Umbra: The Dark Mode sidekick for macOS

I’ll be honest: when dark mode first became a "thing," I didn’t get it. Everyone around me was switching their screens to black, and there I was, squinting at my bright white apps, wondering what all the fuss was about. Fast forward a few years—and a few late-night headaches later—and let’s just say, dark themes have grown on me. A lot. These days, I’m borderline picky about which apps stay in dark mode and when I let my whole MacBook bask in that moody, dark glory.

Speaking of being picky, I have a thing for wallpapers. (If you know, you know.) Whether it’s my MacBook, iPhone, or iPad, I’m always chasing the perfect background. Sometimes, I even create my own like these here. But here's the annoying part: if you set a custom wallpaper, macOS doesn’t let you pick a different one for Light and Dark Mode. Apple’s built-in wallpapers? Flawless switchers. My custom designs? Stuck in static mode. It's like showing up to a black-tie event in board shorts.

Enter Umbra: the tiny, brilliant Mac utility I didn’t know I needed—until I did.

What is Umbra?

Umbra makes managing Light and Dark Mode on your Mac effortless. With a single click from the menu bar, you can instantly toggle between appearances—no more digging through System Settings just to change the vibe. But it doesn't stop there. Umbra lets you set two separate wallpapers: one for Light Mode, one for Dark Mode. Whenever macOS flips its theme, your wallpaper changes along with it, making the whole transition feel seamless and polished.

If you’re in the mood for new visuals, Umbra has a built-in Unsplash browser, so you can pick fresh wallpapers without hopping between apps or websites. It’s a small thing, but it makes the whole experience buttery smooth, and it’s made me wonder how I ever tolerated the old way.

There’s also an optional wallpaper dimming feature, perfect for anyone missing that slightly muted "Mojave" feel. Late-night browsing just got way easier on the eyes.

Cool little extras

Umbra doesn’t just get the basics right—it goes the extra mile in ways you’ll quietly appreciate. It’s smart enough to recognize when you're using multiple Spaces (virtual desktops) and ensures that each one reflects the correct wallpaper without skipping a beat. Plus, if you’re the kind of person who lets macOS automatically switch between Light and Dark Mode at sunrise and sunset, Umbra syncs right along with it, no manual intervention needed. Everything feels natural, like it should have been built into macOS from the start.

Only on macOS

While it would be amazing to see Umbra’s magic extend to iPhones and iPads, for now, it's a Mac-exclusive treat. And honestly, it fits right in. Macs have always been about attention to detail, and Umbra feels like an app that belongs there. That said, it's hard not to dream about what it could do if it were available across all Apple devices—imagine your entire ecosystem gracefully shifting moods from day to night in perfect sync. Still, if you’re using a MacBook, iMac, or Mac Studio and love when your setup feels just right, Umbra deserves a spot on your system.

Conclusion

Umbra is free to download, with a pay-what-you-want model via Gumroad. You can toss the developer a few bucks if you love it (and honestly, you probably will). It’s lightweight, polished, and sits quietly in your menu bar, doing its job without nagging for attention—just how a good utility should be.

If you’re the type who notices (and appreciates) the little details—the ones that make your Mac feel truly yours—then Umbra is an easy, no-brainer install. It’s rare to find an app that quietly improves your daily experience without demanding anything in return. Umbra does exactly that, and it does it with style.

A tiny utility with a big impact? That’s exactly my kind of app.