How to Get Snapchat Dark Mode on iOS and Android

Staring at a screen for long periods hurts your eyes — it’s been said a lot, and you’ve most likely experienced it, too. Luckily, there’s dark mode, which is known to reduce the eye strain that extended phone usage causes. It’s been a feature in many apps for years now, but some seem to only be catching up. One of those apps is Snapchat, which only launched its dark mode feature in May of 2021. In this guide, we walk you through how to enable Snapchat dark mode, both on iOS and Android.

Also read: How to Enable Instagram Dark Mode on Android and iOS

How to Get Snapchat Dark Mode on iOS

After a long period of waiting, Snapchat dark mode finally rolled out for iOS users. To enable this mode, just follow these steps:

1. Update your Snapchat app if you haven’t yet.
   • On the Apple App Store, press your avatar.
   • Scroll down and look for Snapchat in the list of pending updates.
   • Press the Update button adjacent to Snapchat for the update to start and be completed.
2. Launch the Snapchat app.
3. Head over to your Snapchat profile by tapping on your account icon in the upper left corner.

   

4. Find and select the cog icon to head to Settings.

   

5. Scroll down and select App Appearance under the My Account section.

   

6. Tap on Always Dark to switch on Snapchat’s dark mode.
   *Alternatively, select Match System for the app to switch to dark mode along with your iOS system.

Note that this method only works if your iPhone’s iOS version supports dark mode. Thus, your device should be running on at least iOS 13. If not, follow these steps to manually update your iOS version:

1. Access the Settings app on your gadget.
2. Navigate to and open General.
3. Find and press Software Update.
   *If you see a red circle with “1” inside it next to Software Update, that means an iOS update is available.
4. Press Download and Install.
5. Wait for your phone to finish updating.

Does Snapchat Have Dark Mode on Android?

Unlike the iOS version, Snapchat’s Android version doesn’t have a built-in option to switch to dark mode yet. However, Snapchat dark mode on Android is in the works, according to the team. While you’re waiting for Snapchat dark mode to be released for Android users, you can use the handy workaround methods we discuss in the next section.

Enabling Snapchat Dark Mode on Android

Even though Snapchat’s Android version doesn’t incorporate toggles for the said mode yet, there are a few ways you can enable Snapchat dark mode outside of the app.

Android 9 and Earlier

On some phones, turning on Snapchat dark mode on Android can be done by enabling Developer Mode and then switching on Force Dark Mode. Here’s how:

1. Head over to Settings and tap on Display.
2. Tap on Dark Mode (or Dark Theme on some phones) to enable the feature.

   

3. Go back to the first page of the Settings menu.
4. Navigate to and open About Phone.
5. From that section, press Software Information.

   

6. Press Build Number seven times. On other Android phones, you only need to tap on it six times.
7. Enter your passcode to finish enabling Developer Mode.

   

8. Return to the first Settings interface you were at.
9. Scroll down to the very bottom of the menu, and tap on Developer Options.
10. Look for the Hardware Accelerated Rendering section.
11. Under the said heading, tap on the toggle next to Force Dark Mode to enable the feature.

    

And that’s it! You can now turn on dark mode on all of your apps, whether they have a native dark mode feature or not.

Android 10 and Later

If you really want to get Snapchat dark mode but your phone is running on Android 10 or later, you can try this workaround. This method involves downloading an older version of Snapchat.

1. Go to Settings and enable dark mode.
2. Navigate to the first Settings interface you were at.
3. Swipe up and select About Phone.
4. Check out the Software Information option afterward.
5. Press Build Number repeatedly until the gadget goes into Developer Mode.
6. Return to the first page of the Settings menu.
7. Navigate to and open Developer Options.
8. Look for Force Dark Mode and enable the feature.
9. Uninstall Snapchat.

   

10. Launch the Snapchat 10.61.2.0 Beta version from APK Mirror on your phone’s browser.
11. Tap Download and wait for the file to finish downloading.

    

12. When the downloaded file appears on your Notifications panel, tap on it to install it.
    *For this, make sure your browser has permission to get unknown apps.
13. When your device has finished installing Snapchat, launch the app from your phone.
14. Log in to continue using Snapchat, which now has a dark interface.

    

APK files have had a bad rap for sneaking malware into your phone. And while this is true for some, especially those that come from unreliable APK sites, not all APK files are unsafe. Needless to say, you still need to exercise caution when downloading APK files by checking if the original has been tampered with. What’s great about using APK Mirror is that you don’t have to guess if the file is safe or not. You’ll know a file is safe to download if it says “Verified safe to install” underneath it. If you want to make absolutely sure, you can copy the URL, and paste it onto VirusTotal’s URL checker.

Select ColorOS and FunTouchOS Devices

If you have an Oppo, OnePlus, or Vivo phone, you won’t need to enable Developer Mode to force Snapchat dark mode. However, take note that this workaround is only an experimental feature of ColorOS and FunTouchOS, so it only works for select devices. To test if it works on your phone, do the following:

1. Boot up the Settings app on your device.
2. Check out the Display & Brightness option.
3. Press Dark Mode Settings afterward.
4. Select Dark mode for third-party apps to see which apps you can force to use dark mode.
5. Tap on the toggle switch next to Snapchat to enable dark mode.
6. On the pop-up message that appears, select Turn on to confirm that you want to enable dark mode on Snapchat.
7. Launch the Snapchat app and see if the app is now in dark mode.

Why is Dark Mode Important?

If used in the right environment, the dark mode can benefit you in a few ways. One of the most well-known advantages of using dark mode is reducing eye strain and dry eyes in low-light settings. If you’re using your phone in the cinema or in bed, you’ll have an easier time reading on your phone if your device is in dark mode. Plus, it’ll be less distracting to those around you. Some experts have also said that dark mode is better for people who are visually impaired or are sensitive to light.

Using dark mode can also reduce the amount of blue light your phone emits, thus helping you sleep better if you use your phone before bed. Of course, not using your phone at all before going to bed is still the best way to get a good night’s sleep.

FAQs

Below, we answer common queries regarding dark mode on apps and devices.

Is dark mode good or bad for your eyes?

While using dark mode can reduce eye strain if you’re using your phone in a dark environment, there’s no conclusive data that proves it’s better for your eye health than using light mode. The advice that eye experts generally give regarding dark mode is that if you’ve noticed that it’s easier on your eyes, then use it. In other words, it’s all down to personal preference.

What will make a significant impact on your eye health are your phone habits. If you want your eyes to not be worse off because of your phone usage, be sure to take a break from staring at your screen every 20 minutes. Using your phone for longer than 20 minutes at a time is usually what causes eye strain. That’s because staring at a screen reduces the number of times you blink per minute, causing your eyes to be dry and irritated. Using eye drops can also reduce eye strain brought about by all-day phone usage. On top of that, holding your phone at an arm’s length from your face protects your eyes from screen glare. If you’re having a hard time reading from that distance, you can increase the text size.

Also, in terms of eye health, the dark mode doesn’t matter as much as screen brightness does. Thus, make sure that your screen isn’t brighter or dimmer than the environment you’re in. If you’re in a room with little to no light, it’s best to turn your screen’s brightness all the way down. If it’s a sunny day and you’re outside, increase the brightness so that you can easily see what’s on your screen. Better yet, you can switch on auto-brightness so that your phone automatically adjusts the brightness according to the ambient light.

Does dark mode conserve battery?

Switching to dark mode can conserve battery life, but only if your phone has an OLED or AMOLED screen. If you’re using a phone with an LCD screen, using dark mode won’t improve your phone’s battery life at all. That’s because the back panel that illuminates an LCD screen lights up all at once when you’re using your phone. On the other hand, with OLED or AMOLED screens, individual pixels light up when the device is in use. So, if you’re in light mode, all of the pixels activate to show a white background. If you’re in dark mode, only a few pixels are in use, thus saving power.

However, a recent study done by Purdue University found that turning on dark mode when your screen brightness isn’t high will only save 3% to 9% of your phone’s battery power. Thus, switching to dark mode will only significantly improve your phone’s battery if your screen brightness was at 100% before enabling dark mode.

Should I always use dark mode?

Most people have dark mode disabled during the daytime and only switch it on at night. However, there’s really no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to how often you should be using dark mode. The general advice is that if you find that your eyes feel less tired when your phone is in dark mode, then use it by all means. Otherwise, you don’t have to use it at all.

Again, what’s important is that your phone’s screen brightness is at the same level as the amount of light around you. If you’re in a dark room, turning on dark mode can reduce your display brightness even further.

Easily Turn On Snapchat Dark Mode

Enabling Snapchat dark mode is easy if you know where to look. On iOS, you can switch on the feature natively. However, for Android users, you’ll need to take a few extra steps. Luckily, the process is still quick.

We hope this guide has helped you enable Snapchat dark mode, whether it’s on iOS or Android. If you found this useful, feel free to share it with a friend who might also be looking to switch on Snapchat dark mode.

Want to know how to activate dark mode on Facebook? Check out our guide for it too!