Is Dark Reader safe?
Dark Reader is open source under the MIT License and made by Dark Reader Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. Its privacy policy says it "has never collected and will never collect any personal data, browsing history, etc." It needs access to every site, because it recolors each page. Install the real one, not a copycat.
Dark Reader safety at a glance
| Item | Dark Reader |
|---|---|
| Made by | Dark Reader Ltd (England and Wales, Company No 13594380) |
| Open source | Yes, MIT License |
| Manifest V3 | Its code includes a Chrome Manifest V3 build. We couldn't check which build the Chrome Web Store serves. |
| Latest version | 4.9.133, 24 September 2026 (Dark Reader's changelog) |
| Account needed | None that we found |
| Site access | All sites |
| Data collected | None, per its privacy policy |
| Price | Free on Chrome |
Who makes Dark Reader?
Dark Reader is made by Dark Reader Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 13594380. The extension's manifest names Alexander Shutau as its author. The code, the website source and a security policy are all public on GitHub. When you install, check the store listing's developer so you know you have the real Dark Reader.
Is Dark Reader open source?
Yes. Dark Reader's full source code is public on GitHub under the MIT License, one of the most open licenses there is. The license notice reads "Copyright (c) 2026 Dark Reader Ltd." Anyone can read the code, check what it does with pages and build it themselves. Public code isn't a safety guarantee, but it lets others check.
Is Dark Reader a Manifest V3 extension?
Dark Reader's code has a dedicated Manifest V3 build for Chrome, which needs Chrome 106 or later. Its changelog also added a Manifest V3 build for Edge in version 4.9.131 on 14 September 2026. We couldn't check which build the Chrome Web Store listing serves, so we don't state it here.
What is the latest version of Dark Reader?
The latest release in Dark Reader's public changelog is 4.9.133, dated 24 September 2026. The Chrome Web Store can lag a few days behind, so the store may show an earlier number for a short time. Frequent releases are a good sign: the extension is actively maintained.
What data does Dark Reader collect?
None, according to its privacy policy. The policy, updated on 15 January 2026, says Dark Reader "has never collected and will never collect any personal data, browsing history, etc." Your settings are saved using Chrome's own storage. The policy also says any future collection of technical details would happen only with your permission.
The exact wording, from darkreader.org/privacy:
"Dark Reader extension has never collected and will never collect any personal data, browsing history, etc."
On future data, the same policy says: "In the future, Dark Reader may collect browser version, platform name, display settings, and user's theme options… It will occur only with your permission."
What permissions does Dark Reader need, and why?
Dark Reader asks for access to all sites, plus a short list of permissions: saving settings, applying its dark-theme styles to pages, running timed tasks such as a dark-mode schedule, and reading your font settings. It needs the all-sites access because it has to recolor every page you open.
| Permission | What it lets the extension do | Why Dark Reader needs it |
|---|---|---|
Access to all sites (*://*/*) | Work on every website you open | To recolor every page, not just some |
storage | Save data in Chrome's own storage | Saves your settings (its policy names Chrome's Storage Sync and Local APIs) |
scripting | Add styles to pages | Applies its dark-theme CSS |
alarms | Run timed tasks | Switches dark mode on and off on a schedule |
fontSettings | Read your browser's font settings | Powers its font options |
Has Dark Reader had security problems?
We found no security incident and no change of owner in our check on 29 September 2026. Dark Reader publishes a security policy on GitHub that tells people how to report a problem, by email to the developers. That gives anyone who finds a bug a clear way to raise it with the people who can fix it.
How can I check Dark Reader myself?
Open the official Chrome Web Store listing and check that the developer matches Dark Reader. The "Privacy practices" tab shows what the developer tells Google about data use. When you click "Add to Chrome", the install prompt lists the access it wants. That list should match the table above, with nothing extra.
A few more checks:
- Look at the "Updated" date on the listing. It should be recent.
- Search the name carefully. The developers warn publicly about copycat extensions with similar names. Install from the listing we link to.
- Read the source on GitHub if you want to go deeper.
Good to know
Dark Reader can read and change every page you visit. It needs that to work, but it means you are trusting the developer with your browsing, even with a clear no-data policy. If you only want dark mode on a few sites, you can switch it off for the rest in its per-site controls. Dark Reader Plus, a paid option with premium themes, is offered for Microsoft Edge.
Read more
Dark Reader is a third-party extension, not built or maintained by Xplorekit. We link to the official Chrome Web Store listing. Installing it, and what data it handles, is between you and its developer. We don't show ratings or user counts because we can't verify them.