SOCIAL
Facebook Finally Launches Dark Mode for WhatsApp
This will be welcome news to many.
This week, after months of testing and teasing the option, Facebook has officially announced the launch of dark mode for WhatsApp.
The experiences documented in the video are no doubt familiar to many – and now, you’ll no longer have to suffer the same.
As per Facebook:
“Dark mode for WhatsApp offers a fresh look on a familiar experience. It’s designed to reduce eye strain in low light environments. And we hope it helps prevent those awkward moments when your phone lights up the room.”
Dark mode has been one of the app’s most requested features, with users repeatedly calling on the company to implement dark mode in response to its every announcement – similar to how users call for Twitter to add tweet editing after every one of its updates.
Look, personally I don’t really get the ‘dark mode’ movement – outside of the noted health benefits – but there is a significant cohort of app users who are passionate about the alternate color schemes.
But cool looks aside, there are serious health benefits. The key here is that dark mode options in apps limit the use of blue light, which is designed to improve readability in the daylight. In low-light, however, blue light can cause your brain to stop producing melatonin, which can lead to disrupted sleep cycles, making it harder to fall and stay asleep.
And with so many of us now checking our phones in bed before retiring for the night, this is a significant concern – in fact, research shows that since 1985, the percentage of adults who are getting less than six hours sleep per night has increased by 31%.
With so many things to be stressed about, the constant barrage of news and information, it helps to be on top of your game. Less sleep makes this more difficult.
So, there are key benefits to using dark modes, and you should, indeed, be using them. And now, you can on WhatsApp too.
WhatsApp Dark Mode is rolling out this week – users on Android 10 and iOS 13 can use dark mode by enabling it in system settings, while users on Android 9 and below can go into WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Theme and select Dark.