Apple iOS 13 is here and it’s beautiful. It made a debut with this version mostly due to its system-wide dark mode feature. It looks great, offers longer battery life on my dying old iPhone, and has some minor icon changes to the interface. But we’re here for dark mode tips and tricks and everything you need to know.
If you haven’t already, it’s safe to download Apple’s latest and greatest operating system update from Settings. I can confirm that it still works fine even on an old iPhone SE that I have. Apple has prepared some nifty dark mode features that will enhance your user experience.
Let’s start.
1. How to Enable Dark Mode on iOS 13
It’s easy. Just open Settings and tap on Display & Brightness.
You will notice a new option. Choose between Light or Dark theme here to see how it looks. The dark mode in iOS 13 has a true dark look rather than a lighter shade of black that I often see in some apps.
Fonts are white while all touchable options or text are classic blue. Good job Apple.
2. How to Enable Dark Mode in Control Center
Going back and forth between the home screen and settings can be a chore. Apple had a sense of enabling a quick shortcut to dark mode within the Control Center. To enable it, open Settings and tap Customize Controls.
At this point, I would also recommend enabling the Access Within Applications option. So even if you’re using an app, you can turn dark mode on or off from any screen using the Control Center. You know, in case you don’t like what you see.
Scroll a bit to find the Dark Mode option and tap the little ‘+’ icon to add it. No need to save anything.
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access Control Center and manage Dark Mode settings.
3. How to Program Dark Mode
While some users still like the light mode, there are those who like to use the dark mode only after dark. They just want to protect their eyes from the harmful white light emitted by our new best friend. Go back to Settings and tap on Display & Brightness. This time tap on the Automatic option. A new Options tab will appear.
You can select the Sunset to Sunrise option, which tells your iPhone to use your location data and weather details to determine when to turn on dark mode. Another option is Custom Schedule, where you can set a timeline to switch between light and dark mode.
I just set it to dark mode. I like it more like this. Seeing the time we spend in front of screens can help in the long run. Also, it looks very cool.
4. Where Dark Mode Works in iOS 13
Don’t expect too much from this new option, though. Dark Mode works fine on the home screen, Control Center, Settings, and all apps developed in-house by Apple. This means it also works in Apple Music, Notes, Reminders, and Calendar, for example.
It won’t work in third-party apps like Google Photos or other apps over which Apple has no control. Some examples are Trello and IFTTT.
This can lead to some inconsistencies. When you suddenly switch to a different app, you are enjoying a darker screen and in the middle of the night the white light blinds you. This is eye catching. Quite a few apps have now joined the dark side, so check the app settings to see if there’s an option to turn it on yet. If not, why not send a request?
5. Why Use Dark Mode?
You probably already know this, so let me add a little more to this. Because, details such as how dark mode can save up to 60% of battery life on iPhones may not have caught your attention. Yet that is not all. Google did research on the subject and came to similar conclusions. Honestly, that’s a lot of battery life, and the less you have to use chords, the better.
Dark mode can also benefit your eyes by reducing fatigue when looking at the screen with the lights off, especially in the dead of night. However, there are studies that have found that dark mode is not the savior everyone wants it to be. Not the hero we deserve, nor the hero we need. You should blink enough, get some rest by regularly putting your phone away, and limiting screen time in general. So if you are addicted dark mode cannot help you.
Join the dark side
More developers are working to include the dark mode in their apps, software and even websites. It’s refreshing to learn how it can help solve some of the common problems we face today. But as stated above, it can only help so much. In the end, it all comes down to healthy choices and lifestyle.
However, how long do you use the dark mode? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Next: The Files app got some much-needed love in iOS 13. Click the link below to learn all about the Files app in iOS 13 as well as iPadOS.