MailViewr - Free HTML Email Preview Tool
← CSS Support Index

Does CSS light-dark() Work in HTML Email?

Enables setting two colors (one for light and the other for dark mode) for a property.

Quick Answer

Does light-dark() work in HTML email?

The CSS light-dark() property is supported in Apple Mail, Thunderbird, ProtonMail. It is NOT supported in Gmail, Outlook (Windows), Outlook (Mac / Web), and others. Always include a safe fallback for unsupported clients.

Which Email Clients Support CSS light-dark()?

CSS support for light-dark() across email clients

Email ClientDesktopMobile / WebNotes
Gmail✗ No✗ No
Outlook (Windows)✗ No?
Outlook (Mac / Web)✗ No✗ No
Apple Mail✓ Yes✓ Yes
Yahoo! Mail✗ No✗ No
Samsung Email?~ Partial
Thunderbird✓ Yes?
ProtonMail~ Partial✓ Yes
Fastmail??

Notes

  • #1 Only supported if you’ve updated your OS with Safari 17.5 or later.
  • #2 Buggy. The function is supported but the color stays light even in dark mode.
  • #3 Partial. Not supported with Hotmail/Outlook accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related CSS Properties

Test Your Email Now

Paste your HTML and see how it renders in clients that don't support
light-dark().

Open Email Previewer