Dark mode is taking over the world of mobile interfaces. Although it’s not for everyone, dark mode is easier on the eyes and just looks sleeker than basic white. We’ve already seen a range of apps adopt the new look, like Gmail, WhatsApp, Twitter and Pinterest. Now Instagram has joined the dark forces — albeit only for phones running iOS 13 and Android 10.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, took to Twitter (naturally), to announce that the platform will now have dark mode available for both iOS and Android users. In its latest software iterations, that is. If you’re stuck in Android 9-land — tough luck. You’re gonna have to sit with basic white until you upgrade.
https://twitter.com/mosseri/status/1181361666992115719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1181361666992115719&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2019%2F10%2F08%2Finstagram-dark-mode%2F
The main reasoning behind it? Instagram goes dark when the phone is set to dark mode in its software settings. Neither iOS or Android apps will allow users to toggle the feature within the app itself. There’s no word whether this will become an option in future, but this should allow other people (outside the realm of iOS 13 and Android 10) to toggle dark mode on and off.
How to join the dark side
Instagram will go dark to reflect your phone’s settings. If you’re using iOS 13, here’s how to try out dark mode: Make sure you’ve updated your Instagram app and are using the latest available version. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Display and Brightness, then tap Dark.
Android 10 users can follow these steps: Enable device-wide dark mode on Android by going to Settings, then to Display. Tap Advanced, then select Dark from the Device theme menu.
Still waiting for Android 10? Yeah, we are too. The update will only be available from November on popular brands like Huawei and Samsung. Less popular brands like LG, Nokia and Sony will likely take a few months to get on the bandwagon.
Source: Engadget