Google’s darker dark mode has arrived
Google Search has replaced its optional dark grey theme with a true black one. The company is bringing the updated dark mode to customers in stages, so you might not see it yet. Back in February 2021, Google confirmed to The Verge that it was testing a darker dark mode for its search interface.
Time to February 2022, when Google said on Twitter that a new dark mode is coming to desktop, mobile, and “anywhere you search.” We can confirm that the new dark mode is available on Google.com desktop and mobile. But last time we checked, the new model didn’t exist in the iPhone’s Google Search app.
Google and other companies often release new features in stages. This time is no different, so check back in a few days or weeks. Also, some people who received the new theme reported losing it later.
If the previous dark mode wasn’t dark enough for you, read on as we show you how to turn on and use the new Google dark mode on your device.
How to turn on pitch-black dark mode on Google search
Turning on Google’s dark mode automatically activate the pure-black theme
If you already have a Dark Theme updated by Google, it should be activated automatically, provided you previously turned on Dark Mode in quick settings.
1. Open google.com in Safari on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
2. Hit “Settings” (iPad, Mac) or the hamburger icon in the top-left corner (iPhone), then choose “Dark Theme” from the menu to activate it on this device.
Repeat this if you want to use Google Dark Mode on all your devices.
Is it true that dark modes help save battery power?
Dark modes are believed to help save battery power although some research papers question that. The display is usually the most power-hungry component of a smartphone. The main difference between LED-based screens and OLED ones has to do with backlighting: LCD screens use big LEDs which diffuse the backlight across the entire screen.
As a result, when using an LCD-based iPhone in a dark setting you’ll notice the backlight shining through pure black areas of the screen which causes pure black areas to appear grayish.
Contrast this with OLED technology that uses organic light-emitting diodes that need no backlight whatsoever because they emit their own light. This makes OLED displays more energy efficient than LCD ones because all true black (#000000) pixels are completely turned off and don’t consume power. Aside from true blacks, other perks you get with OLED screens that are unavailable with LCDs include high contrast ratios, high brightness, and high resolutions.
