Dark Mode on iPhone and Android

Do you look at your phone in the evening and find that the bright white screen hurts your eyes? Then Dark Mode is for you. With Dark Mode, the screens turn dark and the text turns light, instead of the other way around. For many people, this is easier on the eyes—especially in a dark environment—and it can also help you make out text more clearly. In this article, we’ll explain how to turn on dark mode on both an iPhone and an Android phone, and how to switch between them in a flash. We’ll walk you through each step at a leisurely pace; no prior knowledge is required.

Works on: iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets

Dark mode is also known by its English name, ” dark mode.” It’s exactly the same thing. And don’t worry: you can’t break anything. If you don’t like it, you can switch back to the light mode with just a few taps.

How to Turn On Dark Mode on an iPhone (or iPad)

Open the Settings app. It’s the icon with the gray gears.
Swipe down and tap ” Display & Brightness.”
At the top, you’ll see two examples side by side: Light and Dark.
Tap ” Dark.” Your screen will immediately turn dark.

Do you want to go back? Follow the same steps and tap ” Light.”

Automatic switching (convenient): On that same screen, you can turn on the switch next to “Automatic.” Your iPhone will then switch automatically: light during the day and dark at night. You won’t have to do anything yourself.

How to Quickly Turn Dark Mode On or Off on an iPhone

You don’t have to scroll through Settings every time. It’s much faster to use the Control Center. The Control Center is a quick menu that you can bring up by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen (or swiping up from the bottom on an iPhone with a round Home button).

Here’s how to set up the button and use it:

Open the Settings app and tap Control Panel.
In the list under ” More Settings,” search for ” Dark Mode.”
Tap the green plus sign (+) next to it. The button is now in your Control Panel.
All done! From now on, open the Control Panel and tap the Dark Mode button to switch between light and dark modes.

How to Turn On Dark Mode on an Android Phone

Please note: Android phones vary by brand (such as Samsung, Google, or OnePlus). The names of the buttons may therefore differ slightly, but the steps are very similar.

Open the Settings app. This is usually the icon with a gear.
Tap ” View ” (sometimes called ” Screen ” or ” Display”).
Look for the ” Dark Theme ” or ” Dark Mode” option.
Turn on the switch. Your screen will now go dark.

Do you want to turn the light back on? Flip the same switch off again.

Automatic switching: On many Android phones, you can set Dark Mode to turn on automatically when it gets dark outside. On the same screen, look for an option such as ” Schedule ” or ” Turn on automatically ” and turn it on.

How to Quickly Turn Dark Mode On or Off on Android

Android also has a quick menu called ” Quick Settings.” Here’s how it works:

Swipe down from the top of your screen with your finger. A menu will pop up with all kinds of round buttons.
If necessary, swipe down again to see all the buttons.
Look for the ” Dark Theme ” or ” Dark Mode ” button and tap it. Your screen will change immediately.

If the button isn’t there, you can usually add it by clicking the pencil icon (edit) at the bottom of that menu. Drag the ” Dark Theme ” button up to the buttons you use.

In short: You can turn on dark mode with just a few taps, and from now on, you can switch between modes with a single tap using a shortcut button. Feel free to try it out and see what’s easiest on your eyes.