WhatsApp Dark Mode on Android is a work in progress, for now

WhatsApp's Dark Mode had been in the making for more than one year. One of the most sought after features on WhatsApp arrived this week to the beta version on Android, reaching a larger number of users. Now that the Dark Mode is finally here, the feature appears far from being perfect. Even though it's in final stages of beta, the feature clearly needs a lot of improvement, as called out by many fans.

What is Dark Mode?

The Dark Mode on WhatsApp, as the name implies, inverts the colour theme of the app - a new trend that a variety of popular applications along with Google (Android 10) and Apple (iOS 13) have embraced. The Dark Mode is said to help conserve battery of phones. Also, it's said to be more soothing to eyes, though there are some studies that suggest otherwise. Nonetheless, many users like the Dark Mode and it does look good on some phones.

Dark Mode on WhatsApp

WhatsApp has added "Dark" as one of the three options for themes in the updated "Chats" section. You can read our step-by-step guide to enable the mode here. Note that WhatsApp's Dark mode is not enabled by default. You can manually enable it or select the "system default" to have it automatically enabled depending on your device setting. For Android Pie and below users, choose "battery saver" to get the app automatically change theme depending upon the battery life of your phone.

What's wrong with Dark Mode on WhatsApp

WhatsApp's Dark Mode isn't really 'dark' per say. It's a combination of dark green and grey. The text appears in white. Some elements such as the background for start chat icon is in the light green colour. You will notice the same colour tone when you tap on "chat", "status", and "calls" icons. The top bar is in darker grey colour which doesn't really gel with the overall theme tilted towards green palette.

WhatsApp's Dark Mode is completely different from how the likes of Instagram have implemented. A darker intensity of black colour in apps like Instagram and Twitter looks much better.

Another major problem we faced with the Dark Mode on WhatsApp is when you've tinkered with the wallpaper. For instance, you've selected a custom wallpaper (a photo from your gallery). If it has brighter colours, the dark mode won't be effective.

If you have selected "no wallpaper", all you get is a bright white background, ultimately hurting the purpose of a dark mode. You will have to tap on "default" for a wallpaper that's in line with the dark theme.

One of the solutions WhatsApp can give users is that it converts the background wallpaper into grey scale, whether it's a custom wallpaper or any of the coloured backgrounds from the app's menu.

That said, WhatsApp's Dark Mode is still in beta, therefore, we can expect the company to make further improvements. For now, it's just a work in a progress.