What is Dark Mode?
Dark Mode Features
(I.e. 1. Reduced Light Emission
Dark colors reduce the amount of light emitted by the screen. This is especially useful at night or in low light.
🢢 2. Comfortable Reading in a Dark Environment
The dark background reduces eye strain, especially when reading in complete darkness or low lighting.
🟡 3. Potential Reduction in Energy Consumption
Depending on the type of screen, a black background can help reduce energy consumption.
🔴 4. Modern and Pleasant Appearance
Many users find it more "cool" and aesthetically friendly.
How Dark Mode Relates to Energy Saving
Energy savings depend on the type of display on the device. There are two main technologies in displays today: LCD and OLED.
LCD Monitors
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens use a backlight to illuminate the screen. This means that even if a black background is displayed, the light source remains active. Therefore:
❌ Dark Mode does not offer any significant power savings on LCD screens.
The energy consumed to illuminate the screen is almost the same whether the background is white or black.
OLED and AMOLED Displays
OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) and AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) work completely differently. In these displays:
✔️ Each pixel lights up on its own.
✔️ When the background is black, the pixels simply don't light up and no energy is consumed.
(I.e. Result;
Devices with OLED displays can consume up to 30% – 50% less power when using Dark Mode, especially at high brightness.
When to Use Dark Mode
Dark mode isn't for everyone, and it's not for everyone. Here are some reasons why it can be beneficial or difficult for you.
✅ Advantages:
✔ Energy Saving in OLED Devices
✔ Eye Comfort in a Dark Environment
✔ Reducing Blue Light Exposure
✔ Modern and Attractive Appearance
❌ Disadvantages:
✖ Does Not Save Energy on LCD Monitors
✖ May Make Reading Difficult in Bright Environments
✖ Not Ideal for All Types of Content (e.g. tables, graphs)
What the Research Shows
Research has shown that using dark mode on OLED displays can reduce power consumption by up to 47% when the brightness is at 100%. In contrast, on LCD displays the difference is less than 3%.
📱 Example 1:
A smartphone with an OLED display and Dark Mode enabled can last up to 1 hour longer when using apps like Chrome or YouTube.
💻 Example 2:
On laptops with OLED screens, dark mode is especially helpful when using word processing applications or reading PDFs.
How to Activate it
Enabling dark mode varies depending on the operating system or application. Below are some basic instructions.
Android:
- Settings > Appearance > Theme > Select "Dark"
- You can also program it to turn on automatically at night.
iOS:
- Settings > Display & Brightness > Select "Dark"
- Ability to automatically switch based on time.
Windows 10 / 11:
- Settings > Personalization > Colors > Select "Dark" as the default theme.
Chrome:
- Settings > Appearance > Theme > Select "Dark"
🔚 Epilogue
