The present invention relates to a method for making a substrate coated with a mesoporous photochromic film, comprising: a) preparing a precursor sol of a mesoporous film comprising an inorganic precursor agent, at least one organic solvent, water, at least one pore-forming agent and one hydrophobic precursor agent bearing at least one hydrophobic group; b) depositing a film of the precursor sol onto a main surface of a substrate; c) removing the pore-forming agent from the film resulting from the previous step at a temperature ≦150° C.; d) impregnating the mesoporous film resulting from step c) with a solution comprising at least one photochromic agent. In an alternative embodiment, the photochromic agent is directly introduced into the precursor sol. In an alternative embodiment of the previous alternative embodiment, the precursor sol does not comprise any hydrophobic precursor agent but the photochromic film is made hydrophobic by a treatment subsequent to its preparation.