Twitter dark mode bug is annoying users on desktop

The verification symbol of Twitter
(Image credit: Twitter)

A recent update to Twitter’s dark mode feature has users confused, or worse, left squinting as they wonder who turned the light mode back on.

Users are finding that the muted, easy-on-the-eyes dark blue color scheme has been swapped for a totally black background. This might not sound so bad, but the changes have not necessarily worked for users who switch over to Twitter on desktop.

The Twitter dark mode changes have led many desktop users to discover that the update has actually done the opposite, and reverted back to light mode. This is sure to be a shock for those who rely on dark mode a lot.

 Blinded by the light

In a statement to The Verge, Twitter explained that the change from a dim blue to black was intended. The dark mode update was meant to put Twitter in line with your operating system’s own preferences when it comes to light and dark modes.

Twitter also mentioned that if users didn’t like the changes, they can easily switch back to the familiar blue dark mode by heading into their settings and changing the display mode from “Lights Out” to “Dim.”

However, in terms of desktop users’ dark mode setting reverting back to off, Twitter added that was not supposed to happen. The slip up is supposedly a bug that occurs if you have Twitter set to one of the dark mode options, but have your desktop OS set to light mode.

As a result of the dark mode update, Twitter essentially looked at a user’s OS setting and then applied that to its desktop version. Many of us are partial to a late night Twitter scroll, and we imagine the change was an unpleasant surprise for a decent handful of users.

 Twit off the old block

The Twitter dark mode changes are but one of many head scratching updates the company has made to its platform. In fact there is a litany of questionable features it has implemented over the years.

Most recently, Twitter’s Fleets function has followed in the footsteps of other apps that offer a “blink and you’ll miss it” approach to messages. After 24 hours they disappear, and can’t be liked, retweeted, or interacted with in any meaningful way outside of manually screenshotting them yourself.

Another controversial change to Twitter is in how tweets are displayed on a user’s timeline. By default, Twitter prioritizes the top performing tweets from people you follow. Users have to remember to manually change the option from “Home” to “Latest Tweets” if they wish to revert to a more familiar timeline setting.

Needless to say Twitter can be an often confusing platform, with strange, sporadic updates occurring when we least expect them. The Twitter dark mode update is nothing new, really, just one in a long line of frustrating changes that users will have to adapt to.

 Via SlashGear

Rhys Wood
Hardware Editor

Rhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.