Google Is Fixing One of Dark Mode's Biggest Annoyances in Android 16

Despite supporting dark mode on Android since the Android 9 beta, there's always been a nagging problem with the theme -- not all apps or icons follow it. To use dark mode previously, app developers had to actually bake dark mode into their apps themselves, and not all developers have bought into the trend. Withthe new Android 16 design, though, Google will force apps to use an inverted color theme by introducing expanded options for dark mode when using a new mode that is integrated with the theme.

According to aDeveloper blog postthat Google shared yesterday following theOfficial unveiling of its Pixel 10 lineup, the new expanded option isalready available to test in Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1. While it's still likely a few months away from reaching the stable release of Android 16 -- and even further depending on which smartphone brand you use -- knowing that Google is addressing this annoyance is definitely progress in the right direction.

One of the biggest reasons for this change, Google writes, is to provide "a more consistent user experience for users who have low vision, photosensitivity, or simply those who prefer a dark system-wide appearance." With the expanded option on, the system will automatically take apps that run in light mode and invert them to appear darkened.

Read more:2 Ways To Get Faster Internet On Your Android Phone

Not a Replacement for Baked-In Dark Mode

While it will already work for any app that utilizes standard Android Views, Composables, or Webviews, Google notes that custom rendering engines like Flutter will not be affected by the expanded dark mode option. Additionally, Google says that this is meant to be an accessibility feature first and foremost, and it still recommends that developers bake a dark mode directly into their apps to ensure there aren't any issues with text being unreadable, as well as to prevent visual glitches within the app.

We've seen forced dark mode systems like this in the form of browser extensions already, and while those types of extensions work well in most cases, they aren't always effective. It seems like Google is aware of this based on the language used here, and that's likely a big part of why it continues to recommend that developers bake a dark mode directly into their code instead.

Expanded dark mode will also affect app icons that previously did not coordinate with the device's dark mode settings. Whether or not this new mode will evolve further before the official release remains to be seen. But at least we know Google is working to fix one of the most frustrating issues with dark mode.

Enjoyed this article?Sign up to The Shiro Copr's free newsletterfor the latest in tech and entertainment, plus tips and advice you'll actually use.

Read theoriginal article on The Shiro Copr.