User Preferences API

Experimental: This is an experimental technology
Check the Browser compatibility table carefully before using this in production.

The User Preferences API allows page authors to programmatically override user preference-related media query settings.

Concepts and Usage

Supporting user agents define values for the CSS media queries prefers-color-scheme, prefers-contrast, prefers-reduced-motion, prefers-reduced-transparency, and prefers-reduced-data. The PreferenceManager object provides programmatic access to these preferences, allowing page authors to listen for preference changes and override them.

Examples

Dark Mode Toggle

The following code implements a minimal dark mode toggle.

HTML

The HTML features a form containing three radio buttons. These radio buttons set the color-scheme field to either system, light, or dark.

html
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en-US">
  <head>
    <meta name="color-scheme" content="light dark" />
  </head>
  <body>
    <form>
      <label>
        <input type="radio" name="color-scheme" value="light" />
        Light
      </label>
      <label>
        <input type="radio" name="color-scheme" value="dark" />
        Dark
      </label>
    </form>
  </body>
</html>

JavaScript

The JavaScript registers change event listeners for all elements named color-scheme. If the value is system, the handler clears the color scheme override. Otherwise, it requests a color scheme override with the value of the input element.

js
if (navigator.preferences) {
  const inputs = {
    light: document.querySelector('[name="color-scheme"][value="light"]'),
    dark: document.querySelector('[name="color-scheme"][value="dark"]'),
  };

  inputs[navigator.preferences.colorScheme.value].checked = true;

  inputs.light.addEventListener("change", () => {
    navigator.preferences.colorScheme.requestOverride("light");
  });
  inputs.dark.addEventListener("change", () => {
    navigator.preferences.colorScheme.requestOverride("dark");
  });

  navigator.preferences.colorScheme.addEventListener("change", () => {
    inputs[navigator.preferences.colorScheme.value].checked = true;
  });
} else {
  document.body.append(
    "Your browser doesn’t support the navigator.preferences API",
  );
}

Result

Specifications

Specification
Media Queries Level 5
# preferences-attribute

Browser compatibility

api.Navigator.preferences

desktop mobile
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
preferences
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support

Legend

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

In development. Supported in a pre-release version.
In development. Supported in a pre-release version.
No support
No support
Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.

api.PreferenceManager

desktop mobile
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
PreferenceManager
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
colorScheme
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
contrast
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
reducedData
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
reducedMotion
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
reducedTransparency
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support

Legend

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

In development. Supported in a pre-release version.
In development. Supported in a pre-release version.
No support
No support
Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.

api.PreferenceObject

desktop mobile
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
PreferenceObject
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
change event
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
clearOverride
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
override
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
requestOverride
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
validValues
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support
value
Experimental
Chrome – Preview support
Chrome Canary
footnote Preview browser support
Edge – No support
Edge
footnote No support
Firefox – No support
Firefox
footnote No support
Opera – No support
Opera
footnote No support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Chrome Android – No support
Chrome Android
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android
footnote No support
Opera Android – No support
Opera Android
footnote No support
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support
Samsung Internet – No support
Samsung Internet
footnote No support
WebView Android – No support
WebView Android
footnote No support
WebView on iOS – No support
WebView on iOS
footnote No support

Legend

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

In development. Supported in a pre-release version.
In development. Supported in a pre-release version.
No support
No support
Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.