Social media platforms like Twitter can often strain your eyes, especially if you’re scrolling through your feed in a dark room. The bright white background typical of apps like Twitter can be harsh on your eyes. Fortunately, Twitter has a built-in “dark mode” that swaps out the bright white background for darker colors that are easier on your eyes.
What is Twitter’s dark mode?
Twitter’s dark mode changes the color scheme of the Twitter app and website to use darker backgrounds and text colors. Specifically, enabling dark mode will:
- Change the background from white to black or dark gray
- Change the text from black to white or light gray
- Change other interface elements like icons and buttons to darker colors
Many users find dark mode to be easier on the eyes when using apps in dark environments. The lower brightness helps reduce eye strain, especially if you tend to use Twitter for long periods of time or late at night. Dark mode can also help save battery life on some devices by utilizing darker pixels instead of powering a bright white background.
How to enable Twitter dark mode
Enabling dark mode on Twitter only takes a few quick steps. Here are the instructions for both the Twitter mobile app and the Twitter website:
Twitter Mobile App
- Open the Twitter app on your iPhone or Android device
- Tap your profile icon in the top left corner
- Tap “Settings and privacy”
- Tap “Display and sound”
- Tap “Dark mode”
- Tap “Dark” to enable dark mode
Your Twitter app background should now change to a dark color. Repeat these steps and choose “Light” to revert back to the normal white background.
Twitter Website
- Go to twitter.com in any web browser
- Click your profile icon in the top right
- Click “Settings and privacy”
- Click “Accessibility, display, and languages”
- Under “Display,” check the box next to “Dark mode”
The Twitter website background should now change to dark mode. Uncheck the box to disable dark mode and go back to the regular white background.
Customizing your dark mode experience
In addition to simply enabling or disabling dark mode, you can also customize some aspects of your dark mode experience:
- Theme: Choose between “Dim” (dark gray) or “Lights out” (black) themes
- Tweet cards: Keep tweet card backgrounds white for contrast
- Auto-switch: Have Twitter automatically switch to dark mode at night
On iOS devices, these display settings can be adjusted after enabling dark mode in your app settings. On Android and Twitter.com, look for the “Dark mode settings” section after enabling dark mode.
Here are some of the different theme and display options you can customize:
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Theme | Dim, Lights out |
| Tweet cards | Dark background, White background |
| Auto-switch dark mode | On, Off |
Take some time to play around with these settings to find a dark mode configuration that looks best to your eyes. The auto-switch option is especially handy if you want dark mode at night but prefer light mode during the day.
Troubleshooting Twitter dark mode
If you’ve followed the steps but aren’t seeing dark mode take effect, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure you have the latest version of the Twitter app
- Check that your device or browser supports dark mode
- Toggle dark mode off and back on
- Restart the Twitter app or refresh the browser page
- Adjust your dark mode customization settings
- Check that your device settings don’t override the app (like iOS dark mode)
Dark mode is supported on iOS and Android devices running recent versions of their operating systems. On the web, dark mode works on most modern browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
If you still can’t enable dark mode, try reaching out to Twitter support for additional help troubleshooting.
The benefits of using Twitter in dark mode
There are a few key benefits to enabling Twitter’s dark mode feature:
- Reduces eye strain: Staring at a bright screen in dark rooms can strain your eyes. Dark mode provides lower brightness.
- Less disruptive at night: Dark mode won’t temporarily blind you if tweeting in bed when it’s dark.
- May improve battery life: Dark pixels use less power on some screens compared to powering bright whites.
- Creates comfortable viewing: Dark mode provides a more comfortable viewing experience for many people.
While dark mode isn’t universally loved by all, many users find it to be easier on the eyes. If you frequently use Twitter at night or in dark environments, switching on dark mode is definitely worth a try.
Conclusion
Enabling Twitter’s built-in dark mode is an easy way to transform your Twitter experience to be easier on your eyes. Simply navigate to your app or website display settings and toggle on the “Dark mode” option. You can also customize options like your theme color and auto-switch settings.
Dark mode may take some getting used to at first but can reduce eye strain and provide a more comfortable viewing experience. Troubleshoot settings if you run into issues with dark mode not taking effect. Overall dark mode is a welcome accessibility feature that many Twitter users love to take advantage of, especially at night or in the dark.
