iPhone For those who really want Dark Mode and are currently disappointed

[KeanosMagicHat]

I made this thread title specific to avoid a repeat of debate with those happy with Apple’s current implementation of Dark Mode and those who don’t really see value in the feature.

It is intended to be a discussion thread for members for whom Dark Mode was one of their most anticipated features of iOS 13 and they currently find themselves disappointed with it.

My own thoughts are in the post below.

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

Personally I stay with Apple because the products are well made, highly featured and consistent from one iteration to another. The main reason though is the longevity of updates which is great for security.

That being said, I have not liked the brightness of iOS since version 7. I remember when Smart Invert was launched and I’m one of those people that when I toggled Smart Invert (which I have as a shortcut in Control Center) I could physically feel my eyes relax with it enabled to display Dark Backgrounds

So since its launch I have spent that time toggling it on and off depending on the appearance of it on an application by application basis.

Far from ideal as a user experience.

When they announced a “system-wide” Dark Mode for iOS 13 UI and a kit for 3rd party App Development, I was ecstatic.

I’m not even that bothered about the Apps as many may choose not to enable it either because they can’t be bothered or because of their creative vision of how the app should look. That is their choice.

I did however expect the main OS UI to be fully Dark as had been the case with pretty much everything with Smart Invert enabled.

This has not been the case at all and with us now being in DB5 / PB4 it’s looking like Apple are set to launch a “system-wide” Dark Mode which is a jarring mess of Dark and Light.

I don’t intend this thread to become a debate with those who think it is right to leave the decision up to Web Content Publishers etc as my own opinion is that this will never result in a consistent Dark user experience.

The best example of the mess that is Dark Mode at the moment is the News App.

It starts off looking great in the opening screens where you browse and select articles.

Then you pick one to read and BOOM you’re back to bright white backgrounds.

(I understand the reason behind this - leave it to the content publishers etc as I alluded to above - but I profoundly disagree with this approach).

For the first 2 Betas, I was like, “Well surely this is not the look they’re going to settle on, they did say it’d be system-wide after all” and I reverted back to using Smart Invert which meant the main menu screens in News were all white backgrounds but at least when you entered any article it was nice and Dark.

Then came the DB4 / PB3 and Smart Invert was no longer an option as it wouldn’t switch off without a Hard Reset.

Now on DB5 / PB4 Smart Invert is broken completely.

For an iOS feature that I’ve personally been looking forward to since iOS 7, I’m extremely disappointed in the route Apple seems to have chosen with it.

It is an absolute inconsistent mess in its current form.

 

[SoYoung]

I think everyone who read the iOS 13 beta 4 thread know my opinion about dark mode. Its a mode I wanted since iOS 7 but honestly, iOS 11's smart invert colours fixed a lot of my gripes with iOS being too light. However, I was excited to see a real dark mode coming to iOS 13 because everything wasn't perfect with smart invert generally due to apps that not support it and constant switching it on and off.

But as of now, dark mode is almost useless to me and I think smart invert is still a better choice. News app with white pages articles, mails in white, white keyboard in third party apps and white webpages in Safari are all the things that bugs me off right now. Its just not very beautiful, not very confortable for the eyes with all the current inconstancy and it just feel like a mess.

Thanksflully its just a beta, but the thing I'm worried right now is smart invert colours are completely broken right now in iOS 13 beta 5 and they don't bring much update since beta 1. If only switching to smart invert in dark mode let the dark theme intact and all, it would be more acceptable for my needs but if things stay like this on final release, I'll simply not update on day one on my main device.

 

[Yun0]

But as of now, dark mode is almost useless to me and I think smart invert is still a better choice. News app with white pages articles, mails in white, white keyboard in third party apps and white webpages in Safari are all the things that bugs me off right now. Its just not very beautiful, not very confortable for the eyes with all the current inconstancy and it just feel like a mess.

iOS dark mode, not iOS+every corner+every app dark mode. Thats on app developers to get their apps dark, many already done so for years. But as usual, its always Apple Apple Apple.. (except for Apple's apps) smart invert was total garbage, inverting whatever it wanted across tons of apps, even ruining color tints too.

White web pages, really? How about the site owners adding a dark mode? Its THEIR site, THEIR code.. there are browsers that try to force dark mode everywhere, I think most of us know how broken/ugly most results are...

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

iOS dark mode, not iOS+every corner+every app dark mode. Thats on app developers to get their apps dark, many already done so for years. But as usual, its always Apple Apple Apple.. (except for Apple's apps) smart invert was total garbage, inverting whatever it wanted across tons of apps, even ruining color tints too.

White web pages, really? How about the site owners adding a dark mode? Its THEIR site, THEIR code.. there are browsers that try to force dark mode everywhere, I think most of us know how broken/ugly most results are...

Thank you for your post but this was not the purpose of this thread.

That particular debate has been had many times over and will not persuade those who were looking forward to this feature (for whom this thread is intended) and are currently very disappointed with the way Dark Mode is being implemented.

 

[TimFL1]

You can‘t create a „100% everything is dark mode“. Stuff like webpages can‘t be forced to use dark elements, nor can you apply that logic to 3rd party apps. Stuff like brand identity exists for a reason.

The reason FB pushed out their new app design making everything white was done with a purpose (so it‘s easier to apply a pleasing dark mode, the old blue bar design look like crap).

Get used to it sooner rather than later, because it‘ll take longer for apps to adapt a dark mode than it took them to add support for all display resolutions / form factors (hint: apps still lack behind on that front).

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

You can‘t create a „100% everything is dark mode“. Stuff like webpages can‘t be forced to use dark elements, nor can you apply that logic to 3rd party apps. Stuff like brand identity exists for a reason.

The reason FB pushed out their new app design making everything white was done with a purpose (so it‘s easier to apply a pleasing dark mode, the old blue bar design look like crap).

Get used to it sooner rather than later, because it‘ll take longer for apps to adapt a dark mode than it took them to add support for all display resolutions / form factors (hint: apps still lack behind on that front).

I already said in my initial post that we have to accept that most 3rd party apps probably won’t have a Dark UI.

Apple could force the rest of the interface Dark if they wanted to though and for many of us disappointed in it, this is the approach we would prefer.

I stress again though the purpose of this thread is not to debate with those who either want to defend Apple’s approach to date or those that don’t see the the attraction in Dark Mode.

It’s a thread for those people to have a discussion who want a full Dark Mode whether forced or not for everything but Apps.

 

[DaveOP]

I already said in my initial post that we have to accept that most 3rd party apps probably won’t have a Dark UI.

Apple could force the rest of the interface Dark if they wanted to though and for many of us disappointed in it, this is the approach we would prefer.

I stress again though the purpose of this thread is not to debate with those who either want to defend Apple’s approach to date or those that don’t see the the attraction in Dark Mode.

It’s a thread for those people to have a discussion who want a full Dark Mode whether forced or not for everything but Apps.

Isn't this thread mostly pointless until after iOS 13 is released in the fall? Developers are unable to publish anything with Dark Mode API's in place, including in places like News. Assuming new sources were able to publish articles with Dark Mode improvements, isn't it the case that you couldn't see them until September anyway?

 

[jeblis]

Thank you for your post but this was not the purpose of this thread.

That particular debate has been had many times over and will not persuade those who were looking forward to this feature (for whom this thread is intended) and are currently very disappointed with the way Dark Mode is being implemented.

You’re not a mod. You really can’t dictate what people say in a thread. Conversations may stray from what you want. Better to embrace that.

 

[ericg301]

Isn't this thread mostly pointless until after iOS 13 is released in the fall? Developers are unable to publish anything with Dark Mode API's in place, including in places like News. Assuming new sources were able to publish articles with Dark Mode improvements, isn't it the case that you couldn't see them until September anyway?

THIS. SO MUCH THIS.

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

I think it is too jarring. Like if ppl were told this was a mockup of what dark mode was going to be. They would laugh and say that Apple would come up with something better. I was looking more for something like what is on the Mac. Something tells me next go around. They will make it more subtle than what it is now.

 

[SoYoung]

Mojave's Dark mode is much better IMO simply because on the mac they allow extensions like dark reader on Safari and it works almost perfectly. Everything is dark on my mac. I don't care for apps like news on my Mac because its look like an iOS app but I do care on iOS and that's my point. I know that third party apps need time, but for first party apps, Apple should force a dark theme in apps like news, mails, dark keyboard everywhere and at least, give an experimental option for Safari to make website dark. Extensions and browser who gives real dark mode is very popular and they have demand for it.

The "brand identity" thing is BS IMO. we don't demand to modify logos and banners, but I think a white or dark background should be the user's choice. In early 2000's, website had way much variety than now but since the 2010-11's, almost 90% of all the internet became all in white, including operating system like iOS and Android. Thats why demands for a dark mode became so popular because companies almost forced everyone to accept one design.

I know some people will say our brain is programmed to read better with white background/black text, but the fact is many people prefer a darker background and I dont think its too much to ask. In early iOS and Android era, there was no demand at all for this mode and you know why? Its because at that time the designs was way more balanced and not just offer extremely bright white everywhere they can.

 

[harriska2]

I love dark mode on the ipados. And mojave. I did notice that an embedded pdf in a mail message was virtually invisible so there is some work to do to get some stuff ironed out. Maybe I’m just not picky.

 

[maflynn]

[MOD NOTE]
Please stay on topic, a number of posts were removed.

Members are free to post and offer their opinions dissenting or otherwise. Please do not dissuade members not to post.

 

[Rogifan]

Honestly I think Apple could force developers to support dark mode. Obviously in some apps like games it doesn’t really apply. But there’s no reason the most popular non-games apps shouldn’t support it. Things like emails and websites are trickier. I kinda wish there was the option to turn off dark mode for the Mail app.

 

[nburwell]

From what I have tested thus far in iOS 13, I like dark mode. However, as others have mentioned, I much rather prefer dark mode on my MacBook than I do on iOS. I know a number of third party apps have dark mode already within their app (ie. Things 3, Tweetbot, etc.) But I think it's going to take other devs some time for those that will support dark mode once iOS 13 is released to the public.

 

[Nacho98]

I don't use betas at all, so I still haven't gotten my hands on it, but 2 things:

1) Apple is going to need to work hard on improving dark gray banding (particularly on very low brightnesses) on their OLED displays for all the places there are dark gray screens within dark mode - for this reason, we're probably better off that dark mode on iOS *isn't* like dark mode on Mojave, where it's all dark grays everywhere and no true blacks.

2) Safari looks awful in dark mode, it reminds me of private browsing, which just looks bad with dark browser content at the top and bottom and all white page content. Never have cared for that look.

 

[gigapocket1]

I don’t think dark mode is perfect by any means on iOS 13... but it’s still all I use.. I definitely don’t like the non dark mode look lol

 

[Jim Lahey]

Wanted it. Love it. Light mode is dead to me.

No, it’s not currently perfect, but I’m sure it will evolve as Apple/developers and content creators adapt.

 

[Shirasaki]

we're probably better off that dark mode on iOS *isn't* like dark mode on Mojave, where it's all dark grays everywhere and no true blacks.

Settings app still has dark grey menu items on black background. So I am not sure Apple care too much about OLED battery saving or tweak the dark mode to be more like black mode.

 

[Paradoxally]

It's not even in production and you guys are already writing essays about how disappointed you are? Lets talk in a year from now when most apps are updated for dark mode and Apple will fix the rest.

If you're complaining about web pages being white, invest in a good RSS reader with full article support and dark mode, and ditch webpages for reading news forever.

It's not hard to find solutions, but I guess complaining on MacRumors is easier.

 

[Shirasaki]

It's not even in production and you guys are already writing essays about how disappointed you are? Lets talk in a year from now when most apps are updated for dark mode and Apple will fix the rest.

If you're complaining about web pages being white, invest in a good RSS reader with full article support and dark mode, and ditch webpages for reading news forever.

It's not hard to find solutions, but I guess complaining on MacRumors is easier.

On the other hand, without those noise, issues will surely be ignored until it can no longer be ignored.

 

[Paradoxally]

On the other hand, without those noise, issues will surely be ignored until it can no longer be ignored.

No they won't. Apple employees are not going to hunt on this forum for issues.

 

[Shirasaki]

No they won't. Apple employees are not going to hunt on this forum for issues.

Apple employees are notorious for living inside ivory tower, ignoring everything else. Without enough noise, they would not even realise they are living on earth, not some fancy spaceship or outer space planet.

 

[SoYoung]

No they won't. Apple employees are not going to hunt on this forum for issues.

Dark mode is there on Mojave and iOS 13 because people make noise. If we do your logic, this whole forum don't need to be there at all. No need for people talking about new features they want, no need for discussing about bugs in beta's etc. We have the right to express our opinion about it. Its not because YOU see no problems that everyone will agree.