Skip to main content

Android battery life too short? Try using dark mode, Google says

Android smartphone owners who want to enjoy longer battery life on their devices might want to try using dark mode, according to Google itself.

Google confirmed at the 2018 Android Dev Summit that using dark mode extends the battery life of Android smartphones. It has long been known that brighter screens lead to faster battery drain, but Google provided more information on the claim by explaining the relationship between enabling dark mode and saving battery life.

Recommended Videos

Slides that Google presented at the annual event, as reported by Slash Gear, noted that the screen’s brightness almost linearly increased a smartphone’s power usage. Google also revealed that a Pixel smartphone, which uses an AMOLED display, is able to reduce power consumption by 63% when using Google Maps’ night mode compared to its normal mode. Among the three primary colors, Google said that blue uses up the most power, at about 25 percent more compared to both red and green.

Lastly, Google also confirmed that at max brightness, black barely uses up a smartphone’s charge, especially compared to displaying white on the screen. This is because displaying white elements uses all the various components of the screen.

Google then admitted that it made a mistake over the past several years, as its Material Design initiative pushed for the use of white, and encouraged developers to choose white as the primary color for their apps. Material Design’s baseline theme looks very clean, but all the white elements are causing smartphone batteries to drain faster.

Fortunately, dark mode has started to arrive in Google apps for Android, with recent examples including Android Messages, Google News, and YouTube. The apps are receiving updated looks to bring them in line with Material Design 2, and part of the initiative is the release of dark modes.

In addition to extending an Android smartphone’s battery life, dark mode may be much easier to look at, compared to long walls of black text over a white background. Users should try activating dark mode for their favorite apps, if the feature is already available — at the very least, the device will last longer before needing a recharge.

Aaron Mamiit
Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…
Nothing Phone 3 will be a true flagship and that means iPhone money
Nothing Phone 3a

The Nothing Phone 3 is set to launch this summer. Now, we have some indication of its price, and yes, it will cost you.

Android Authority explains that CEO Carl Pei has confirmed that the Nothing Phone 3 will be the company’s “first true flagship smartphone.” As such, it will have a flagship price: approximately 800 pounds or nearly $1,000. The Nothing Phone 2 was priced at between $599 and $799, which would be a significant increase.

Read more
This Android update could stop your phone being stolen
Android 16 logo on Google Pixel 6a standing on a table.

Google wants to make Android phones more secure from thieves and this new update may do exactly that.

Google has announced that it is working to offer enhanced factory reset protections on Android phones from later this year.

Read more
Apple Maps will now help you dine at the finest with a side of golfing
Details of a Michelin star food outlet in Apple Maps.

If you’ve ever felt like dining at only the crème de la crème of food establishments in your neighborhood, Apple Maps just built the right system for you. And to go with it, if you’re in the mood for some calorie burnout through golf, the service got you covered on that front, too.

Apple has inked a deal with MICHELIN Guide and The Infatuation that will let users find and get insights about Michelin-starred restaurants on the mapping and navigation platform. “Users can now view and search for MICHELIN-starred, Green Star, and Bib Gourmand restaurants — along with MICHELIN Key hotels — starting in the U.S,” says the company.

Read more