

While dark mode implies a dark-colored UI, night mode may simply dim the screen or use warmer tones to emit less blue light at night time.Īlthough the recent surge of interest in dark mode is new, the concept itself isn’t new at all. In fact, for the earliest computers, dark mode was the default option.Ĭheck out this photo of a Zorba 2000 computer, manufactured by Telcon Industries in the 1980s:īack then, dark mode wasn’t a deliberate design choice, but a necessity.
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Early computers used CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors, which at first weren’t sophisticated enough to light up the entire screen at once.īy the 1990s, technology had evolved, and desktop computers featured newer CRT monitors with a full array of colors. Today, we no longer use CRT monitors at all-they were eventually replaced by plasma displays, and then LED and LCD screens. On these displays, color isn’t a limiting factor. Over time, the light-colored themes we’re familiar with today came to dominate digital design. Since computer UIs were originally designed to mimic familiar physical objects (files, folders, the “recycling bin,” and so on), it makes sense that the image of dark text on light paper would play a major role in digital aesthetics.Īlthough bright design continues to be widely popular, dark color schemes have now come back in fashion with the rise of dark mode. Here’s how dark mode is used across a range of digital media: You can enable dark mode for an app, a web browser, or an entire operating system.

System-Wide Dark Mode: Android and iOS (iPhone)īoth Android and iOS devices offer a system-wide dark mode option. With system-wide dark mode, the dark mode color scheme applies across the entire operating system of the mobile phone, including all compatible apps.
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Here’s how to activate system-wide dark mode in Android and iOS.ĭark mode is available in Android 10 and later versions. Open your “Settings” app, choose “Display,” then toggle “Dark theme” on. To activate it, tap the “Settings” app, scroll down and choose “Display & Brightness,” then select “Dark mode.” IOS: You can use dark mode in iOS 13 and above. System-wide dark mode doesn’t work with all mobile phone apps. System-Wide Dark Mode: Windows 10 and macOS On Android phones, system-wide dark mode will work with Google’s own apps, like Docs, Drive, and Gmail, as well as many popular third-party apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Windows 10: Right-click on your desktop to bring up a system menu, then click “Personalize.” System-wide dark mode isn’t just for mobile devices both Windows 10 and macOS offer it as well.
