Dark mode finally arrives in Gmail for iPhone – here's how to enable it

Gmail
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Gmail dark mode has finally arrived on iPhone, letting you check your messages at night without straining your eyes.

Gmail for Android received a dark mode option some time ago, and Google was so busy rolling out dark mode to other apps and services, it was starting to feel as though iPhone-owning Gmail users had been forgotten.

But they hadn't. Google has now enabled the feature in the iOS version of the Gmail app, meaning that iPhone users can down turn down the lights a little and envelope themselves in the inky cloak of dark mode.

There has been talk of Gmail for iOS getting a dark mode for months, but it has been notable by its absence. A handful of users have been able to access the option, but now it seems that the pace of the rollout is picking up – so you may well be able to access darker hues now.

As you expect (or at least hope), dark mode in Gmail for iOS has been implemented so that you have a couple of options. As well as being able to activate dark mode as the app's theme at all times, you can also select the option to use the default, system-wide theme you have chosen, so you can have darker or lighter tones at different times of the day.

Prince of darkness

So how to you enabled this look-awaited dark mode? If you fire up the Gmail app on your iPhone and use the following steps:

  1. Tap the Setting button to the upper left of the screen
  2. Move to the Themes section of Settings
  3. Choose between the Light, Dark or System default options

If you don't see this option on your iPhone yet, now is the time to head to the App Store and make sure that you've installed the very latest version of the Gmail app.

Via TechYorker

Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson
Freelance writer

Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.

Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.

Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.

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