Android 15 could give you a super powerful dark mode that forces incompatible apps to support it
Android 15 could introduce a feature that forces all apps into dark mode even if it’s not supported. The feature called ‘make all apps dark’ was discovered in the Android 15 beta code, by Mishaal Rahman op Android Authority.
Dark mode was introduced in Android 10 in 2019 and when enabled it changes your layout, wallpapers and notifications from the default white to darker colors. This makes looking at your screen a little easier on the eyes, especially if you’re surfing your phone at night. Some users (myself included) simply prefer how dark mode looks and find it more readable.
However, not all apps support dark mode; for example the Amazon app, Fitbit and some baking apps to name a few. These unsupported apps should usually have their own dark mode that follows the current overall theme of your device.
Not all dark modes are created equal
If you want your apps to go dark, there are solutions you can use, such as enabling Developer Options on your device and selecting the ‘Ignore Force Dark’ option or installing apps like DarQ. However, this can sometimes not work properly or break the UI of certain apps.
The current ‘override force-dark’ mode allows developers to quickly enable a simple dark theme or test what their apps might look like with a dark mode, although developers can opt out of this setting, which will disable the force-dark option works.
However, Android Authority reports that the new ‘make all apps dark’ feature apparently works more effectively and is compatible with more apps, eliminating the need to download a specific dark-themed app.
It is believed that the newer ‘make all apps dark’ in Android 15 beta code uses a completely different algorithm to switch your device to dark mode and has other improvements to ensure a wider range of app compatibility.
The Fitbit app for Android doesn’t have a dark theme, but what would it look like if you forced it to have one? Note: This is not a draft👀 pic.twitter.com/fEl0JRmSzmApril 25, 2024
Android Authority’s test images show that unsupported apps like the Fitbit app switch to dark mode without any visual issues. However, since this setting hasn’t been rolled out yet, it’s likely that some apps will still not work as expected until the feature is officially launched.
Rather than being buried in the developer options that require you to enable it, Android 15’s beta code points out that “make all apps dark” is in the accessibility options, making them easier to find.
“Make all apps dark” is not yet available or even visible in the Android 15 beta, but is expected to be included in the Android 15 beta 2 update. The second beta will be released on May 14 to coincide with Google I/O 2024. It is expected that it will be part of the full rollout of Android 15, which could take place between August and October based on previous releases.