How to Visually Detect Play Mode in Unity

How to Visually Detect Play Mode in Unity

If you’ve ever worked in Unity, chances are you’ve modified a value during play mode without realizing it. And the moment you hit the stop button, all those changes vanish. This is a common mistake—especially for Unity beginners.

Even now, I sometimes forget whether I'm in play mode or edit mode. Fortunately, Unity provides a helpful feature that changes the editor window tint while in play mode. Once enabled, this visual cue makes it much easier to recognize the current mode at a glance.

How to Enable the Tint

playmode tint in unity

To enable the play mode tint in Unity, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Edit → Preferences (on macOS: Unity → Preferences).
  2. Select the Colors tab in the left sidebar.
  3. Find the setting labeled Playmode tint.

Once you darken the color for this setting, Unity will dim all editor panels slightly (except the Game view) whenever you enter play mode. This subtle change makes it immediately obvious that you’re not in edit mode.

Before and After

Here’s what happens visually:

  • Before: All panels have the same brightness in both modes.
    • before tint apply
  • After: All editor windows except the Game view are tinted during play mode.
    • after tint apply

You can choose any color you prefer, but I recommend using a soft gray tone. Overly dark colors might affect your comfort while using the editor.

Summary

  • Unity allows you to set a play mode tint color under Edit → Preferences → Colors.
  • This feature helps you visually identify when you're in play mode.
  • It prevents mistakes like modifying data that will be lost when exiting play mode.
  • For best usability, pick a tint color that is noticeable but not distracting.

If you're still getting used to Unity, enabling this small setting can prevent big frustrations. Definitely worth checking out!

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