Facebook is reportedly testing dark mode for mobile devices. Three months after launching the feature as part of its desktop redesign, the social network is trialing dark mode for a handful of smartphone users, according to The Verge. There is currently no timeline for wider access, though this is one Facebook function you can count on eventually rolling out to everyone.
Self-described “social media industry commentator” Matt Navarra on Friday retweeted screenshots of dark mode from iOS 14 user Craig Lugay. “So I have dark mode on Facebook now,” he wrote from Florida. Shared images suggest the feature is housed in the sidebar menu, under Settings & Privacy, and may launch later this year alongside major mobile operating system updates.
Facebook did not immediately respond to PCMag’s request for comment. A spokesperson, however, confirmed the test to Social Media Today, adding that it’s available only to “a small percentage of users globally right now.”
Folks have been dimming the Internet lights since 2018, when Microsoft and Google turned on dark mode to save battery life for Windows Phone and Android users. YouTube, Samsung, and Apple followed suit, the latter making light-on-dark mode available across native applications in iOS 13 and iPadOS.
Facebook finally jumped on the bandwagon in March, introducing an optional dark theme for desktop, as well as offshoots Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. So it’s surprising the mobile app has taken so long to innovate. But, as Social Media Today pointed out, there are “technical considerations,” including its use in different regions with varying levels of connectivity.
