Dark mode is becoming more and more popular today than ever before. This feature first started out as a default coding theme for computer programmers and developers.

But now, even desktop, and mobile app users, as well as website visitors, are taking notice of the advantages of using it to protect their eyes, its lower battery consumption, and the overall aesthetic of web design, among other things.

In this article, we delve into this trend, the pros and cons of dark mode in web design, and some of the main reasons why it is gaining widespread popularity in today’s digitally connected world.

What is Dark Mode?

Dark mode, also known as night mode, or dark theme, is a website or mobile app feature that allows its users to quickly change the background color of the user interface to a dark color, usually black, or a shade of grey. In web design, the main purpose of the feature is to make it easier for website visitors to view or read your content, such as text, or video, in the dark.

Pros and Cons of Dark Mode Web Design

Now, let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of dark mode web design:

Pros

• Increases the visibility of your website or mobile app content in low-light environments
• Improves user experience
• Protects from blue light exposure
• Cuts glare
• Prevents digital eye strain
• Saves battery and energy

Cons

• Not beneficial for use during daylight hours
• Not helpful for long-term relaxing reading experience
• May affect readability especially with smartphones

Why Dark Mode Web Designs Are Getting Huge These Days

Now that you know the basic definition of a dark mode web design, let’s now take a closer look at why they are becoming more popular among internet users.

Better for the Eyes

As mentioned above, one of the top reasons why dark mode web design is getting increasingly popular today is that internet users find it better, easier, and more comfortable for their eyes, when it comes to reading in dimly lit environments, as compared to a traditional white or light-colored background.

If you’re reading something on your computer, or smartphone, at night, it’s a lot better to read light-colored texts on a dark background than to read dark texts on a bright background. According to Live Science, the reason for this is that the iris in our eyes would need to expand more than it does when reading on a bright screen.

In addition to digital eye strain, there is also some research that shows that dark mode can also help users reduce their exposure to blue light. Blue light from a computer or any type of viewing device has the ability to suppress the production of melatonin, which is the hormone that is required for sleep.

This means switching to dark mode for users is not only better for their eyes, but may also help them get a good night’s sleep.

Helps Users Save Battery Life

Another major reason why dark mode web design is attracting huge demand today is that it can help website visitors and device users to prolong their battery life. Without dark mode, all of the empty white space on a device’s screen needs more power, which in turn can drain the device’s battery. According to XDA Developers, dark mode has the ability to reduce battery consumption by up to 63% on AMOLED displays, even with maximum brightness.

What’s more, Google also confirmed that using dark mode on OLED screens can be a huge help for battery life. For instance, if you adjust the brightness of your screen to 50%, the YouTube app’s interface can save approximately 15% screen energy, in comparison to a flat bright screen.

Being Adopted by Tech Giants

These days, more and more companies are beginning to notice the advantage of adopting the dark mode feature for their users. Tech giants, such as Google, Apple, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Android, Samsung, and more, are already offering the feature for some of their services.

One example of a dark mode feature you can use on your Google Chrome browser to enable dark mode is Night Eye. Google’s Night Eye allows you to switch to dark mode on nearly all websites you visit using its own algorithm.

With this Chrome extension, you can also control the built-in dark themes on those websites that have it, such as YouTube, and Reddit. According to Google, dark mode can improve visibility for users with low vision, including those whose eyes are sensitive to bright light.

To enable dark mode on the Safari browser, on the other hand, you’ll need to switch on the greater macOS dark theme, which works across your entire system, from the dock, and menu bar, to all of your desktop apps, including Safari. According to Apple, dark mode can make it easier for users to stay focused on their work.

Works Perfectly With Online Video Streaming

In addition to web texts, tech companies, such as Netflix and YouTube, had also noticed the benefits of adopting the dark mode feature for their online video streaming services. One of these advantages for end users include the ability to focus on the content, and not the controls, especially after staring at the screen for a long period of time making life easier for online video editors. Moreover, dark mode can also make watching videos feel more cinematic.

The Future is Dark

The future of dark mode looks very bright. This trend, which gradually came into being over the last few years, shows no indication of stopping. It’s already available on many popular apps, including Google and its services, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, and much more.

Furthermore, you can also find this trend popping up in all email service verifiers such as Gmail, Outlook, Android, and iOS.

Final Words:

There you have it! These are some of the main reasons why dark mode web designs are becoming more and more popular these days and even used as a growth hacking tool. Not only is dark mode web design a trending aesthetic touch, it’s better for the eyes at night, it also helps users save battery life, and it works perfectly for online video streaming.