ambient Mode off and back on, update the YouTube app or browser, and clear your cache. If none of that works, try a different device to rule out hardware issues.