Google’s dark mode goes darker

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Users are beginning to see Google’s new pitch-black dark mode, 9to5Google reported. The previous dark mode was a gray that was soothing on the eyes, but Google switched to a true black (#000000) that should really pop on OLED and AMOLED displays.

Google announced the wider availability of dark mode earlier this month, but thus far, the release has been slow. Few people seem to have it, and 9to5Google reports that some users have received the new theme only to lose it. Google said it was testing a new dark mode in February of last year, and later announced that the new dark theme was available on desktop and mobile in a tweet earlier this month.

The new theme came up on my laptop this morning, but it is still dark gray on my Google app and Google Search in Safari on my iPhone. The contrast between the gray font and the pitch-black background makes the change appear starker, but I think I prefer the dark gray background, which doesn’t have as much contrast.

Pitch-black dark mode

Here’s how you can change your settings if you’re still in light mode and are looking to switch (provided it’s rolled out to you):

Select the gear icon in the top right corner to open the quick settings.
Select dark mode.

The new display could be a win for those who thought the dark gray wasn’t dark enough. But it could also be a win for those who want to save some battery life on devices with OLED displays, though it is unclear how much battery life you could find yourself saving, or if the stark visual difference is even worth the change.