WhatsApp, the instant messaging platform owned by Facebook has now finally started rolling out the much-anticipated Dark Mode update to its users on Android as well as iOS platforms.
The latest update will now enable users to choose from Light and Dark theme on the app. The dark theme or the dark mode is not pure black but is instead a dark gray color which we have already seen on several apps. In the dark mode, the chat appears with a dark background while the messages are displayed in green-colored bubbles. The setting can be enabled via system settings for users running the most recent versions of Android and iOS.
It can also be enabled through WhatsApp settings option on Android. For that, go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Themes and then select the “Dark” option. For iOS, the dark mode feature is available to those running the latest iOS 13 and above.
The company says that when designing dark mode, it spent time researching and experimenting with a focus on readability and information hierarchy. The company explains both of them as below.
- Readability: Choosing colors to minimize eye fatigue and use colors that are closer to the system defaults on iPhone and Android respectively.
- Information Hierarchy: To help users easily focus their attention on each screen. This is achieved by using color and other design elements to ensure that important information stands out.
Along with the new Dark Mode, the WhatsApp for iOS v2.20.303 update also brings new search options, allowing users to filter by author and content type.
