Mode switcher
Mode Switcher in Tokens: preview tokens in a selected variable mode (theme) and apply a mode to the Figma selection, frame, or page, with auto-apply on switch.
What it is
The Mode Switcher is an icon in the Tokens tab header that opens a menu for picking a variable mode (mode / theme) for your collections. It does two things: previews tokens in the chosen mode right inside the plugin, and applies a mode to Figma nodes.
If your design system has no multi-mode collection, the menu shows No multi-mode collections — there is nothing to switch.
Preview a mode
Selecting a mode in the menu sets a preview context for the current Figma file:
- token badges and tooltips in the plugin instantly re-resolve under the selected mode (see the visual token renderer);
- this is preview-only — the Figma canvas is not changed.
The preview mode is remembered per Figma file: when you return to a file later, you see the mode you last picked in it.
Apply a mode to Figma
The menu offers actions that set an explicit variable mode on nodes:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Apply to selection | Applies the selected mode to the current selection |
| Apply to parent frame | Applies it to the parent frame of the selected node |
| Apply to page | Applies it to the current page |
| Clear modes from selection | Removes explicit modes from the current selection (back to inheritance) |
Apply uses an exact collection → mode mapping, so it works correctly across several mode-bearing collections at once.
Auto-apply on switch
The Auto-apply on switch toggle in the menu changes the behavior:
- off (default) — picking a mode only changes the preview; you apply it manually via Apply to …;
- on — picking a mode is applied immediately to the current selection, with no separate action.
Use auto-apply when quickly cycling themes on a selected component and you want to see the result on the canvas right away.
Where the context is stored
The selected preview mode and the Auto-apply on switch setting are saved in the Figma file itself (per-file): they are restored when the file is reopened and are shared with everyone working in that file. This is handy as a project-level default; if you need a personal setup, adjust preview/Auto-apply in your own copy of the file.
Tips
- The plugin's light/dark theme and the active menu state use Figma's native variable-modes glyph, so the mode reads at a glance.
- If a mode is missing from the list, check that the collection is actually multi-mode and exported to Figma (see Export variables & styles).