Google has finally updated Gmail for Android and iOS with a dark theme for some users. The update is still rolling out globally. Here is how you can enable dark mode in the new update.
Both Android 10 and iOS 13 got the system-wide dark mode treatment this year. This meant that not only can users switch their operating system theme, but changing it will mean that apps will also use their dark themes thanks to API support. While Apple was quick to update its own apps with dark mode support, Google has been really slow. It seems that the slow Android update adoption issue plagues Google's own app updates too.
Meanwhile, third party apps like Reddit, Twitter and Slack have been quick to adopt dark mode on iOS and Android.
How to use Gmail dark mode
The benefit of using dark mode in Gmail is that it makes using the app easy on the eyes in dim environments. Dark mode is also helpful for battery life, specially on OLED displays. If you are one of those lucky users who have received the update, here is how you can enable the theme.
On Android
If you already have dark mode enabled in Android 10 Display Settings, Gmail will follow the setting and show the dark theme.
Alternatively, you can switch the theme manually:
- Open Gmail app and go to Settings
- Go to Theme and select Dark. You can also switch back here to Light theme or select 'System Default' so that the theme automatically switches with your operating system setting.
Gmail app will also show dark theme if Battery Saver is enabled. Dark mode is known to save battery so this automatic switch will be really helpful.
On iOS and iPadOS
If you have enabled dark mode from Settings > Display, the Gmail app will follow this setting. Otherwise, you can manually override this option:
- Open Gmail app and go to Settings
- Go to Theme and select Dark
Despite taking so much time to implement dark mode, it still is not perfect yet. Hopefully Google will work on fixing the UI issues in subsequent updates.
