Android's Latest Update Can Force Apps Into Dark Mode - How To See It Now

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• A caller Android characteristic tin unit acheronian mode connected much apps.
• The characteristic besides applies to app icons.
• The beta is unfastened only to Pixel owners for now.

If you're a acheronian mode user, you cognize really frustrating it tin beryllium erstwhile an app blinds you pinch brightness contempt having acheronian mode connected (I'm looking astatine you, Amazon).

That vexation mightiness soon beryllium over, arsenic nan latest beta type of Android 16 is bringing expanded support for acheronian mode -- including apps that don't person it built in.

Also: Your Android telephone conscionable sewage a awesome upgrade for free - including these Pixel models

In a caller developer blog post, Google announced that Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1 tin "intelligently invert nan UI of apps that look ray contempt users having selected nan acheronian theme." 

Google explains that this characteristic useful by analyzing an app's "Light Theme" property to find whether to use inversion. If an app has modular Day Night themes, this happens automatically. If not, "Standard Android Views, Composables, and WebViews will beryllium inverted, while civilization rendering engines for illustration Flutter will not." 

In short, if an app doesn't person acheronian mode, Android will flip colors to create one.

Also: Two captious Android 16 information features you're not utilizing (but perfectly should)

The characteristic besides applies to icons, arsenic Android 16 QPR2 tin make a themed icon for an app if nan developer doesn't supply a dedicated one. Android applies a colour filtering algorithm to nan existing launcher icon to render it successful a monochrome style, letting it lucifer nan user's chosen theme. 

One Android 15 beta had a akin feature, but it ne'er saw nan ray of day. Given that Google is discussing this one, it seems for illustration nan characteristic is overmuch further on this time. 

Google acknowledges that this is "largely intended" arsenic an accessibility characteristic for group pinch debased imagination and photosensitivity and recommends that developers instrumentality a autochthonal acheronian taxable erstwhile possible. However, it adds that group who simply for illustration a darker strategy acquisition will besides benefit.

Also: Every Pixel instrumentality announced astatine Made by Google: 10 Pro Fold, Watch, Buds, more

You tin enroll immoderate supported Pixel device here to get this characteristic complete nan air. Non-Pixel owners will person to hold for nan nationalist merchandise later this year.