Activate Instagrams New Dark Mode On Your Android

Instagram dark mode is one of those features that's well worth learning how to use. Not only does that darker palette offer more immersive viewing of images and videos, but it also comes with a range of other perks that will make your life better and easier.

Activate Instagram’s new Dark Mode on your Android

Regardless of whether you have the best iPhone or one of the best Android phones, it's super simple to use Instagram's dark mode. And trust us, making the switch is well worth it. As well as making images and videos pop like never before, dark mode considerably reduces the bright light that so many of us are exposed to throughout the day, which means you'll experience far less eye strain, especially at night.

To help you do this, we've compiled a handy set of instructions to guide you through the process of setting up Instagram dark mode on your iOS and Android devices. It's not hard to do either, so the whole process will be quick, simple, and totally painless. And if you're wondering how to repeat the process with Google Chrome or WhatsApp, check out our guides on how to get Google Chrome dark mode on iOS, Android and Windows and how to use WhatsApp dark mode on iOS and Android.

Turning on Instagram dark mode for iPhones is a simple affair. If you have an iPhone running iOS 16 or you've recently upgraded to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, these steps will allow you to change its system settings and use Instagram in dark mode.

Instagram has dark mode for iPhones or iPads running iOS 13 or higher and Androids running Android 10 or higher. When activated, it changes the backdrop of the app (behind the photos) to black, and all the text to white.

The latest mobile operating systems now support dark modes, enabling you to turn down the lights on both iOS and Android apps (opens in new tab), and Instagram joined the dark forces at the end of last year. Its latest release enables you to go fully dark, but if you've already installed it, you might be having trouble figuring out how to turn it on. And to be perfectly honest, we had exactly the same problem.

Dark modes have become very popular in recent years, thanks to their ability to blacken interfaces, thereby reducing any strain on your eyes and simultaneously saving your device's battery life. As a result, companies like Google and Apple offer system-wide dark modes across their operating systems, and many app developers have updated their apps with support for dark modes over the years.

The System Default setting is useful when your Android operating system theme is set to a schedule (or Auto switch on some Android phones). When you use this setting, Instagram syncs its theme to your Android theme and changes automatically between modes.

Alternatively, using the Quick Settings tab, you can enable the system-wide dark mode on Android right from your home screen. To do that, pull the notification tab down (as you would when you get an active notification on your phone), then select Dark mode.

Ever since the new feature's release on Monday, both iOS and Android users on the most updated operating systems have been able to scroll in dim or even pitch black lighting with the new Instagram Dark Mode. Luckily, iPhone users with iOS 13 can get to Dark Mode on the app by simply putting their entire phone on Dark Mode. Thankfully, it isn't too much different for Android phones, except there are some limitations. Don't be too intimidated, though, because it really is pretty simple to get the new feature on the 'Gram, with its black-and-dark gray coloring meant to take it easy on your eyes on in the dark.

If you only want Instagram to be in dark mode, you can do this from the Android Instagram app by navigating to your profile, tapping the menu icon, tapping Settings, tapping Theme, and selecting Dark.

Dark mode is an option that is available on more and more apps these days. Natively present since the release of Android 10, this is not the case for older versions of Android but some apps now offer the functionality. Instagram is the latest app that takes the step by integrating this dark mode for everyone.

After Twitter, YouTube and Messenger, it is now Instagram's turn to offer this feature, which is very popular with users. Dark mode allows you to enjoy a less bright environment at nightfall and rest your eyes more. If you have a smartphone with an AMOLED display, it also saves a little energy too.

Before proceeding, you must check that you have at least version v114.0.0.0.38.120 of Instagram. If this is not the case, please update from the Google Play Store. The functionality is currently only reserved for a handful of users. However, you can be one of the lucky few who benefit from it. If all goes well, Instagram should deploy this dark mode for all users in future updates.

It is also possible that your smartphone on Android Pie will benefit from a dark mode thanks to the interface offered by your manufacturer. In this case, follow the same procedure as in Android 10 by activating this mode from the settings and then opening Instagram.

When you're checking out photos and video on Instagram, its default bright white layout can literally be an eyesore, especially in dimly lit settings where the bleached UI feels blinding. Luckily, there's a really simple way to switch from the normal light mode to a dark mode look in the iPhone and Android app.

Grab your iPhone and open Cydia to get started, then tap on the magnifying glass icon on the lower right to access the search feature. From there, type "igdarkmode" in the search bar, then tap on the tweak once it appears in the results field.

After respringing, you'll still need to turn the tweak on to apply the dark theme to your Instagram app, so open the Settings app on your iPhone, and tap on "IGDarkMode." Once inside, simply tap on the toggle next to "Enabled" to turn the tweak on, then go back to the home screen.

With IGDarkMode enabled, you're now free to enjoy Instagram as you normally would. This time, however, the app will now have a dark theme, which is a lot more appealing visually but also easier on your eyes thanks to the significant reduction of white and blue light.

Dark mode is applied throughout the app, so there are no inconsistencies or annoying changes from dark to light themes as you navigate and interact with friends and loved ones on Instagram. In all, having this enabled is highly recommended, especially if you're a heavy Instagram user, to give your eyes a break.

There's also a way for you to apply a dark theme to Instagram if you're on Android, but there's a catch. To do so, you'll need to be running Android 10. Check the link below to see if and when your phone will get the update if it hasn't already.

Not all apps offer an official dark mode, but many have jumped on the bandwagon in recent years. If you have at least iOS 13 or Android 10, your device will support a system-wide dark mode. And for some Google or Apple apps, that's the only way to turn on dark mode.

If you have an older operating system, you may not be out of luck. Samsung phones running Android 9/Pie support a more limited version of dark mode, and some apps with their own dark mode may support older operating systems.

Gmail has long supported themes on the web; they change menus but the inbox remains white. If you want dark mode on your phone, your ability to do that will depend on which phone and mobile OS you have. On Android phones, navigate to the Settings menu and see if you have a Theme option, like the screenshot from a Samsung smartphone above. If not, you might be restricted to OS-level dark mode for Gmail. We could not find a theme option in the Gmail Settings on iOS or a OnePlus 5, for example.

On Android, tap the hamburger menu in the top-left corner and select Settings > General > Theme. Choose between a light or dark theme, or have it change to the system's default theme. There are no dark mode controls in the iOS version of the app, but Google Calendar can still go dark if you set up system-wide dark mode.

Turn on dark mode in the Android version of Google Drive by opening the hamburger menu and selecting Settings > Theme, then select either the default light mode, dark mode, or make it determined by the device's battery saver mode. Standalone dark mode is not yet available on iOS.

For dark mode in Google's Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android and iOS, open the hamburger menu and tap Settings > Theme and select dark, light, or system default. If you're not into the idea of reading documents in dark mode, you can preview your work in light theme. With a document open, tap the three-dot icon and tap View in Light Theme. This will temporarily turn the page white while the menu and border remains black.

After years of only offering a limited night theme, Google Maps has finally received a full dark mode for Android. Turn it on by tapping your profile picture in the top-right corner and going to Settings > Theme. There, you can turn on dark mode or set it to match the device's theme.

For the time being, iPhone and iPad users will still have to use the navigation theme, which will only work in navigation mode. Go to Settings > Navigation and look for the Map Display section. You can then change the app's theme to either go dark or match the time of day, but it will only kick in when you're actively following directions.

The Instagram app seems to handle dark mode differently depending on your operating system of choice. For iPhone users, the app merely mimics the system default theme, but Android users can set a custom theme. Tap on your profile image in the lower-right corner and open the hamburger menu in the upper-right. Go to Settings > Theme and you can choose light or dark, or go with the system default.

Amazon's Kindle app allows you to turn on dark mode by navigating to More > Settings > Color Theme > Dark. This does not, however, change the contents of your ebooks. To do that, tap the Aa icon atop each book, tap Layout and select the black dot.