It’s Finally Here! Google Rolls Out Gmail Dark Mode For Android Devices – Check How To Install?

The dark mode is all the rage among smartphone users and developers these days! Apple recently announced the arrival of a system-wide dark mode for iPhones with its newest operating system iOS 13 which is set to be released on September 19, 2019. Not to be outdone, Google has already started rolling out its own version of dark mode. They’re officially calling it ‘dark theme’.

Google’s dark mode is one of the most talked-about features of its recently released mobile operating system – Android 10 (previously known as Android Q) which was released on September 3, 2019. Android 10 is currently being rolled out for Google Pixel phones, with other models set to follow suit in the near future.

Dark theme isn’t currently applicable to every app – for now, you can only use it with select Google apps like YouTube, calculator, calendar, Google Fit and yes, Gmail!

Gmail, along with Google Play store were notably absent from the list of Google’s dark mode ready first-party apps at the time of the Android 10 launch. But Google has remedied the situation with the most recent Gmail release (2019.08.18.267044774) which supports a full-fledged dark theme.

Excited for dark Gmail? If you’re using a Google Pixel device that’s been updated to Android 10, you can try out the cool new dark mode on Gmail right away. Here’s all you need to know about it –

What does the Android 10 dark theme do?

In simple words, the Android 10 dark theme turns your device’s bright white screen dark. The black text of the device is converted to white, making viewing and reading content on the bright screens much easier, especially at night time and in dark environments. Dark theme will help counter the blinding effect of luminous white screens of mobile devices when you’re in locations like a movie theater or a club where the lighting has been turned low.

Android users have been demanding a dark mode starting as far back as 2017 when Android 8.0 Oreo was launched. With apps like Reddit, Slack, and Facebook Messenger offering app-specific dark modes, users’ demand for a system-wide dark theme has grown exponentially in the recent past. The dark theme promises to fulfill that demand.

Right now, turning dark themes on only transforms the home screen, app drawer and the interface of Google’s native apps. In time, however, the dark theme is slated to become a single switch that can apply the dark effects on a system-wide level. Non-native apps that lack a dedicated dark mode or theme of their own will be able to go dark by allowing Android 10 to invert the black and whites. All it will take is a simple tap in the settings menu.

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Benefits of the dark theme

One of the most obvious benefits of the Android 10 dark theme is that it looks cool! The dark interface ups the style quotient.

In addition, the dark theme enhances the visibility of the device’s content and controls in low light environments and improves the readability of text. The color inversion effect of the dark theme also reduces the strain on your eyes.

Another big advantage of the dark theme lies in its contribution to conserving battery life in mobile devices that have an OLED display. Since a far smaller number of OLED pixels are lighted up when dark theme is in effect, your device will be expending lesser energy per minute, directly prolonging the battery life.

A regular white screen still offers the best on-screen visibility outdoors and in bright surroundings, so dark theme isn’t being viewed as a total replacement, but a handy option that phone users can turn ‘on’ and ‘off’ quick and easy.

How to turn on the dark theme in Gmail

For long, Gmail has been one of the few popular mobile apps that lacked a dark mode setting. With an upgrade to Android 10, you can enjoy the dark theme in Gmail and make communicating both cooler and more convenient. First, however, you need to download and install the most recent version of Gmail on their device.

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Once that’s done, follow these steps to activate dark theme-

1.  Open your device’s app drawer, then click open Gmail. Next, click on the hamburger icon on the top left side of your device’s screen.

2.  Scroll down and find Settings. Click on it.

 3. In Settings, select the General Settings option.

4. Click on Theme.

5. Select the Dark theme. This will enable the dark theme in Gmail.

You can also set a dark theme as the system’s default theme. For this, go to Settings and select Display. Then scroll down to Dark theme and toggle to switch it on.

What does a dark theme enable Gmail to look like?

The initial reports regarding the visual aesthetics of a dark theme in Gmail have all been positive. The overall color scheme has been lauded as being pleasant and a real boost to visibility. Also, the experience of performing primary functions like creating and reading emails is said to have been enriched by the darker background.

The regular white screen Gmail app can be somewhat blinding in certain light conditions due to its text-heavy visual experience. The large white spaces present in the email body and the inbox only add to the monotonous appearance which isn’t particularly pleasing to the eye.

Gmail redesigns of the recent past had oddly switched the red accents present in the app with more white, further increasing the brightness of the app interface. Android 10’s dark theme, therefore, is a much delayed and gladly welcomed addition to Gmail.

Note that activating dark themes will change the backdrop of the Gmail app to a cool dark grey color and not true black which is actually a good thing as reading white color text on pitch-black screens can be stressful to the eyes.

Gmail’s inbox and regular emails are all likely to follow this same ‘dark grey’ color scheme. Emails with HTML, however, might still continue to be rendered in other colors, including white.

Final word

A dark mode for Gmail has been a long time coming, but now that it’s arrived, it’s expected to satisfyingly resolve virtually every issue users have had regarding the app’s visual experience. Try it out!

Source – Cnet.com