Why Dark Mode App Designs Are Gaining Popularity?

In recent years, users throughout the world have been showing a lot of interest in dark viewing modes for mobile apps. With such a high following, Google has also added a feature called ‘Night Eye’ where you can visit any website in dark mode through Google Chrome.

Furthermore, many web and mobile app developers are choosing to use this new feature exclusively for their own applications and web designs to provide users with an experience that is unique and different from conventional mobile app designs.

When it comes to comprehending users’ preferences for dark mode or dark theme user interfaces, they are clearly in favor of it. According to recent surveys on various social media platforms, it turns out that the majority of users share an overwhelming response for dark mode while agreeing that the shift is appreciable.

Dark vs. Bright

While there are strong arguments for the use of dark text on light backgrounds, some people find it aesthetically unpleasant. Usually, people spend half of their waking hours staring at bright white screens, which can cause digital eye strain.

Digital eye strain can be caused by prolonged use of cell phones, computers, e-readers, or tablets, among other things. This change is therefore appreciated and accepted by many users. Thus, they can relax and withdraw from the white light that makes them feel as if they’re staring straight into a hall of light.

Although dark mode does not bolden the text, it does create an opposite effect in which the letters appear to bleed. It is more of a mood than a feature. For this reason, most smartphones users prefer o use dark mode on their devices, especially at night.

As we all can see that dark mode are increasingly popular for several apps and web design. Let us ding in and find out some of the prominent reasons as to why dark mode mobile app features are gaining popularity.

Reduced Battery Consumption

The introduction of dark UI was one of Google’s solutions at the 2018 Android Dev Summit to reduce battery consumption. Researchers at Google proclaimed that night mode might reduce battery usage.

Dark themes on AMOLED displays reduce battery usage by 63% even at max brightness, as mentioned in a story published by XDA Developers. Additionally, we must also consider those white pixels more power-hungry, and that brightness directly impacts power consumption and battery life.

Adopted by Tech Giants

It would be unfair to consider Google as the originator of dark mode. The dark-colored themes and backgrounds of Windows Phone 7 came back in 2010, which introduced the same darkness as the themes and backgrounds of early monochrome CRT home computers.

There are currently major tech giants and popular domain names that have fully adopted ‘Night Mode’ and are offering customers and users the option to modify their viewing preferences in accordance with their own tastes. Many big companies, from Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, to Samsung’s One UI, to Apple’s iPad and iOS 13, to Android’s shadow mode, are offering dark modes for their users.

The majority of urban-tech consumers are served by these online platforms and companies together. Together these online platforms and companies cater to the majority of the urban-tech population of the planet. As such, night mode is clearly a very popular option one can find for the majority of mobile apps.

User-friendliness

Another reason Dark Mode is so popular is that it is user-friendly. Almost all of us are well aware that people rarely read online texts. Visual media, consisting of video or images, is, of course, the most viewed and popular form of media.

That is why user preferences do come into play when it comes to the popularity of dark-themed websites. Recent research by Smart Insights® found that video marketing is an integral part of 92% of marketers’ marketing efforts. On average, people will watch online videos for up to 100 minutes a day in 2021, according to an estimate.

Online video consumption is considered one of the most popular activities on the internet. Upon considering these studies and facts, it is evident that dark themes enhance the viewing experience on video streaming websites. Therefore, it is no longer surprising that YouTube and Netflix use dark tones, almost for the most part, exclusively.

The Bottom Line

Dark mode appeared as the choice of consumers. Users were unconditionally attracted towards the dark theme and used to opt for this feature in most of their smartphone applications. When it comes to user preferences, businesses couldn’t settle on anything lesser than fulfilling their requirements.

Dark mode appeared as a relief to the all-day eye-strain of office workers who typically spend their day in front of huge desktop screens. Thus, it positively impacts users’ eyes and peace. Besides, it was an aesthetic choice for a considerable amount of mobile app users. When users get used to dark-themed screens, they can hardly get back to the bright screens. Additionally, many people have a strong argument that it saves battery life too.  All these benefits combine to support the dark mode popularity among the app users.

Based on these points, Dark modes are not likely to stop growing more in the future. The benefits are numerous from both an aesthetic and practical standpoint. In short, mobile app development that incorporates a dark theme will advance your mobile app design and make it stand out from the crowd.