Facebook dark mode is finally coming to iPhone and Android

Facebook
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

When you consider the fact that the Facebook website has a dark mode option – and even the data-saving Facebook Lite mobile app has it – it's more than a little surprising that the iOS and Android app does not offer the same.

Well, this is about to change. Facebook is now publicly testing a dark mode feature in its official mobile apps – here's what you need to know.

Although Facebook has not – yet – made an official announcement about the new dark mode option, news of its availability comes from a very reliable source. Serial leaker and app reverse engineerer Jane Manchun Wong shared the news along with a video made in collaboration with Facebook's tech comms manager Alexandru Voica.

The video shows off the dark mode people have been waiting for for so long:

Paint it black

So how do you go about activating the coveted dark mode? Unfortunately, because this is still a test, there is no way to guarantee you'll get dark mode on your Android or iOS device right now. Facebook appears to be rolling out the feature to a select number of users, and there are no tricks you can use to make the option shows up for you as it is controlled server-side.

You can check to see if dark mode is available by firing up the Facebook app and heading to settings. Look in the Settings & Privacy section, and if you're lucky you'll see the option waiting to be enabled – if not, you'll just have to be patient.

Via XDA Developers

Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson
Freelance writer

Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.

Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.

Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.

You can find her on Twitter and Mastodon.

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