To Dark Mode or Not To Dark Mode

[Al Paca]

Let me start by saying I am not asking for advice about whether I should use Dark Mode or not. Often times I post questions and immediately get responses like, “It’s your decision” and then some different reasons to help me decide. I think my question gets lost in translation maybe. My point is the following:

For those of you using one form of iOS 13 Beta, are YOU using Dark Mode, and why or why not have YOU chosen to use or not use it.

That said, here’s my struggle. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted Dark Mode as an option in iOS. I’ve been excited about Dark Mode options in Facebook Messenger, Twitter, 3rd Party Keyboards, or even here in the Mobile Nations Applications as they’ve rolled out in the last few years, BUT FINALLY DARK MODE IS HERE IN IOS 13 and I’m struggling to get use to it in iMessage and Mail (has similar issues in Mojave on my 2018 MacBook Pro).

I’m somewhat blown away by not really caring all that much. I personally feel like typing in this message in iMore Forums in Dark Mode feels and looks normal, but when typing an Email in the Stock Mail app it has a different feel to it. Am I crazy...probably.

So I’ll land the plane now with my original thought...What’s your personal take on Dark Mode in iOS 13? Using it or no? Anything you really like or that really irks you? Again, just polling here to see if there are people opting to not use Dark Mode at all maybe?

 

[porier91]

I have it on automatic. At 9pm it kicks on and turns off at 6am. It’s really enabled when I’m hardly using my phone. On my Mac however, I have it always enabled.

 

[phlamethrowre]

I’ve always wanted a dark mode on IOS and use it more than 50% of the time but every now and then I miss that crisp look of the light mode. So I guess I’m kinda torn too.

 

[msyk5645]

Same as was said above, I have mine on automatic. Couldn’t get used to using it all the time but it seems like a natural fit to have dark mode on from sunset to sunrise.

 

[grover5]

Im not on iOS 13 yet but I don’t anticipate using dark mode. It’s just not a thing for me I guess. I’m glad others who want it can use it though.

 

[calebt]

Keep it on auto, dusk to dawn like it for reading at night.

 

[Al Paca]

Im not on iOS 13 yet but I don’t anticipate using dark mode. It’s just not a thing for me I guess. I’m glad others who want it can use it though.

Makes sense. Have you tried any 3rd Party Apps in Dark Mode yet?

 

[Annie_M]

Thanks for posting this very well thought out thread! I’m not on the betas and am really interested in what everyone thinks about dark mode!

 

[Tartarus]

I don’t use it because I don’t like dark mode.

 

[Spencerdl]

I use DARK MODE 100% of the time. I've always wanted DARK MODE and I LOVE it. My eyes just process white (or any color) lettering on a black background much better. I guess you can say I'm like a Gremlin and I don't like "BRIGHT LIGHT"...LOL

 

[Wotchered]

I really don’t know about this, I have WU in dark mode and prefer it. I have my Kindle app in dark mode but read off the green mode, let’s just see. Ideally each app would have the option to swap modes. ?

 

[Lee_Bo]

I use DARK MODE 100% of the time. I've always wanted DARK MODE and I LOVE it. My eyes just process white (or any color) lettering on a black background much better. I guess you can say I'm like a Gremlin and I don't like "BRIGHT LIGHT"...LOL

This! I have it on and use it 100% of the time. Also use it on my Mac Mini and MacBook Pro.

 

[mumfoau]

I’ve dark moded all the things even though none of them have OLED screens lol

 

[dmoskaluk]

Let me start by saying I am not asking for advice about whether I should use Dark Mode or not. Often times I post questions and immediately get responses like, “It’s your decision” and then some different reasons to help me decide. I think my question gets lost in translation maybe. My point is the following:

For those of you using one form of iOS 13 Beta, are YOU using Dark Mode, and why or why not have YOU chosen to use or not use it.

That said, here’s my struggle. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted Dark Mode as an option in iOS. I’ve been excited about Dark Mode options in Facebook Messenger, Twitter, 3rd Party Keyboards, or even here in the Mobile Nations Applications as they’ve rolled out in the last few years, BUT FINALLY DARK MODE IS HERE IN IOS 13 and I’m struggling to get use to it in iMessage and Mail (has similar issues in Mojave on my 2018 MacBook Pro).

I’m somewhat blown away by not really caring all that much. I personally feel like typing in this message in iMore Forums in Dark Mode feels and looks normal, but when typing an Email in the Stock Mail app it has a different feel to it. Am I crazy...probably.

So I’ll land the plane now with my original thought...What’s your personal take on Dark Mode in iOS 13? Using it or no? Anything you really like or that really irks you? Again, just polling here to see if there are people opting to not use Dark Mode at all maybe?

Glad to hear thoughts which mirror my own wrt using dark mode in the 'real world' - Firstly, my opinions are those of a 'user' - not an 'enthusiast- afficionado-buff' of technology, retired and with simple needs. If 66 is old, I'm old too, maybe unimportant in general, except in this case we are talking about impressions, and eye function is defitely a factor. I prefer reading anything on- screen in a dark format as it's much easier on the (my) eyes, especially in a low light environment. Mojave on my iMac is my first deep dive into that environment as not being enough of a technophiIe, I don't do Betas etc to see it 'whole device' in iOS. Kindle App, iMore, YouTube, & Skype are my first experiences on iPhone / iPad and while I like what I 'see', however typing emails on the Mac ( Spark does a very nice dark presentation) is still quite laborious as somehow my brain and fingers synch differently (??). On iOS I have used SwiftKey since 3rd party keyboards would run, strictly to have a dark keyboard but somehow 'going'the full route' with my email on the Mac still feels like 'swimming through molasses ' if that makes any sense. I write this on iMore ( Dark) with SwiftKey ( Nickel Dark) theme so go figure (??)

 

[pr1nce]

I have dark mode set to automatic. Sunset to sunrise.

 

[zulu1128]

I was super jazzed for it, but was a little underwhelmed for the most part. Message lists look almost too dark/hard to read...maybe it’s just that I’m so used to the light mode, I dunno.

I’m any case, I’ve pretty much ditched it and gone back to the regular view.

 

[dmoskaluk]

Found out how to get it on Facebook Messenger - WooHoo . I had heard it existed but the ability to toggle it on / off seems only now to have been incorporated in the last update ( a few days ago)

 

[Scorpion667]

Same. I always loved the contrast on Amoled screens and dark mode is, for me, the best way to take advantage of that. I do wish Apple's dark mode utilized more pure black backgrounds/UI elements however as that would contribute to battery savings (Amoled screens can turn off individual pixels if displaying pure black colors.

 

[anon(50597)]

I have it on all the time. It’s much easier on my eyes.

 

[dmoskaluk]

It would be interesting to see how the spectrum of user age groups synced with the preference for dark mode apps....