I never have to look at a white screen again thanks to this new Android feature

Dark mode came to Android in 2019, and since then, my eyes have thanked me on a daily basis.

The departure from mandatory bright white lights on my smartphone has made the overall scrolling experience infinitely more enjoyable over the last six years, whether I was in my dark bedroom or on a sunny sidewalk.

However, on occasion, some platforms have still found their way through the cracks of the dark theme on Android, maintaining the brightest and whitest of backgrounds against the wishes of my phone's operating system.

Those days are over now, though, with a new update from Android that has substantially expanded the dark theme mode, even to apps that don't offer that kind of customizable functionality.

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By  Ben Khalesi

Expanded dark theme is here

We're in the dark ages now

If you're an avid dark mode user like me, you know that not every app follows suit.

While the majority of the Android operating system will present in a dark theme, some apps won't go dark, no matter what settings you change.

In the most recent update to the Android operating system, however, Pixel phones were granted the ability to take dark mode to the next level.

Dubbed "Expanded dark theme," this new feature forces these non-compliant apps into dark mode, whether they want to or not.

That's right, apps like TikTok, FitBit, and even the Foxtrot loyalty app are made completely black in this mode, finally removing the brutally bright white background they forced on us over the years.

How to enable the expanded dark mode

The time for negotiation is over

If you're tired of looking at white backgrounds after you've clearly opted for the dark mode experience, you are very much not alone.

This new feature is as easy to find as it is a breath of fresh air, and I'll walk you through the basics so you can take advantage as well.

For starters, you'll want to go to the Settings menu, as these kinds of walkthroughs often start. Then, you'll scroll down and select the Display & touch menu.

There, you'll find the Dark theme menu near the bottom of your display, and you'll want to click the menu, not the actual toggle.

In that menu, you'll see the Standard dark theme option, and below that is the Expanded dark theme option.

There is a little explainer beneath it to give you a better idea of what you're agreeing to, along with a toggle button to get started. After you press that, you're all set to avoid white backgrounds for the foreseeable future.

It's also worth noting that, while this feature is only available on Pixel devices right now, that may not be the case moving forward.

Expanded dark mode is a native Android 16 feature from the QPR2 update, so brands like Samsung and Motorola could add the functionality to their devices in the future.

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By  Nick Todorov

It's far from perfect

But it gets the job done

Now, I must admit, while I was impressed with this feature at the start, I did notice some notable caveats to using the Expanded dark theme that could be a bit of a dealbreaker for some users.

Right out of the gate, the dark mode that is forced upon apps that are incompatible with the Standard dark theme is not the aesthetically pleasing dark mode we've come to love over the last few years.

When enabled, the background on apps like TikTok and FitBit is a stark, deep black rather than the more friendly dark grey or navy blue you'll find on more compatible apps.

There were also gaps in the theme that still show a big white banner bar at the bottom of the display. To borrow a phrase from the youth of today, it's giving Windows 95.

Additionally, the Expanded dark theme is erasing as much white as possible without much nuance, and that creates some less-than-desirable interface designs.

For example, the view counters and notification numbers on TikTok are also black, which makes them notably more difficult to read.

On top of all that, I noticed that the feature created some glitch problems, like a notification page that wouldn't load or a swipe would take longer than usual.

It's a small problem, but when they start stacking up, you have to ask: Is this level of dark theme worth it?

Android function over form

Is dark mode worth the glitches?

This new Expanded dark theme is awesome if you are a diehard dark mode enthusiast.

However, I have discovered something about this because of this new feature launch: I value a seamless experience over a dark display. I know, I was surprised too.

Simply put, actually using my phone without the glitches and the excessive dark changes is more important than ensuring every single screen I look at is as dark as possible.

Hopefully, the Expanded dark theme can optimize the interface a bit more to be more comprehensive, but until then, I'm sticking with Standard.