Skip to main content

WhatsApp’s new dark mode for iOS and Android makes late-night chats easy on the eyes

WhatsApp is launching one of the most user-requested features: Dark mode. Announced on March 3, the dark mode is more in shades of gray than black, and is based on the company’s internal research on how best to reduce eye fatigue when messaging in the dark.

Recommended Videos

WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, says that dark mode was the No. 1 user-requested feature for the messaging app. Rather than automatically default to the pure black background and white text, the team researched colors that minimize eye strain. The colors are also designed to be close to the default colors on iPhone and Android, which is why the Android version is slightly more blue than the iPhone’s gray. The result is a background that’s not quite black and text that’s not quite white.

The design, the company says, is also made to make the most important information stand out, while less important elements on the screen don’t command as much attention. WhatsApp says the mode is made to help reduce eye strain, as well as preventing “those awkward moments when your phone lights up the room.”

Dark mode for WhatsApp can be enabled in the device settings on smartphones with iOS 13 and Android 10. Older Android phones can activate dark mode inside WhatsApp itself by heading to Settings > Chats > Themes and selecting the ‘dark’ option.

Thanks to OS updates that enable device-wide dark mode settings, many apps are launching updates to add the dark theme. Besides saving on eye strain when staring at a screen in the dark, dark mode typically helps conserve battery life, since black and gray pixels use less energy than white. 

The gray background WhatsApp chose isn’t quite as energy-efficient as black, but at a difference that’s arguably negligible on battery life. The black-gray debate remains as a personal preference, however. Even Twitter has recently launched a true dark mode, keeping its longstanding dark blue background as another option in the settings.

Parent company Facebook is also testing dark mode for Facebook’s mobile app. Instagram added a dark mode last year.

WhatsApp says the dark mode will be rolling out over the next few days. Once the app is updated, users need to turn on dark mode in the device settings to activate the feature (only devices using systems older than Android 10 can turn the feature on in the WhatsApp settings).

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
You’ll soon be able to use WhatsApp on more than one phone
Two phones on a table next to each other. One is showing the WhatsApp logo, and the other is running the WhatsApp application.

WhatsApp, one of the most used messaging services in Europe and parts of Asia, is about to close a major flaw. As spotted by the sleuths over on WABetainfo, the company is planning an update that will allow the use of a secondary device -- including another phone or tablet. Currently, WhatsApp only allows phone users to link their account via its web or desktop clients.

The new feature is dubbed companion mode. Once it rolls out, you'll have a workflow that's quite similar to setting up WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp on the desktop. Rather than entering a number, you'll be able to scan a QR code with your main phone to log in to your existing WhatsApp account.

Read more
WhatsApp is copying two of Zoom’s best video-calling features
Call Links by WhatsApp

WhatsApp is taking a couple of pages out of Zoom's playbook. The Meta-owned company is rolling out the Call Links feature, making it easier for people to join audio and video calls with just one tap on the phone screen.

Mark Zuckerberg announced the new feature in a Facebook post on Monday morning. Starting this week, WhatsApp users will be able to tap the Call Links option within the Calls tab and create a link for audio or video calls to send to their friends and family, who will then tap on the link and join the call from there.

Read more
WhatsApp adds new privacy features that everyone should start using
The WhatsApp app icon on a phone with other messaging apps.

You'll soon be able to lurk and leave groups quietly on WhatsApp. Three new features have been announced for Meta's messaging app, and they all seem to be about helping users protect their privacy.

On Tuesday, WhatsApp announced three new privacy features: leaving groups silently, deciding who gets to see if you're online, and screenshot blocking.

Read more