How to enable a dark theme on Android

For ease of use with your smartphone at night, it is recommended to use a dark theme. Such a mode allows you to reduce the strain on the eyes and make the font on the display more readable. If previously the black background was present in a small number of applications, now almost all modern programs have it. Let's figure out how to enable the dark theme on Android. The article will cover the process of activating the mode in the operating system itself, as well as in popular applications.

From which version of Android the dark theme is available by default

At the moment, the dark design is available on devices with Android Pie. Attempts to introduce a night mode began since Android 7.0, but it was not successful. The modern feature is capable of automatically turning on and off depending on the time of day.

Just recently, Google introduced Android Q, which will also include the option to turn on the black background. But it is too early to talk about it, because regular phones will be able to update only by the beginning of 2020.

Activating the dark theme on your Android smartphone

The procedure for enabling the dark background is often done through the device settings. You can also use third-party programs that will be installed from Google Play. Below are detailed instructions on how to activate the desired mode.

In the settings on Android 9

To turn on the dark theme on Android 9, first start the settings, then:

1. Go to "Screen".
2. Scroll down and press "More".
3. On the page that opens, click on "Theme of the device".
4. From the suggested list choose "Dark".

After performing these steps, the appearance of the screen will change. To return the display to its original appearance, follow the instructions where you select "Light" in the last item.

Using third-party applications

This method is universal and is suitable for any version of the operating system. Now there are many applications available on Google Play that can implement the missing feature. You can find the most high-quality of them below.

Black and gray theme

The program is completely free and works without ads. The installation principle is to change the standard theme on the device, which can affect the display of application icons. In the process of using no crashes and hangs were not identified. The launcher works smoothly and stably, while not slowing down the system.

Dark Ponder theme

After launching the application will need to be installed on the smartphone CM Launcher. It is with this launcher theme will work correctly. According to reviews no problems with the design is not observed, but there are complaints about the large number of ads. Unfortunately, these utilities are not able to replace the official black appearance. They can change the style of the desktop, but not the system programs. But if you do not have other options, this software can be a good alternative.

Pure Black Launcher Theme

Pretty handy Launcher, which is fast and smooth. To enable the theme, you need to download the ME Launcher to your device. You can do this on your own, or by pressing the button "Download from Google Play" in the application. After that, change the default launcher to the one you just installed. The appearance of the desktop should change significantly.

How to turn on a dark theme in Android apps

Most popular programs have a dark working area theme. Somewhere it is enough to press a single button to activate the desired mode, and somewhere you will have to browse through the settings. Let's review the process of black background activation in the most popular applications.

Google Chrome

It is worth noting that the black theme is experimental, so it works only on the browser with version 74. You can check the version used in the settings, namely in the section with all programs. If everything is correct, we recommend that you follow the instructions:

1. Opening Chrome on Android.
2. In the address bar enter the query chrome://flags.
3. Click the search button and you will be taken to the page for developers.
4. Here in the search for "Dark mode".
5. Next, under the first item, click "Default"where from the menu that opens select "Enabled".
6. For the changes to take effect, you must restart your browser by clicking "Relaunch Now".
7. Then click on "three points" located in the right corner of the screen.
8. Now select "Settings", after "Topics".
9. Here we set the parameter "Dark".

As you can see, it is possible to get a black background in Google Chrome. Also in the settings you can set the option "By defaultThe "Power Save" feature allows the browser to automatically turn on the mode while the power save function is running.

Yandex Browser

The following instructions are suitable for any version of the browser, whether it is Light, Alpha or standard. By default, the browser from Yandex does not have the necessary mode, but you can add it with the help of special extensions. How to do this, read the detailed guide:

1. Via Yandex Browser Go to the online extension store Chrome. All you have to do is enter the query of the same name into the search box.
2. Next, go to the "Care your Eyes" page and click "Install".
3. Confirm the add-on download.

Now the appearance of the browser and all visited sites has changed to dark. You can restore the light background by simply uninstalling the add-on. To do this, go to the page with the add-on and click "Remove from Chrome".

VKontakte

Until recently, the official mobile client lacked this feature. Therefore, users had to resort to some tricks, up to installing third-party applications. Now the situation has changed dramatically, as evidenced by a simple instruction:

1. Launch the "VKontakte" application.
2. Click on "three stripsThe "On" buttons located in the lower right corner of the display.
3. Click on "pinion" at the top of the screen.
4. Then move the slider to the line "Dark Topic".

A dark theme has now been activated in VK, which can reduce eye strain and make communication more comfortable. The light design can be restored at any time. To do this, just move the slider to the opposite side.

Instagram

The developers of Instagram have not yet implemented a black background in the official application. Because of this, we have to look for alternatives on the expanses of Google Play. Now the only utility in this format is Dark Mode Theme For Instagram. This is a third-party program, which is an analogue of the official Instagram app.

You can also post stories, photos, and comments here. Here's a quick guide to working with the software:

1. Install the add-on.
2. Click "Accept"which means that you agree to the privacy policy of the service.
3. Authorize using the data from your own account.

Now the design of the mobile client has changed significantly. It is worth noting that in the reviews there are comments where it is stated that on some phones the program crashes. Perhaps this happens on older versions of the operating system, but on Android 8.0 this is not observed.

YouTube

The first thing to do is to launch the mobile app, then:

1. Click on the account icon at the top right of the screen.
2. Now go to the tab "Settings".
3. Here select "General".
4. In the window that appears, move the slider next to the line "Night Mode".

In conclusion, it is recommended to restart the program, which will allow the changes to be displayed correctly. During the entire time of using the black theme no failures and malfunctions have been revealed. The mode works steadily and correctly.

WhatsApp

The dark theme in watsap is quite easy to activate. First, let's launch the mobile app and, if necessary, go through the authorization. After that:

1. Click on "three points" located in the right corner of the display.
2. From the list that opens, choose "Settings".
3. Now go to the tab "Chats".
4. Then go to "Wallpaper".
5. The system will offer a list of options from which to choose "Solid color".
6. Next, click on the black background and click "Install".

As you can see, we managed to make a black theme in WhatsApp on Android in a few clicks. Note that only the appearance of the chat will change, but not the application itself.

Video tutorial

Thus, in this article, the procedure for enabling the dark theme on Android has been discussed in detail. As you can see, not all modern applications are yet able to offer users such a mode, but in the future the situation will clearly change.