Why and How to Activate Dark Mode on Your Devices

Deval Shah
Deval Shah December 10, 2019
Updated 2023/09/01 at 12:15 PM
how to activate dark mode

We’ve all done it.

We turn off the lights, hop into bed for the night, grab out phones, and get blinded by the incredibly-bright screen. Even if you turn the brightness setting down, the light from your phone screen can hurt your eyes. A lot.

That’s why you need to start using dark mode.

But what is it and how does it work? We’ve put together this guide to answer your questions and teach you how to use this feature.

So let’s get started!

What Is Dark Mode?

Dark Mode is a feature that reduces the light emitted from your device screen by turning the display dark.

For example, when you turn on this setting, all the white surfaces, such as Google’s background, turn black. The text that’s normally black changes to white. And any bright colors on your phone switch to darker shades.

But this mode doesn’t just change the colors around for no reason. Dark mode has several benefits.

Here’s what you need to know.

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Reduces Eye Strain

Staring at a bright screen all day can put a lot of strain on our eyes. Since dark mode lowers the light and glare on your screen, it gives your eyes a chance to relax while still letting you enjoy your phone.
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Positively Impacts Sleep

Phones, tablets, and computers have a type of light called blue light, and our brains interpret this type of light as daylight. This light suppresses our melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel tired.

Because of this, scrolling through your phone before bed can actually hurt the sleep you get that night.

Dark mode doesn’t have any blue light. This means you can enjoy your phone without hurting your eyes or affecting your sleep.

Conserves Battery Power 

Switching your phone to dark mode can also save battery power. Your phone will die faster when you scroll through Instagram on light mode than it will if you turn it to dark mode instead.

If you want your battery life to last longer, try keeping your phone in dark mode whenever you can.

It Looks Amazing

Dark mode doesn’t just reduce eye strain and save your battery power. It also looks amazing.

That might not be a good enough reason to use dark mode on its own, but when you add it to the rest of the benefits, you may as well give dark mode a try. You might like what you see.

When You Shouldn’t Use Dark Mode 

The dark mode is a helpful feature at night or when you’re in a place with dim lighting. However, you might not want to use dark mode all the time.

If you turn dark mode on while you’re outside under the sun, it can be difficult to see what’s on your phone screen. This can actually make your eye strain worse.

Most devices will automatically switch between bright and dark mode based on what time it is. For example, your phone might switch to dark mode when the sun starts to set and turn back to the light mode in the morning.

However, you can change it manually if you prefer. You’ll just have to remember to do it yourself.

Dark mode can also be challenging for people who struggle with colorblindness. It might be harder for these people to read the words on their screen.

How to Activate Dark Mode 

Switching between light mode and dark mode is simple. The process is almost exactly the same, no matter what type of device you have.

However, we’ll walk you through the process of turning on dark mode with an Apple and Android device below.

Apple 

Open your settings and tap on the Brightness and Display section.

You should see two displays in this section, one that says light and one that says dark. Tap the dark display to switch to dark mode.

If you want dark mode to turn on and off automatically, make sure you also slide the “Automatic” switch to the right.

Android 

Again, start by going into your settings and tap on the Display icon. After that, all you have to do is find the dark mode option (which might also be called Dark Theme) and turn it on.

You can also press and hold the dark mode icon and drag it into your top folder for easy access.

Not Every Device Has Dark Mode Yet 

It’s important to remember dark mode is a fairly new feature. Not every device has this setting yet.

If you have a phone or device that is more than a year or two old, you might not be able to use dark mode. However, new devices should all have this feature.
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This includes computers, so if you’re comparing things like Mojave vs Catalina, they should have a dark mode setting.

Even if your device does have the dark mode feature, your apps might not be compatible with this feature—at least, not all of them.

Here’s a quick list of apps that work with this feature so far.

Apps That Are Compatible with Dark Mode 

If you want to take advantage of dark mode, make sure you stick with these apps:

  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Safari
  • Whatsapp
  • Slack
  • Skype
  • Facebook Messenger
  • Viber
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Trello
  • Todoist

These aren’t the only apps that have dark mode. There are many more apps joining the list every day.

If your phone doesn’t have a dark mode option, you can still turn these apps into dark mode on their own. This just takes a bit more work, and you have to remember to do it yourself.

Understanding the Benefits of Dark Mode (And How to Use It)

Dark mode is a useful feature to reduce eye strain and improve your sleep. And on top of that, it looks amazing.

Now that you know how to turn dark mode on, you should start using it today.
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Want to learn some other helpful technology tips?

Make sure you take a look at more of our blog!

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