Why is Dark Mode So Popular?

Are dark mode and dark mode themes any good for you? Is it better for your device, eyes or site performance? In this video, Stef demystifies what’s the deal with dark mode and why it has become so popular.

0:01

I’m a huge fan of dark mode and use it for all devices, apps and software when I have the option. Dark mode has been around for some time and it has been adopted by most operating systems, browsers and popular apps. We have many new clients who want to explore dark theme options for their website.

But what’s the deal with dark mode? Is it any better for you? I’ve done some research and it turns out not exactly. Here’s why

0:26

Dark mode is better for your eyes in low-light environments.

If you’re lying in bed reading something on your phone at night, it’s a lot better to read white text on a black background rather than have your face illuminated by a lot of bright white light.

However, dark themes can reduce eye strain in low-light conditions (night-time or dimmer workspaces), but light modes are still better for high-light conditions.

0:55

Dark mode is better for your device battery.

Well, this is partially true. It turns out that this is true for OLED and AMOLED displays, but if your device is with an LCD screen, colour doesn’t have any impact on battery life.

Also, even for OLED screens – there are only power savings if the pixel is completely black. In other words, that’s colour #000000, if it’s super dark grey for example, then it doesn’t make any difference.

1:25

There’s little research done if dark mode impacts conversion performance or productivity for example, so I’ll leave this one hanging. So the bottom line is – dark mode is good for you only if you enjoy it. So if you’re like me, go and switch to dark mode, it won’t do any harm.