How to enable the Dark Mode on your iPhone

How to enable the Dark Mode on your iPhone

It seems that the Dark Mode is everywhere now, from Windows 10 to Android devices and, finally, also on iPhones. Some people might like it, others may not, but what's important is that they all have a choice between light and dark. Any Star Wars puns or fans here? 🙂 Well, if Darth Vader would use an iPhone, he would probably use iOS 13, because this is the only version so far that lets you enable the Dark Mode. However, to use the Dark Mode, both he and you need to know how to turn it on, so here's how it is done:

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NOTE: The Dark Mode is a feature that is available only in iOS 13 or newer, which is available only on some iPhones: iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. If you do not have one of these iPhones or if you didn't update to iOS 13, you can't use the Dark Mode.

How do I turn on Dark Mode on my iPhone?

Like anything else related to how your iPhone works, you enable Dark Mode from the Settings app. On your iPhone's home screen, tap on Settings.

The Settings app on an iPhone
The Settings app on an iPhone

Scroll until you find the Display & Brightness entry, and then tap on it.

The Display & Brightness entry from the iPhone Settings
The Display & Brightness entry from the iPhone Settings

In the Appearance section, you should see two options: Light and Dark.

The Appearance section lets you choose between Light and Dark
The Appearance section lets you choose between Light and Dark

To enable the Dark Mode, tap on Dark.

Choosing Dark activates the Dark Mode on your iPhone
Choosing Dark activates the Dark Mode on your iPhone

Immediately, your iPhone changes its appearance to Dark Mode.

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How to turn Dark Mode on from the Control Center?

There's also a faster way to enable Dark Mode on the go. Open the Control Center: swipe from the top of the screen, if you have an iPhone X or later, or swipe from the bottom of the screen, if you have an older iPhone.

Opening the Control Center on an older iPhone
Opening the Control Center on an older iPhone

In the Control Center, tap and hold the Brightness slider.

The Brightness control slider from the Control Center
The Brightness control slider from the Control Center

After a second or two, you should see the Dark Mode options displayed. Tap the Dark Mode button to enable or disable it: you should see if it's On or Off right underneath the button.

The Dark Mode switch from the Control Center
The Dark Mode switch from the Control Center

Easy, right?

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How to set Dark Mode to turn on automatically at sunset or between two specific times?

iPhones also let you turn Dark Mode on and off automatically, at sunset, or on a specific schedule. To do so, open the Settings app and go back to Display & Brightness. At the bottom of the Appearance section, there's a switch called Automatic that should be disabled by default. Turn it on.

Turning Light and Dark Modes on automatically
Turning Light and Dark Modes on automatically

Then, tap on Options.

Options for the automatic switch between the Light and Dark Mode
Options for the automatic switch between the Light and Dark Mode

If you want Dark Mode to automatically switch on during the night, tap on Sunset to Sunrise. That means that Dark Mode goes on at sunset and off at sunrise.

Dark Mode is switched on automatically between from Sunset to Sunrise
Dark Mode is switched on automatically between from Sunset to Sunrise

If you'd rather manually set a schedule for Dark Mode, tap on Custom Schedule. Then, enter the times when you want the Dark Mode to switch on automatically, and when you want the Light Mode to take over.

Dark Mode and Light Mode turn on automatically on a Custom Schedule
Dark Mode and Light Mode turn on automatically on a Custom Schedule

What does Dark Mode look like on your iPhone compared to Light Mode?

Similar to macOS, the Dark Mode changes the appearance of the iOS user interface on your iPhone by switching lighter colors into darker ones, as well as by adjusting the text color to be easier to read on darker backgrounds. Here's an example of what the Settings look like when using Light versus Dark Mode:

The iPhone Settings using Light and Dark appearance
The iPhone Settings using Light and Dark appearance

Besides the iOS 13 interface, Dark Mode also applies to the compatible apps and websites that support it. If you're curious what the Dark Mode looks like in apps, here's an example where you can see the Slack app, which offers support for iOS's Dark Mode:

The Slack app for iOS using the Light and Dark appearance
The Slack app for iOS using the Light and Dark appearance

Neat, right?

Are you a fan of the iPhones' Dark Mode?

So now you know how to enable Dark Mode on your iPhone. Did you try it, and did you like it? Are you a fan of the dark, or would you rather stay on the light side? Did you know that the dark side has cookies? Share your answers the comments below. 🙂

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