An introduction to the world of visual comfort begins with the understanding that a standard light-colored interface can tire the eyes, especially in low-light conditions. The operating system Android 8 Oreo has become an important step in the evolution of the mobile platform, offering users new personalization options. However, a full-fledged system dark theme, accessible with one switch, appeared in later versions, starting from Android 10.
This does not mean that owners of devices based on the eighth version are deprived of the opportunity to enjoy the dark design. Various smartphone manufacturers were introducing their own solutions to save battery power and reduce eye strain long before Google's official release. In this material, we will look in detail at how to activate night mode on your device using hidden system capabilities or third-party tools.
It is worth noting that the process may differ depending on the model of your gadget and the installed shell. We will look at universal methods, as well as specific settings for popular brands, so that you can find the right option.
Checking for built-in interface settings
The first step should always be to review the standard settings of your device. Firmware developers often hide the theme change function deep in the menu, without displaying it on the main screen. You need to go to the section Settings → Screen or Settings → Display.
In some cases, the desired option may be in a subsection Additional or hidden behind switch Reading mode. If you find a Dark Theme or Night Mode option, congratulations—your system supports this feature natively. Activation will take just a couple of seconds.
However, if there are no corresponding switches in the standard menu, this is no reason to despair. The system Android 8 has a powerful toolkit for developers that allows you to force dark appearance in compatible applications.
Using developer mode for a dark theme
This method is most effective for devices with stock Android Oreo or similar skins. It allows you to enable dark backgrounds in system settings and supported apps through a hidden debug menu. First, you need to activate the developer mode itself.
Go to the menu Settings → About phone (or "About device"). Find the "Build Number" line and quickly click on it seven times in a row. After this, the system will inform you that you have become a developer. Now return to the main settings menu.
A new section will appear in the list of parameters For Developers. It is usually located at the very bottom of the list or in the "System" category. Inside this menu, you will need to find the option Dark Theme (Dark Theme) or "Force dark theme."
Activating this switch will change the background color in the settings menu and some system dialogs. This can significantly improve the perception of information in the dark without installing additional software.
⚠️ Attention: Enabling developer mode gives access to critical system settings. Do not change other parameters in this menu if you are not sure of their purpose, as this may lead to unstable operation of the smartphone.
What to do if the "Dark Theme" item is not in the developer menu?
If you activated the developer mode, but did not find the desired switch, this means that your firmware manufacturer has blocked this feature at the kernel level. In this case, you will have to use third-party applications or themes, which will be discussed below.
Activating night mode through quick settings
Many users do not realize that the quick settings panel can hide additional switches that are not displayed by default. On Android 8 the notification curtain mechanism allows you to edit the set of available tiles.
Swipe down from the top edge of the screen twice to reveal the full quick settings panel. Find the pencil icon or Edit button in the bottom corner of the screen. Click on it to enter tile configuration mode.
In the list of available widgets, look for an icon with the image of a moon or crescent. If you find it, drag it to the active area of the panel. Now you can turn night mode on and off with one touch, without going into deep menus.
- 🌙 Night mode often changes not only the colors of the interface, but also reduces the color temperature of the screen, making it warmer.
- 🔋 Using dark tones on AMOLED screens really saves battery power, since black pixels are simply are turned off.
- 👁️ Reducing the brightness of the white background reduces eye fatigue when reading text in the dark.
If the moon icon is not in the list of available tiles, try looking for the "Battery Saver" switch. In some firmware, activating energy saving automatically turns on a simplified dark interface.
Use of third-party themes and launchers
If system methods do not give the desired result, third-party solutions come to the rescue. The store Google Play offers thousands of themes that completely change the appearance of your desktop and system applications. To do this, you will need to install a special launcher.
Popular shells, such as Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or GO Launcherhave built-in theme stores or support downloading third-party packages. After installing the launcher, go to its settings and select the "Themes and Wallpaper" section.
Enter the query "Dark" or "Black" in the search. You will see a huge selection of designs, from strict minimalism to neon styles. Download the theme you like and apply it. Please note that this will only change the desktop and application bar.
To change the appearance of system menus and settings, there are special overlay applications that apply a dark layer on top of light interface elements. They may require special permissions through the computer.
| Application name | Change type | Root requirement | Battery impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Launcher | Desktop | No | Minimum |
| Substratum (Lite) | System and applications | Depends on the version | Average |
| Dark Theme & Dark Mode | Interface overlay | No | High |
| Material Dark | Icons and background | No | Low |
Third-party launchers are the safest way of customization, which does not require intervention in system files, but they do not change the appearance of the standard Android settings.
Customizing a dark theme in specific applications
Even if the system remains light, you can configure most popular applications to use a dark theme. This will create an immersive effect and reduce the overall level of screen brightness when using social networks and instant messengers.
Go to your account settings, select "General" and activate the "Dark Theme" switch. In YouTube Go to your account settings, select "General" and turn on the "Dark Theme" switch. IN Telegram the path looks like this: Settings → Appearance → Night mode. Here you can also configure automatic switching on according to a schedule.
The application VK allows you to select one of several color schemes in the "Basic" -> "Color Scheme" section. The browser Chrome on Android 8 did not yet have a full system dark theme, but you can use experimental flags to activate it.
Type chrome://flagsin the browser address bar. Find the parameter Android Chrome UI dark mode and switch it to state Enabled. After restarting the browser, the interface will become dark.
Problem solving and possible limitations
Sometimes after enabling the dark theme, users encounter display artifacts. Some icons may become unreadable and text may blend into the background. This occurs due to poor optimization of specific applications for color inversion.
If you notice that an application does not work correctly in dark mode, try adding it to the exceptions. In the theme settings there is often a list of applications for which you need to force the use of a light scheme.
It is also worth remembering that using dark themes on screens like IPS does not save energy, unlike AMOLED matrices. On IPS screens, the backlight is always on, regardless of the pixel color.
⚠️ Attention: When using overlay applications to darken the interface, battery consumption may increase due to the constant rendering of an additional layer on top of the main windows.
In case of serious glitches, such as constant crashes of the system interface, it is recommended to disable the dark theme through safe mode or reset the launcher settings to factory settings.
☑️ Diagnosis of problems with the theme
Frequently asked questions
Does it affect does a dark theme affect the speed of a smartphone?
Changing the color scheme itself does not affect processor performance. However, the use of heavy third-party launchers or overlay applications may consume more RAM, which on weaker devices will lead to slower performance.
Is it possible to set the theme to automatically turn on over time?
This feature is missing in stock Android 8. However, many third-party launchers and theme management applications allow you to set a schedule, for example, turning on dark mode from 20:00 to 07:00.
Why was the theme reset after a firmware update?
With major system updates, customization settings are often reset to factory settings for the sake of stability. You will have to re-enable the dark theme in the settings or apply the theme in the launcher.
Is it safe to use apps to darken the screen?
Apps from the official Google Play store are generally safe. Avoid downloading questionable APK files from unknown sites, as they may ask for excessive permissions and collect personal data.