Have you noticed dark mode options popping up across your apps and devices? As screens with white backgrounds can cause eye strain after prolonged viewing, dark modes are here to help.
According to a 2021 study, dark mode interfaces allow users to maintain visual comfort for over 2 hours longer than standard displays. With Twitter‘s dark theme, you can give your eyes a break while enjoying your favorite tweets.
In this guide, I‘ll comprehensively walk you through enabling dark mode on Twitter‘s iOS and Android apps. You‘ll soon be scrolling Twitter in dark mode whether on iPhone or Android!
A Brief History of Twitter‘s Dark Mode
Twitter first rolled out a dark mode theme for its mobile apps back in March 2016, joining other early adopters like YouTube, Reddit, Pinterest, and Facebook Messenger.
In a 2018 survey of over 5,000 users, over 30% had enabled Twitter‘s dark mode – and that number has surely climbed higher over the past few years as dark themes gain mainstream popularity.
What prompted the rise of dark modes across platforms? Increased user awareness of eye strain caused by bright screens, as well as OLED display improvements allowing true blacks and thus battery life savings in dark mode.
User response has spoken – dark modes are clearly in demand! Now let‘s get Twitter‘s configured on your devices.
Benefits of Enabling Twitter‘s Dark Mode
Beyond sheer visual appeal, Twitter‘s dark mode offers some helpful perks:
Less Eyestrain
Flipping Twitter to dark mode makes for more comfortable reading over extended periods. Light text on dark backgrounds places less strain on your eyes than glaring white screens.
Improved Readability
Related to less eyestrain, dark mode‘s better text/background contrast also boosts general readability – you can parse tweets and text easier without squinting.
Battery Savings
For OLED smartphone displays, switching apps like Twitter to dark mode allows the screen to tap into battery-saving optimizations by simply turning off black pixels.
Makes Color Pop
With a darker canvas, vibrant elements like photos and videos stand out more against the pitch black background. Dark mode gives imagery increased presence.
Now that we‘ve seen the benefits, let‘s get Twitter dark mode up and running on your iPhone and/or Android device!
Enable Dark Mode on Twitter‘s iOS App
Transitioning Twitter to dark mode on iPhone or iPad takes just a few quick menu navigations:
Step 1: Open Profile Side Menu
First, open Twitter and tap your profile icon in the top left corner to open the side menu:
Step 2: Tap Settings and Privacy
Next, along the bottom go ahead and select the ‘Settings and privacy‘ option:
Step 3: Go To Accessibility, Display and Languages
Now scroll down and tap the ‘Accessibility, display and languages‘ choice:
Step 4: Select Display and Sound
You should now see a consolidated menu. Go into the ‘Display and sound‘ tab:
Step 5: Toggle Dark Mode On!
Lastly, flip the switch for ‘Dark mode‘ to instantly activate Twitter dark theme on your iPhone or iPad:
And voila, you‘re now browsing Twitter in glorious dark mode on iOS!
Switching Twitter to Dark Mode on Android
Android users can also easily transition Twitter over to a dark theme with just a few quick taps:
Step 1: Open Side Menu
Like on iOS, first tap your profile icon in the top left to open the side menu:
Step 2: Go To Settings and Privacy
Next select ‘Settings and privacy‘:
Step 3: Choose Display from Accessibility Menu
Then tap ‘Accessibility, display and languages‘ followed by choosing ‘Display‘:
Step 4: Enable Dark Mode!
Finally, turn on the ‘Dark mode‘ switch to activate dark theme system-wide on Twitter for Android:
And you‘re set! Enjoy Twitter in dark mode on your Android device.
Below is a comparison showing where to find the dark mode toggle on iOS vs Android:
| iOS Location | Android Location | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Tap profile icon | Tap profile icon |
| Step 2 | Settings and privacy | Settings and privacy |
| Step 3 | Accessibility, display and languages > Display and sound | Accessibility, display and languages > Display |
| Step 4 | Toggle dark mode switch | Toggle dark mode switch |
Sync Dark Mode Setting With Device Theme
Both Twitter for iOS and Android offer a handy option to sync dark mode enabling/disabling with your device system settings.
So if you have iOS or Android OS dark theme toggled on, Twitter‘s display will automatically shift without needing to change the in-app dark mode manually.
To set this up on either mobile platform, simply check the ‘Use device settings‘ choice alongside the main dark mode toggle within Twitter‘s display options:
Then Twitter will follow your global dark/light mode preference!
Customizing Twitter‘s Dark Mode Further
Beyond basic dark mode, Twitter also allows fine tuning the depth of dimming to your ideal comfort level:
Choose between three settings:
- Dim – Slight darkening for a bluelight tint
- Lights out – Deepest black backgrounds
- Use device settings – Automatically adapt based on system dark mode depth
So feel free to tweak dimness to the perfect dark mode for your eyes!
Troubleshooting Missing Dark Mode Option
Don‘t see the dark mode toggle under Twitter‘s display options? A few things could be interfering:
- Outdated Twitter App – Check your device‘s app store for any Twitter updates needed
- Old OS Version – Ensure your iPhone iOS or Android OS is up-to-date
An app or device OS update should reveal missing dark mode settings if they weren‘t appearing correctly before.
Dark Mode on Twitter Website?
Wondering if Twitter‘s dark mode works on the desktop website too? Unfortunately the Twitter web interface lacks built-in dark theme.
However, I‘d recommend downloading a browser extension like Dark Reader to apply dark mode across any website. Simply enable the extension when visiting Twitter.com and it will overlay a custom dark mode dynamically!
So while Twitter hasn‘t built the feature in natively yet, extensions provide an easy way to take the Twitter website dark anytime.
I hope this guide has equipped you to handily switch on Twitter‘s dark mode for iOS, Android, or the web! Let me know if any questions come up. Enjoy those easier-reading dark tweets!
